Your guide to embracing a hygge life in Indianapolis

Want to get hygge — aka cozy and warm? Here’s how you can embrace the Danish and Norwegian principle to make weathering the Indianapolis winter a little easier.

INDYtoday: INDY_hygge rock_FEB26

Look around you when out in nature — hygge is everywhere.

Photo by INDYtoday team

Level up your cozy game with a little bit of hygge this winter.

Pronounced “hyoo-guh,” the Danish word roughly translates to “warm coziness.” It’s all about those candle-lit, cozy blanket, hot tea vibes.

Here are 10 ways you can master the art of hygge in Indy while we wait for spring.

  • Light some candles when the sun goes down. You can try something pine-scented from Primrose Candle Co. or pour your own at Penn + Beech.
  • Speaking of fire, gathering with friends around the fireplace is a great way to spend a winter evening. If you live in an apartment, Indy-based studio Cream and Concrete has you covered with a mini fire pit that’s safe for indoor use — perfect for making s’mores. Or if you need to get out of the house, Hotel Tango has a great fireplace + even better drinks.
A black stone fire pit next to a cup of match sticks

These concrete fire pits maintain their flame with isopropyl alcohol.

  • Snag a retro knit blanket from a vintage shop or get some yarn from a local craft store + knit one yourself.
  • Grab a hot matcha or tea latte from a local shop, or brew your own cup of joe without changing out of your jammies with some Tinker Coffee Co. beans.
  • Fill your home with the smell and taste of homemade goodness by baking — make sure you hit up the Indy Winter Farmers Market at The AMP for local ingredients.
  • Draw a bath + have a spa day at home with soothing body care products from Salt and Ash Soap Co.
A lightbulb filled with moss

Here’s a creative plant idea from Urban Houseplant Collective. | Photo via INDYtoday team

  • Surround yourself with greenery from local plant shops like Grounded or Snakeroot Botanicals.
  • Breathe in that fresh (cold) air + hike a trail at Holliday Park, then warm up in the Nature Center as you thumb through a book from its library or observe wildlife frolicking from the observation area.
  • Curl up with a good book from a local bookstore that matches your exact vibe + brand of cozy.
  • Snuggle up to a loved one and throw in a home video or watch Hoosiers for the tenth time.

Have another way you embrace hygge? Help us become cozy connoisseurs.

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