Would you like to know how to decorate after Christmas? In this post, I will give you 8 tips on how to transition from Christmas to winter decor in your home.
Christmas is my favorite time of the year, second to Halloween. I look forward to this holiday all year long! I enjoy everything about Christmas. I love getting together with family and friends to celebrate. Seeing the look on my children’s faces when they open a special gift. And I of course I love decorating for Christmas! Many Christmas memories are cultivated amidst these precious Christmas pieces that we have so carefully adorned in our home.
I don’t know about you, but I really dislike taking down all of the Christmas decorations when Christmas is over. We look forward to Christmas for what it seems like months and then suddenly it’s all over so quickly. We have our beautiful Christmas tree, ornaments, garlands, and Christmas village set up and it makes the entire house feel so magical.
Then suddenly, in a blink of an eye, Christmas is over!
So now what? Decor wise, do we just leave everything bare and empty?
Do we just wait until Spring to start decorating?
I’ve always wondered how to decorate right after Christmas, because I felt that I needed to replace the beautiful Christmas decor with something. I wanted my home to maintain that warm and cozy feel without looking like it’s still Christmas. Creating a winter theme was the solution.
So, how do we transition from Christmas to Winter decor?
Well, read below for the 8 ideas I have on how to decorate after Christmas!
How to Decorate After Christmas:
1. Wintery rustic elements are a must
A wonderful way to transition from Christmas to Winter decor is by bringing in some rustic winter elements. It’s important to bring a bit of nature indoors in order to help brighten the days of winter.
Pine cones are a great rustic touch!
They are full of beautiful taupe brown color and rich texture. Or you could even paint them white, like I have, and it brightens up the whole arrangement. Add a few pretty pine cones to a coffee table tray or use them in your winter centerpiece for the dining table.
Another great rustic winter decor item is birch logs.
I love the way a stack of birch logs looks on the hearth or in the entryway. Their creamy white-colored bark provides the perfect contrast against a stone or brick hearth. They would also look amazing placed inside a wicker basket. These are actually fake birch logs that I made! If you’d like to know how to make these faux birch logs, I will have a tutorial up soon!
As a side note, please ignore the awkward fireplace peeking through behind the couch, as this is project we’re working on. Since that is the only wall we could place our sectional and since we already have another fireplace in the formal living room, we decided demo the brick fireplace surround and build a removable cover to place over the fireplace. Once we have finished, I will show you how it turns out!
2. Take down the Christmas tree
Okay, so we take down the Christmas tree, which is always so sad for me. I always miss the Christmas tree when it comes down. The whole room looks so plain without the sparkling beauty of the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, if you don’t want your home to look like it’s still Christmas, it has to come down.
However, just because we take down the big tree, doesn’t mean we can’t have smaller Christmas trees placed around the house. And by smaller Christmas trees I mean little evergreen trees like pine, spruce, or noble firs that are left completely undecorated. Little faux winter trees placed around the home can extend that Christmas feeling, in a way, without it looking too “Christmasy”, if you will.
These little faux winter trees look wonderful wherever they are placed. I love placing them on my coffee table tray because they add some great height to my arrangement.
3. Take away the bright colors and sparkle
Although, it is tempting to leave all of the beautiful brightly-colored Christmas decorations up, they must come down in order to display a more simple, winter-themed decor. All of the beautiful metallics, glitter, and sparkle should come down also. These beautiful decor elements are perfect for Christmas, but in order to achieve a neutral winter palette, we will have to say goodbye to them until next year!
4. Bring in winter greenery
In addition to keeping up mini undecorated Christmas trees, it’s also a great idea to have a variety of winter greenery. For example, adding a spray of eucalyptus to a neutral vase or draping a simple garland of spruce across the dining table.
I would say not to go over board though and deck out the mantle with green garlands because I think we start to lean more towards Christmas.
Just some simple greens thrown in here and there would do the trick. It’s a great way to bring in some color without feeling too much like Christmas.
5. Use plenty of whites and creams
Another great way to transition from Christmas to winter is to use a palette of whites and creams. After all, snow is white, so it’s perfect for a winter theme!
You can bring in whites and creams using accessories in your home. A cream-colored throw could be draped over the sofa or a chair. White and cream-colored throw pillows could be used on the sofa as well. White and cream candles placed on the mantle or coffee table is another way to add in these colors.
6. Maintain coziness with throws
Speaking of throws!
I love having throws all over the house! Well, not ALL over the house, but placed nicely where I want to achieve a warm and cozy feel. They are wonderful for draping over the arm of your favorite chair or placed on one end of the sofa for instant coziness.
And there are so many different types of throws! I LOVE this one from Amazon.
There are knits, chunky knits, fur, flannel and so many more. I love the idea of using chunky knits or fur throws for adding in some interesting texture to the room.
7. Create a warm glow with candles
All of the Christmas decorations have come down and now the house may feel a bit underwhelming. A great way to bring a little magic back into your space is by adding candles. Candles are amazing for warming up a space that feels a little too unembellished. They create a beautiful ambience in the home by emanating a a gorgeous amber glow. The overall look that is created with candles is warm, cozy, and relaxed.
8. Include woodland animals
Lastly, a unique way to dress up your home for winter is by including some woodland animals. I think that it can be so much fun to feature woodland animals in my winter decor. As long as they aren’t covered in glitter, because that really gives off more of a Christmas feel.
Placing an adorable woodland animal, like an owl or fox, on the hearth would brighten up the whole room. I love owls, so I really enjoy featuring this gorgeous owl next to my fireplace for as long as I can! This amazing owl was an awesome find at At Home a few years ago! I look forward to putting him out all year long! Unfortunately, this owl is not available, but here’s one that’s similar.
But it can also be fun to feature woodland animals in artwork. Like these printables I have hanging on my family room wall. They resonate a wintery wonderland feel without being ‘Christmasy’.
So you see? decorating after Christmas can be fun too! I feel like the winter decor is an amazing way to enhance and brighten your home after the holidays and stave off the after Christmas blues.
That concludes my tips for transitioning your home decor from Christmas to winter. I really hope that I have given you some useful ideas on how to decorate after Christmas.
How do you feel after Christmas comes down? Do you decorate after the holidays?
Let me know in the comment section below!
