Hey hey friends! Can you believe Christmas is officially over? I’m always amazed at how fast it comes and goes. We had such an amazing day–we ate lots of delicious food and didn’t get out of our PJs all day, which is a ginormous win in my book. And as much as I’m sad to see the holiday season end, I have to say I’m more than ready to declutter the house. I spent all day yesterday boxing Christmas decor up and it felt soooooo good. I thought a few of you might be preparing to do the same thing, so today I wanted to share my tips on how to transition from Christmas decor to winter decor. It’s actually a lot easier than you might think, and I’m excited to show you how a couple of my favorite Christmas decorations are playing double-duty and staying out for the winter months.
How to Transition From Christmas to Winter Decor
1. Declutter
Let’s all nod our head in agreement on this one. I think it’s safe to say we all feel that urge to organize and declutter after Christmas. Sometimes all that extra home decor can feel overwhelming, so I always welcome the opportunity to clean up. My first step in transitioning to winter decor is to go around the house and gather up any Christmas decor that I know will not work for winter. You know what I’m talking about–the mini Christmas trees, the ornaments, the Christmas wreaths, etc. Pack it up, and while you’re at it go ahead and get rid of anything else that you aren’t loving anymore. Take this opportunity to organize and do a little “winter cleaning”. I promise, you’ll feel better with less stuff.
2. Get the red out
I mentioned this tip in my post about decorating after Christmas last year, but I think it’s still the single best thing you can do to transition from Christmas decor to winter decor. Like I mentioned earlier, I think many Christmas decorations can double as winter decor. But what’s most often missing from winter decor is the pops of red. Now I’m obviously a neutral loving, farmhouse–style kind of gal, but red just screams Christmas to me. This little tip works really well for me personally because the ONLY time I use red in our home is at Christmas.
If you saw my Christmas living room post, you will recognize this 3 piece birch hurricane set. In that post I used these, along with lots of greenery and red berry stems, to make a Christmas centerpiece here on the coffee table. Transitioning to winter means all I had to do was take away the bulk of the greenery for a more subtle look, as well as remove the pops of red. Easy and quick! And I love that I can get even more use out of this birch set.
3. Leave your Christmas tree bare
This tip is for those of you that really love your Christmas tree, and hate that feeling of emptiness that often comes after taking it down. If you want to keep it up a little longer, but don’t want the Christmas look, go ahead and try removing all the ornaments and lights. There’s something so rustic and beautiful about a bare tree, and I think it can totally work in the weeks following Christmas. I didn’t decorate this tree in our basement and I plan on leaving it this way for a while.
4. Add in simple, rustic touches
Unlike Christmas decor, winter decor doesn’t have to be big and bold. I actually prefer to tone things down after Christmas by using simple, rustic touches like pinecones. I had pinecone picks out with my Christmas decor this year—I actually paired them with some red berry stems. For winter I decided to use a smaller bundle and style them alone as the focal point on my mantel.
I also love replacing all the heavy garland around the house with small, subtle trimmings. For an easy winter coffee table centerpiece try wrapping a pair of old books in twine and lace, then simply pop a few tree trimmings on top. Boom. Easy winter decor.
5. Keep the Cozy
One of the best parts about winter is the fact that we get to use really cozy blankets and pillows. Give me alllllll the cozy things! I love using oversized fuzzy pillows and faux fur throw blankets. They instantly make any space feel more warm and inviting.
6. Do what inspires YOU
Above all, do what inspires you and what feels good in your home. There are no rules you have to follow to decorate your home for winter. Truly, it’s about doing what makes you feel energized and refreshed for a new year. Even something as simple as fresh flowers can make all the difference. I bought this bouquet of baby’s breath for $4 from the grocery story a while back and I was shocked to get two weeks out of them. I love the little puffs of white. And am I crazy or do they remind you of snowflakes? Maybe that’s a stretch but I think it works.
As much as I love Christmas, it always feels so good to get the house back in order after the holidays. This year I started decorating earlier than ever before—it was actually the second week of November when I put our tree up, so I was definitely feeling the itch to take it all down and move on to winter decor. And it really wasn’t that difficult. It’s just a few simple changes here and there that make the transition from Christmas to winter decor an easy process. Thanks so much for stopping by! I’d love to hear when you take your Christmas decorations down or if you have any great tips for making the transition to winter. I always love hearing from you so don’t be shy!
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I did the same thing yesterday!
Your home looks great & ready for winter. I use lots of fake furs, red/black buffalo plaids, pine cones, and touches of evergreens to make it through the cold months.
High five Jan. It feels so good, right? Sounds like your home is nice and cozy for the winter months!
I decorate for different seasons and holidays all through the year. This year I pared down the red poinsettias and decorated with white ones inside my apartment. The red stayed at the hallway and foyer down to the front door. I’m never in a hurry to take down the pencil tree in my living room. The lights in all the rooms are soft and glowing.
Hello – I just found your lovely blog tonight. I am hosting a post-holiday lunch for a few friends on Dec 27. I usually host this lunch before Christmas, but I had too many conflicts. Is it OK to use my Christmas table decor since it’s only 2 days after Christmas? I’m trying not to make things too complicated. Thank you.
I say it’s totally fine to leave up the Christmas decor!
I love decorating with the same things year round & adding nature to show off each season.
I’ll be leaving up all of my bottle brush trees on top of my kitchen cabinets. I have the fairy lights back lighting them & it’s so beautiful…like a little winter forest against my white farmhouse cabinets. They are the only Christmas decor I’ll reuse for winter.
I also love using baby’s breath. I leave mine out until spring. I don’t leave them out in a busy place like the coffee table but I do use them on my mantle or other high places. They dry out & hold their shapes very well. When I do my spring cleaning I toss them.
Oh that sounds so nice Jenny, I’m sure your kitchen looks so cozy and welcoming with those lights! So glad you stopped by today!
I look forward to getting back home and taking everything down. Looking at your beautiful home makes me anxious to get my done. We’re actually starting some home remodeling in January. Looking at what you’ve done to your your home has given me some great ideas-thanks????
Aw that’s so exciting Carolyn! I’m so happy my blog has given you some ideas. I’m hoping to do some renovations in our kitchen in January too, fingers crossed!
I am with you. I decided this year to decorate early for Christmas because the day after I am anxious to get my house back to just winter. Love your ideas. Thanks for a beautiful and inspiring blog.
I’m right there with you Alice! Decorating early is awesome, but it generally means you’re ready for a change by December 26th. And boy am I ready! Thanks for stopping by! xoxo
Your home is beautiful! Question- is an old wooden snow sleigh too Christmas or can I use it for winter too??
Thank you Karlee! I’d say you can definitely use an old sleigh for winter decor. You could style it on your front porch or simply prop it up in the corner. Lots of possibilities!
Ohhhh good question! I was wondering the same thing!
Right there with you Sarah. Putting away the Christmas decor makes you feel so good and the. To make the home cozy for winter is a big plus in my book. Love what you did. Happy Wednesday.
Totally agree. Putting away Christmas decor is always so energizing for me. I get excited about a clean house! I hope you had a great Christmas Doreen!
Hi Sarah, I’ve been following you on Instagram for a while & just recently subscribed to your blog…I love it! You have such great ideas & your decor is what I aspire to. I never thought of decorating for winter until I read this but, when I take down my decorations next week (I put them up late this year so am leaving them up a little longer), I’ll definitely be looking at what I can leave up. I have a plain wreath of bronze coloured leaves that will stay on my front door and a small tree that I can just take the red birds off of as a start. I’m excited to try something different! Thanks for the inspiration:)
Hi Eve! I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying my blog–that makes me so happy! And I hadn’t really done much “winter decor” until the past few years, but it really helps fill in the gaps until I can start decorating for Spring. Sounds like your bronze wreath will work perfectly for winter! Thanks again for reading!
Love all these ideas… so cute. I’ve been busy with some cozy Winter crafts that I’m going to be sharing on my blog to replace our Christmas decorations that are getting packed up. The house always looks a little bare, so I like to add in some fun “just for Winter” touches 🙂
I packed away my Christmas decor a few days ago and was wishing you were in my house so you can help me redecorate everything! I kept thinking “I wish Sarah was here to make it look pretty”! I was trying to channel my inner “Sarah Decorating Goddess”! Todd thought I was a lunatic! Thanks for the inspiration as always!
hahah! You crack me up! You don’t need my help, your house has always looked amazing. I can even remember being in awe of your cute little house in FoCo!
Hi Sarah, I just discovered your blog! It is darling and has so many great ideas!
Jill from Chicago
Oh yay! Thanks Jill, so happy to have you here! xoxo
Sarah, love your home and the beautiful ways you easily move from Christmas to Winter! I’m with Jan’s earlier comment in that my own touch is to bring out red and black buffalo plaid and other “winter warm” patterns. That’s mainly because, although my living area has an overall neutral/white palette, my year-round accent furniture pieces are either basic black or cheery red – I just personally need that red to keep me as happy on the gray, overcast days of winter as I am during sunshiny summer. 🙂 That being said, am thrilled to use some of your ideas to play up the neutral/white/silver touches for a fresh winterized look. Thank you so much for sharing them!
I just love that Christmas tree in your basement.. Is it real? In soil or do you water it? Keep it up for sure
Hi Mary! The tree is real! We have it in water actually. Lucky for us the tree stand fit perfectly in the basin!
What is the paint color on your walls? It’seems just the perfect shade of golden creme i have been looking for.
Hi Cindy! The color is Autumn Blonde by Sherwin Williams. You can see more info about it here, including the exact color number: https://sarahjoyblog.com/my-paint-colors/
Love the birch & gypsophila!! Lacking a white enamel pitcher like your beauty, I blend some white floral component with small pine cones. In case you have some crazy/lazy people on your street with lights and decorations up long past the norm, Christmas is “officially” celebrated through Christmastide (sounds very British, no?) a 40-day period that ends on February 2nd (according to the old calendar). The more modern calendar ends the Christmas season on the Sunday after Epiphany (popularly identified with the Three Kings/Magi).
Sarah, beautiful post! I keep coming back to it. Q for you- I NEEEED, like, NEEEEEEEED, that milk & cream sign! Did you make it? If so, where do you get those letters? I could cut them out myself if need be, but what are the letters made from? They look like they have puff to them. Thank you!
Aw thank you Dayna! I’m so glad you are enjoying it. About the milk & cream sign, I actually made it! All you need is an old window. I just printed the letters from Word, cut them out, and traced them on with a black marker, then painted them with black paint. Super duper easy. I have a tutorial here: https://sarahjoyblog.com/diy-milk-cream-sign/
Hi Sarah- your house is amazing. I love, love, love the base you have your tree in! Is that an old family piece or did you purchase that somewhere?
Thanks- Marisa
Thanks Marisa, I actually found that at a junk yard believe it or not. Works perfectly for the tree!
I love the idea of leaving my tree up for a while without decorations. It is nice to have something so green in my house during January. I normally just take off my decorations slowly during the weeks after Christmas as a way to keep the tree up longer. However, this only works for two, maybe three weeks. Your idea is better.
Found your post while looking for “after Christmas into winter” decor ideas. Lovely post. But most people don’t realize that the 12 Days of Christmas (yeah, like the song of the same title) actually starts on Christmas Day and goes to January 6, when the Epiphany season starts. 😉
Nonetheless, I am like you, itching to declutter from the Christmas decor and your post gave me some great ideas!
Lovely home btw! Glad I found your blog.
Can I ask where you got the pot that you have your tree in, tip #3? I’d love to incorporate this design after the holiday season but just adore that pot you have!
I love your blog! Could I ask where your pine cone picks are from?
thank you Jennifer! Those were from Balsam Hill.
Another idea for winter decor is to decorate a tree with “winter” decoratios. ice skates tobogans polar bears etc. If it is real you can put outside where it can be seen from inside.
ah that’s a great idea!
I love your blog! Could you tell me where you found your pine cone stems?
Thank you Jennifer! Those stems are from Balsam Hill.
This was a great article. I was trying to figure out how to make the apt still feel cozy after taking down Christmas. And these ideas are very helpful. I’m even thinning of meeting my faux white tree up just changing out the ornaments for a more wintery vibe.
I have been looking for a blog like your’s! I decorate every holiday and try to stay neutral so the transition from holiday to holiday is smooth. Lots of simplicity ! Keep the ideas coming !
What a beautiful rustic container that your tree is sitting in. What kind of container is this and where could I find one? It doesn’t have to be as large as the one you have.
I love the idea of keeping the tree up for a while after Christmas.
Love your post-Christmas ideas. I live in North Florida and our post -Christmas temperatures are in the 70’s. I love to bring out my winter whites and vintage milk glass collection. I use a lot of white candles and still love to add the rustic pine cones and plenty of greenery. I miss all the beautiful lights and try to carry the lighting through for a month or two with more candles. I also have some wooden trees that I leave on my mantel. I so love all the cozy ideas in a harsher climate with the grey skies and find it a challenge to keep winter alive in Florida. Love your blog.
Thank for suggestion. so to keep from looking so drab so i change out Christmas wreath to a glitter wreath that more soft look yet it stills give me that holiday feel also i have candles in some of my windows .
I grew up in old farmhouse. My mother made a warm home by using what she had. Using old shirts or sweater to cover old bed pillows, things outside as centerpieces.
I wait a few more days but I take everything down and put out my winter stuff… we are in a sunny clime and I want to make it feel not quite so “beachy” during the winter months.
I love your cedar candles.
Hi Sarah
I hope that you had a perfect Christmas Day yesterday.
You always come up with so many excellent ideas. I must try to de-clutter. I am so bad for this.
I can’t wait to see what you will be doing in 2020. I so look forward to all your posts.
All the best in the New Year for,you and your family
Hi, Sarah! The link for the birch hurricane set just goes to all candle holders. I really dog these, is there a way the link could go right to the set, or you could link the brand please? Thanks for all the helpful tips. Also, if you lived in Florida, where it’s been basically 80 all winter, would you still decorate the same? Thanks, love your blog and IG!
Sorry about that–here is the link for you! https://rstyle.me/+PezeW6vPV7HShFPHg7MaqA
And it’s hard to say if I’d decorate the same if I lived in Florida. I probably would!
Just finished taking my Christmas stuff down today. I left my throws out and I made some pillow covers this year .So,there not to Christmas looking,so I have them out.But, mostly it’s my Buffalo plaid I love ,it will be out all winter.Plus,I hit some really good half off sales at Walmart yesterday.Best time to buy new stuff for next year. Enjoy your blog.
Sarah, you rock! Loved the idea of lining everything up and putting things into totes. Where did you get the pail?, for the tree in your basement. Happy New Year! Penny
Just wanted to say that you’re such an inspiration. I try to hard with decorating and I end up with a mess. My rooms never look pulled together. Your rooms are always warm and inviting. I absolutely love your tips and pics!
Hi sara i work at Ralphs grocery store in the bakery were did u get the bakery sign at i like to get one
What do you think of leaving snowmen out after Christmas?
That’s what I do! I love all their cute smiling faces though the long dark cold winters here in Illinois.
Helpful! Do you have any tips on how to have warm lights up all year without looking like year Christmas?
Hi Sarah: I’ve been following you for quite sometime and draw a lot of inspiration from your posts. Question: do you know if anyone makes covers for a sectional? I know there are so many variations but am curious.
Love this blog. Good to know I have lots of company when it comes to seasonal decorating. Today I will change to winter! I go to reindeer in prints,fur and everything cozy. Keep the electric fireplace on all day and the lighted twig trees. Ready for spring come February!!!
Thanks for all these great ideas! We bought our home in April and doing lots of changes. Will use what you suggested to decorate for winter!
I have Christmas decorations put away again for another year and the yard is tidy! However, I have left the electric candles in the window. My husband and I love the cozy ambiance. My question is, how long can I leave them in? Would all winter look silly?
Oh I say leave them up all winter, they will add so much coziness!
I keep red decor up thru Valentine’s Day. Makes the transition from Christmas less bare. Hang hearts on my tree with just white lights.