Christmas Comes to a Cozy Cabin in the Georgia Pines
Tucked among the Georgia pines, Beth Cox’s cozy cabin feels especially magical at Christmas. Built by Beth and her husband with their own hands, it’s a home filled with natural touches, treasured traditions, family recipes, and the kind of Christmas memories that only get sweeter with time.
A Christmas Home in the Georgia Pines
When Beth Cox and her husband, Dwayne, decided it was time to build a smaller home for their next chapter, they didn’t start with an architect’s plans. They started with an inspiration photo, a sheet of notebook paper, and an idea of what home should feel like.
Originally featured in a past issue of Front Porch Life Magazine, Beth invited us inside their charming cabin in Rutledge, Georgia, and shared the story of building it themselves, how she decorates it for Christmas, and the family traditions that make the season so special.
Building a Home in the Georgia Pines
When my husband Dwayne and I decided that we were ready to build our home, my son was getting ready to graduate high school. So I knew then that I wanted something smaller that would be just the right size for us empty nesters. I also wanted a style that was unique. I found a picture of a home on Pinterest that was much bigger than what I was looking for, but it was nestled right in the middle of pine trees. I was instantly inspired.
After I found the inspiration picture, I sat down with my husband and we drew our own plans on a sheet of notebook paper. I knew I wanted a long and narrow shape to the house with a loft for overnight guests and big covered porches. Once we had this figured out, everything else fell into place! We built the home ourselves with a lot of help from my older brother. We worked on it every day in the afternoons after we came home from work. It took us six months to complete.
Decorating the Cabin for Christmas
When I start to think about decorating for a new season, I first find a ribbon that inspires me. This helps me to find the colors and patterns that will match the overall style of my home. After I pick my color choices for my ribbon, I then look through my own house and stash of seasonal decor that will fit the color scheme I have chosen. My home has lots of brown and wood tones, so I think neutral tones match best. Sometimes, I will use a pop of color like I did this year with the reds. I get lots of inspiration from magazines, looking at fabrics, and Pinterest. I want to make sure that no matter what color scheme or theme I pick, it will match the style of my home. For example, when I picked the Christmas picture to hang on my front porch, I wanted a Santa picture, but I chose one where he was out in nature to match the aesthetic of my home. But ribbon is almost always the first place I start.
I change my decor every year. However, something that I do use every year is grapevine wreaths. I use these because it matches the natural theme of my home. An easy and inexpensive way to style them differently is with different ribbons and fresh greenery that you can get from your own backyard. For my most special Christmas decoration, I would have to say that it is a picture ornament of my dog Hank, who passed away a few years ago. I make sure to always hang his ornament, even if it is not on the Christmas tree. Besides that, I have glass Amber ornaments that I love. I try to use them every year.
Christmas Traditions, Family and Favorite Recipes
Every Christmas morning, my son Jordan comes over with his family. I cook a huge Christmas breakfast of biscuits, gravy, sausage, bacon, eggs, grits, everything! After we eat, we sit around the Christmas tree and open presents and stockings. This has become even more special now that my son is married, and I have two sweet granddaughters, Berkley and Josie. There is nothing better than being surrounded by your family on Christmas morning. Also, every year since my son was a little boy, he has shot mistletoe out of the trees. It is always too high up for us to cut it, so he has to shoot it. Then, I get to hang the mistletoe somewhere in my home.
Baking holiday desserts is something that I look forward to every single year. I always make chocolate oatmeal cookies, peanut butter balls, and my grandma’s special toffee recipe. My son used to help me with the baking, but now that his daughter Berkley is old enough, she helps me. My husband’s number one request every Christmas is chocolate cobbler, but my all-time favorite is the chocolate oatmeal cookies. I think I could eat all of them by myself!
More Stories Like This Inside Front Porch Life
This is just a glimpse of the stories you’ll find inside Front Porch Life Magazine. Every issue is filled with beautiful homes, family traditions, unforgettable people, recipes, small businesses, and stories that celebrate the things worth holding on to.
If you loved stepping inside Beth’s Christmas cabin in the Georgia pines, there’s so much more waiting for you (including the rest of this interview!). Join us and discover the homes, people, recipes, and stories that make every issue of Front Porch Life feel a little like coming home.
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