10 Ways to Shower Your Home With Gratitude

Don’t leave your house out of your Thanksgiving celebrations! Here are 10 creative and thoughtful ways to express your gratitude for your home — now and throughout the year.

1. Throw a party. Whether you think of it as a no-gift housewarming or home blessing, having a party to welcome friends and family into your home is a meaningful event. If you never got around to throwing a first party in your house, why not do it now?

2. Get a guest book. I say it’s time to revive this old tradition — it doesn’t have to be fussy. Get any pretty journal you like and invite guests to write a message in it. If you’re throwing a party, pick one up before the event so your friends can sign it. For extra personalization, set an instant camera beside it so partygoers can snap pictures of themselves to tuck inside.


3. Make a photo book of your home. How fun would it be to have a coffee table book about your house? Online photo sites make it easy to combine photos with your own text, so you can personalize your book; or you can put together a traditional album. When snapping pictures for your album, don’t aim for perfectly styled shots. The small, everyday details (like your child’s messy room at a certain age) are what will make this book a treasure in years to come.


4. Make a list of things you are thankful for about your home. The simple fact of having a roof over your head, the warmth of your home’s original wood floors, the way light streams in your kitchen window — record it all. And if you are making a photo book of your home, be sure to include this list!


5. Treat your home to fresh flowers or a fabulous scent. Make a point of picking out a bouquet the next time you are at the market — it doesn’t need to be expensive to be lovely.

Or, if you prefer, treat your home (and yourself) to a deliciously scented candle or room fragrance … and be sure to use it! These small gestures make a home feel loved.

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6. Fix a decorating quandary that’s been bugging you. From supernarrow entryways to kitchens that lack storage, all homes have their quirks.

If yours has a spot that’s been difficult to decorate, devote some laser-beam-like attention to the matter and get it resolved. Invite a design-savvy friend over to move furniture, get help from the Houzz community, hire a pro — do what you need to do and find a solution that works.


7. Clean every corner. It’s normal to skim over corners when doing a quick cleaning — but there’s something symbolic about clearing the (real or metaphorical) cobwebs from every corner of your home. Go straight to those nooks and crannies, and thoroughly vacuum and mop right into the corners. Other often-neglected spots to tackle: baseboards, the tops of picture frames and areas behind the appliances.

8. Stay in. When your home is fresh and clean is the perfect opportunity to stay in to savor a quiet afternoon or evening. Put on music, light candles and watch movies or read. Enjoy your space!


9. Name your home. Adopt the name of a famous home, fictional or real — like Jane Austen’s Pemberley — or come up with something that speaks to your home’s location or physical characteristics — or your sense of humor. If you like, have a sign made and hang it up. Why not? Life at home should be fun!


10. Have your home’s portrait painted. Portraits aren’t just for people — search a site like Etsy for “custom home portraits” and a bevy of options should come up. If you’re purchasing a home portrait online, the artist will be working from a photograph that you provide, so make sure you have a clear photo with your home front and center. If you would like an artist to paint your home in person, seek out a local one whose work you admire and ask if he or she takes commissions. You can ask that the portrait be labeled with the street address — and if you came up with a name for your home, this is the perfect place to use it!

Tell us: Share what you’re most thankful for about your home in the Comments.

More: 9 Ways to Appreciate Your House Just as It Is

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