The 'Ber' Months: How to Welcome September, October, November & December the Cottagecore Way
Updated: Sep 1
Hello Toadstoolers!
Is it just me, or does something happen towards the end of August?
The evenings start getting that little bit darker. There is a slight nip in the air first thing in the morning. The spiders suddenly decide that your house is their house, and you find yourself reaching for a cardigan when you absolutely swore you wouldn't.
And then someone mentions the “Ber months.”
September.
October.
November.
December.
Four little months that somehow contain an entire personality.
And I, for one, am absolutely here for it.
There is something about this time of year that feels particularly magical. Perhaps it is the changing countryside, the smell of woodsmoke, the abundance of autumn produce, the return of proper jumpers and blankets, or simply the excuse to light approximately seventeen candles at any given moment.
For me, this is when cottagecore really comes into its own.
So grab yourself a cuppa, find your cosiest chair and settle in, because today we're going to celebrate the Ber months — the cottagecore way.
September – The Gentle Goodbye to Summer
September always feels like a month of transition.
Summer hasn't quite left us, but autumn is standing patiently at the door waiting for its turn.
The days can still be warm, the garden may still be full of colour, but there is a subtle change happening all around us.
The leaves begin to turn.
The mornings become mistier.
The evenings arrive earlier.
And suddenly, staying in with a blanket doesn't seem quite so ridiculous.
September is the perfect month to start bringing a little more warmth into your home without going completely autumnal just yet.
Think:
Soft throws and knitted blankets
Linen cushions in warm neutral shades
Dried flowers and grasses
Wooden accessories
Wicker baskets
Candles with earthy, comforting scents
Seasonal flowers from the garden
A vase of foraged foliage
You don't need to completely redecorate your home every time the calendar changes.
Cottagecore isn't about perfection or constantly buying something new.
It is about making small changes that help your home feel connected to the season.
Perhaps move your favourite armchair closer to the window.
Put a basket beside it with a blanket and your current book.
Bring a few fallen branches or dried seed heads inside.
Put the kettle on.
There you go.
September cottagecore.
September is also the month for getting outside.
Go for a walk.
Collect conkers.
Take photographs of the changing landscape.
Pick blackberries if you can.
Sit in the garden with a cup of tea before the weather really turns.
There is something rather lovely about noticing the little changes that happen between summer and autumn and living seasonally is all about noticing those things.
October – Let the Cosiness Commence
Now we're talking.
October is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest cottagecore months of the year.
The leaves are turning glorious shades of copper, gold and russet.
The pumpkins arrive.
The jumpers come out.
The candles get lit.
And suddenly soup tastes approximately 400% better.
October is when I really start leaning into the cosy side of things.
This is the month for autumnal cottagecore.
Think warm browns, mossy greens, burnt oranges, creamy whites and deep earthy tones.
Bring those colours into your home through cushions, blankets, flowers, artwork and little seasonal touches.
You could create a simple autumn display on your coffee table using a wooden bowl filled with conkers, pinecones, dried leaves and tiny pumpkins.
Or pop some dried hydrangeas into an old ceramic jug.
Nothing needs to be perfectly arranged.
In fact, please don't make it perfect.
A little wonkiness is part of the charm.
The cottagecore home should look lived in, loved and enjoyed.
Not like nobody is allowed to sit on the sofa.
Have Yourself a Little Autumn Kitchen Day
October is also the perfect time to get back into the kitchen.
This is when I want food that has been bubbling away for hours.
Soups.
Stews.
Casseroles.
Fresh bread.
Apple crumble.
Anything involving potatoes.
Basically, food that feels like a hug.
Put some music on, get your favourite apron out and make something from scratch.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
There is something wonderfully cottagecore about chopping vegetables on a wooden chopping board while something delicious simmers away on the stove.
And when you've finished?
Eat it at the table.
With a proper plate.
Preferably with a mismatched mug of tea and a piece of homemade cake or a homemade biscuit.
It's the little things.
November – Embrace the Darker Days
November sometimes gets a bit of a bad reputation.
It's grey.
It's wet.
It's dark before you've finished work.
The garden has lost much of its summer colour and Christmas hasn't quite arrived yet.
But I think November deserves a little more love.
Because November is the month of cosying up.
This is when we stop fighting the darkness and start embracing it.
Light the candles.
Turn on the lamps.
Put the fairy lights up.
Close the curtains.
Make something warm to drink.
Get the blankets out.
And give yourself permission to slow down.
There is something incredibly comforting about being tucked up inside while the weather does whatever it wants outside.
And this is where your furniture becomes part of the story.
A well-loved wooden coffee table isn't just somewhere to put your cup of tea.
It's where you put your book.
Your knitting.
Your half-finished craft project.
Your candle.
Your plate of biscuits.
Your feet might even end up on it when nobody is looking.
Furniture should be lived with.
It should gather little marks and memories.
It should be part of the everyday moments that make a house feel like home.
That, to me, is one of the reasons I love handmade furniture so much.
Make November a Month of Making
November is also a wonderful time to start a little project.
Learn to knit.
Try embroidery.
Press some autumn leaves.
Bake something you've never tried before.
Make a wreath.
Start writing again.
Sort through old photographs.
Visit a charity shop or antique centre and see what treasures you can find.
You don't have to be particularly good at any of these things.
That's not the point.
Cottagecore isn't about becoming some perfectly organised woodland goddess who makes all her own clothes and grows every vegetable she eats.
Although if you are that person...
I'm slightly jealous.
It's about doing things with your hands and finding joy in the process.
December – The Cottagecore Christmas
And then...
December.
The month where apparently we are all expected to become professional Christmas decorators overnight.
But you know what?
You don't need to.
A cottagecore Christmas is much gentler.
Think natural greenery.
Dried oranges.
Pinecones.
Candles.
Wooden decorations.
Handmade garlands.
Paper chains.
Ribbon.
Foraged foliage.
And lots and lots of warm lights.
I particularly love Christmas decorations that don't look as though they came from the same box.
Mismatched ornaments.
Old decorations passed down through the family.
Something you made yourself.
Something you found in a charity shop.
Something your children made when they were five that you absolutely refuse to throw away.
Those are the things that make a home feel special.
Make Christmas About the Little Things
Cottagecore Christmas isn't about having the biggest tree or the most expensive decorations.
It's about the atmosphere.
The smell of cinnamon.
The sound of wrapping paper.
A Christmas film playing in the background.
A pot of something delicious cooking in the kitchen.
A pile of blankets.
A book waiting to be read.
The glow of the Christmas tree reflected in the window.
And people you love sitting around the table.
It's about making memories.
And honestly?
Those are the things we'll remember.
My Favourite Cottagecore Ber Month Rituals
If you're looking for some simple ways to celebrate the season, here are a few of my favourites.
🍂 September
Take a long countryside walk and bring a little of the season home with you.
🎃 October
Make something warming from scratch and decorate your home with pumpkins, dried flowers and autumn foliage.
🕯️ November
Have a proper cosy evening. Candles, blankets, books, films, homemade food — whatever makes you feel content.
🎄 December
Make something handmade for Christmas. A wreath, decorations, biscuits, gifts or even your own wrapping paper.
And throughout all four months...
Slow down.
Notice the changing seasons.
Get outside.
Make things.
Cook things.
Gather with people.
Create a home that feels warm and welcoming.
Creating a Home for the Ber Months
Perhaps my favourite thing about this time of year is that it reminds us what our homes are actually for.
They aren't showrooms.
They aren't supposed to look perfect every minute of every day.
They are where we live.
Where we make tea.
Where we burn the toast.
Where we curl up with a book.
Where we entertain friends.
Where we make memories.
Where we hide from the rain.
Where we celebrate.
Where we sometimes make a complete mess.
And that's okay.
Actually, that's rather wonderful.
The cottagecore home embraces the little imperfections.
The old wooden table with a few marks.
The chair that has become everyone's favourite.
The blanket that permanently lives on the sofa.
The mismatched crockery.
The flowers that are slightly past their best but are still too pretty to throw away.
The photograph that isn't quite straight.
That's home.
So, Bring on the Ber Months!
As we move from September through October, November and finally into December, I'm going to try to embrace each month for what it is rather than rushing ahead to the next one.
September can be for noticing.
October can be for gathering.
November can be for slowing down.
December can be for celebrating.
Four months.
Four different moods.
And countless opportunities to make our homes feel a little cosier.
So go on.
Put the kettle on.
Light the candle you've been saving.
Find your favourite jumper.
Pull up a chair.
And enjoy this wonderful little transition from summer into the cosiest part of the year.
Because if there is one thing I've learnt from my love of cottagecore, it's this:
You don't need to escape to a little cottage in the countryside to live a slower, cosier life.
You can create little moments of it wherever you are.
Even if it's raining.
Even if your house is a complete mess.
Even if you've forgotten to buy milk.
And even if the spider has once again decided that your bathroom belongs to him.
Now, where did I put the biscuits?
Until next time, Toadstoolers.
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