You can transition your Christmas decor to cozy winter decor to last through the long winter months.
Christmas decor is so warm and cozy. The glow of twinkle lights, the warmth of cozy throws and pillows, the peaceful feel of greens everywhere–all of these elements are tough to give up. While I love all of the sparkle that Christmas decor adds, I long for a simpler feel to my home by January 1st. I always waffle between wanting to keep the Christmas sparkle and giving in to the need for a clean slate.
This year is a challenge, because my two daughters and their husbands were not able to be home for Christmas. BUT, they’ll all be here in mid-January to celebrate. I’m not sure I can leave all of the Christmas decor up that long, but some of it will stay until I get to celebrate with my girls!
I think you can strike a happy balance and keep the warm and cozy feel while paring down some of the decor for a simpler winter vibe.
Decide what to keep out and what to pack away
The first step in transitioning your decor is to determine what items shout Christmas. In my home, the decor that looks most Christmasy to me are some of the trees and reindeer, a few angels, Christmas ornaments and some of the garlands.
Next, you can decide what has a cozy winter vibe without screaming Christmas. As I looked around, greens, pinecones, white houses, lanterns, winter artwork and cozy pillows and throws all seemed like good candidates for cozy winter decor.
I used a lot of greens and natural elements like pine cones and sticks. Some white berries and silver and gold as accents are tucked into the greens. This decor will make an easy transition into winter. You can see my Christmas home tour here.
Greens and pinecones
I filled lots of bowls and vessels with greens this year. There is faux pine, but I popped in some boxwood and other greens that have a winter look. Some of the greens have pinecones attached, and I added pinecones to a variety of the bowls that were holding greens.
I’ll keep most of the bowls of pinecones and greens for the month of January and probably into February. Three of the bowls (I must have a thing for filled bowls) are holding greens and Christmas ornaments. I don’t think the ornaments can make the winter cut. They definitely look like Christmas decor. But, if I want to keep all of the bowls around, I can replace the ornaments with pinecones, carpet balls or moss balls.
Arrangements of greens in vases are also part of my Christmas decor. These will stick around, too, for a cozy winter vibe.
Winter art
Do you swap out your artwork with the seasons? I like to download art from various sites and print it out. This year, I downloaded winter landscape scenes from Collection Prints. I popped them into frames that were holding fall scenes and still lifes. They are warm and cozy and give me the feel of a charming ski lodge. I’ll probably keep the winter scenes into March, when I’ll start dreaming of spring!
One of my favorite pieces of art is a thrifted print that is the focal point of my fireplace mantel during the winter months. It’s of a girl walking through a door into a farmhouse from a snowy landscape. I get a lot of questions asking if it’s a painting of my older daughter. Obviously, it’s not, but she does look a lot like my daughter, which makes it more special. Look for seasonal art when browsing in your favorite thrift store or Goodwill. Now might be a good time to find winter art as many people will clean out after Christmas.
Lanterns
Lanterns cozy up a room any time of year, but they really make a statement in the winter months. I surround mine with pinecones and greens for a wintry feel.
Cozy throws and pillows
Throws show up in my house throughout the year. I’m always cold (anybody else?), and I like to have throws at the ready. The colors and textures change with the seasons, though. For winter, I like darker green throws in chunky cable knits or with other textural elements.
I found a pretty nordic-style pillow with a deer motif at HomeGoods, and it’s perfect when paired with a dark green throw for the winter months.
Little houses and trees
Finally, I plan to keep my little white houses and trees in the cubbies above my kitchen cupboards for awhile yet. They look wintry with the glittery snow on the roofs. The white bottle brush trees and evergreens look like a snowy forest.
When to remove the Christmas decor
I haven’t put away my Christmas decor yet, since I’m trying to hold off for a second Christmas celebration. The big Christmas tree is still gracing the center of my living room. There are still gold trees, ornaments and garlands throughout the house. I’m glad that, when the time comes, I won’t have to put it all away. The house will still feel like a warm winter hug.
Coming in 2023
I’m hoping to blog more regularly in the new year! I have some fun posts planned, and I’m very excited to be joining three amazing bloggers for a Virtual Book Club. We will post a home project inspired by a book on the fourth Thursday of every month. A food post that relates to the book will follow on the next Saturday.
Our January book is Murder on the Orient Express. It’s set in the 1930s, and I think my dining room will be the perfect backdrop for the post!
You can check out the other Virtual Book Club members’ blogs by clicking on the links below the graphic.
Left to right: Lynn of Living Large in a Small House, Crystal of Sweet Valley Acres, and Cindy of Reinvented Delaware
3 Responses
Erin,
Your home is absolutely beautiful and charming. Thanks for sharing it on IG and now this Blog.
Thank you so much Esther! I appreciate your kind words. Thank you for following along!
Cheers