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This year, I want to keep some good vibes going a little longer so I’ve put together some quick tips on how to transition from Christmas to winter decor.
From September 1 to at least January 2 I have some kind of decor theme working here. We go from fall to Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas and then….nothing. When it’s time to take the Christmas decorations down, winter has officially arrived here in Illinois. The days are cold and usually gloomy. It’s good weather for indoor activities like cooking, organizing, reading and catching up on your Netflix list (I’m so far behind!). But there’s not much else to look forward to except the arrival of spring.
47 days until spring, BTW.
When I think of winter, the colors that come to mind are white, blue and silver. It’s not completely neutral and the blue adds a pop of needed color in an otherwise bleak landscape. So first things first, survey your Christmas decorations and put away anything that’s too Christmas-y, red or green. You can leave things that are more neutral in color and aesthetic. Like snowmen. Who decided that snowmen only belong to Christmas?
I have a few that I think will work just fine if I’m trying to transition from Christmas. Look at this guy. Cute!
Of course, blankets and candles easily set the mood for a warm and cozy atmosphere. A white candle in a tall glass container is a quick way to cozy up the place. Curling up with a book and a warm blanket with a candle glowing in the background is not a bad way to spend a winter day.
Of course, blankets make easy decor accessories too. Just drape them over a chair or couch and it’s instantly improved! I know I said that you should put things away if they’re red or green but I love this blanket so much I’m going to leave it out. It doesn’t really scream Christmas anyway. Besides, that’s the beauty of home decorating. It’s your house so if you want to do something, you can do it!
Now that I have a nice long dining room table I like to keep some type of centerpiece on it all the time. I picked up a metallic bowl that’s shallow (on sale somewhere I’m sure!) that works really well for this. In the fall, I can put pumpkins or gourds in it. And during the holidays I put ornaments and pine cones in it. Last week Aislynn and I did our first craft project of the year and made some yarn and twine balls for the bowl. Well, I did most of the work. And Aislynn had a lot of opinions, did little work and then took credit for the whole thing. I think she’s cut out for management! ?
I have a huge assortment of yarn down in the basement/craft area so I pulled out some white and different shades of blue. She and I had made twine ball ornaments last year for the Chrismas tree and I just followed the same process as we did with those. I thought they turned out really well and it adds some color to the table without going overboard.
A couple of weeks ago I shared how I made some cute winter art for the walls using my new Cricut machine. I am still loving that machine and can’t wait to make more stuff with it. The metallic cardstock really adds some sparkle and shine to the room. I think I miss the glow of the Christmas lights most of all so that’s a nice effect in my family room.
There’s not a lot that I feel like doing outside in the way of decor for winter. But I am going to make a new deco mesh wreath to hang on the porch so at least there’s something pretty to look at. I’ll repurpose some of the battery-powered lights I used at Christmas to give it a little more wow factor at night. I liked those lights because they had a timer. I suck at remembering things sometimes so it was nice that they would just come on at night and turn off after a few hours. I’ll post the finished wreath on Instagram but here’s what I’ve chosen to use. Credit to Alex because she found that pretty light blue mesh for me. (It’s on the left if you can’t see it.)
Living things like plants are also another way to add some oomph to your winter decor. I bought a white poinsettia at Christmas that’s still going strong so it’s going to stay right where it is in my front room. One of the hardest things for me about winter (besides snow, ice, and cold) is the lack of green and growing things. I have houseplants but not the flowering kind. It’s nice to at least have one plant with flowers. Now keeping it alive is another story…
These are just a few ideas to get you started with the transition from Christmas. Follow my Pinterest Decorating board for even more ideas you can use in your home. There are also a lot of cute ideas for farmhouse decor on that board. If you love Fixer Upper and farmhouse style, that could easily be worked into a winter theme.
Next up, Aislynn and I are going to make some adorable winter mason jars using fake snow and other pretties. Check out Instagram for pics on how they turn out!
Speaking of Instagram, I’ve been better about posting to social media this year. Yay me! There’s more behind the scenes stuff on Instagram and Twitter. Follow us to get info that you won’t see on the blog!
