Lately, I've had messages like...
"What do I do now that I’ve taken down Christmas?"
"How do you decorate for winter?"
Obviously there is no right or wrong way. But, I’ll give you my spin on it + some tricks I use in my own home!
Winter is a time to strip down all the embellishments of Christmas and give your home time to breathe, declutter, keeping things simpler for a moment after a busy season. The best part is you're not necessarily adding more but simplifying what you already have.
Here is a few tips I’ve put together for easy transitioning from Christmas to Winter!
Tip #1
Invest in versatile pieces of decor that can be used for multiple seasons
I always try not to buy tons of Christmas-specific decor and focus on things I can use year round. The one thing I do collect at Christmas is my glass trees and oh heavens I love them! 🥰 But, the rest I try to keep pretty seasonally neutral.( meaning things that don't have Santa's, reindeers, trees etc on them so they can be used year round!
I talk with you guys a lot about doing the same thing...
Buying things that are seasonally neutral is so beneficial and stretches your budget further. You aren’t buying a lot of pieces that can only be used for short amounts of time, then stored away in a tote. The beauty in going mostly neutral is there is less to pack up each season, so you get more use out of your every day decor.
— saves storage space
— saves you money
— you get to enjoy using more in your home
Tip #2
Add winter greens and branches to your vases
I think bare Christmas trees and winter wreaths are still beautiful out for winter decor but I’ll be honest while I’m packing away the ornaments and trimmings I would just rather pack it all up at once and not have to go to the attic twice! LOL
I usually take down & store away all the Christmas trees and add fresh winter greens to vases I already have.
Wintergreen stems include: bare branches, magnolia stems, cedar, cypress, holly or a Israeli Ruscus.
Luckily faux stems have came a long way and look much more realistic these days so there are lots of great options!
Get to clippin'!
If you don’t have an option for fresh, ask a friend or neighbor if they have any of these growing on their property and wouldn’t mind sharing clippings with you!
A simple vase with some hearty branches or magnolia leaves makes a statement and is a great way to bring in some natural elements in your home. I love adding arrangements to my console table, island or coffee table.
If you don’t have a vase or stems I’ve added several below that would make great options.
Tip #3
Keep the Texture during winter! Cozy velvets, furs and wool fabrics!
Cozy is the vibe for Winter to me! It’s usually dreary, dark and cold typically and nothing makes me want to curl up on the couch more than a cozy blanket and soft pillows!
This year I used green and blue tartan plaid pillows with soft fuzzy Winter white boulce and linen textures. These definitely will work through Winter if I don’t get the itch to shop my house and transition a few from another room. And that’s the beauty of not buying Christmas specific pillows and having to store them away already!
Tip #4
Declutter & Purge
I’ll just be honest this is not my favorite thing to do but so worth it once it’s finished..
Take inventory of your home…
what do you not love anymore, what’s not being used daily weekly, or monthly? What could do with out and invest in something that could be better put to use.
I typically get overwhelmed trying to decide what to keep and what to donate but once it’s finished I’m so glad I did it and my house just feels and functions better.
For the things that you have to keep or that just won't use year round , you can store under the bed, on top of closet shelving, or in the vacuum seal bags.
Here's a few ideas:
Tip #5
Keep it minimal & Cozy with winter accessory touches!
In the winter time I always think of lots of candles, lanterns, cozy chunky throws, bare branches & winter greens, pine cones etc! We may have let go of the Christmas twinkle lights but we can still have that cozy glow and ambience!
Adding pine cones or stand of decorative beads to a bowl, battery candles to a lantern or wall sconce, touches of velvet or fur on the couch with throws all created that winter vibe your looking for!
STYLING IDEAS
Here is some ideas of ways to style these items in your home!
If you're ready to invest in some decor pieces that you can use from season to season I’ve made a list of a few of my favorites to start with and links to help make shopping easier for you...
Transitional Decor Checklist
lanterns
trays, riser & oversized bowls
battery operated candles
cozy throws
vases in a variety of sizes
neutral pillows
nice wall frames to change out printable artwork
candle sconces & candle holders
baskets for storage and layering
Now that we’ve covered it all...
I’m hoping to get finish organizing a few spaces that have gotten out of hand! ahem… like my kitchen, my closet & bathroom!
If you're needing to put some function back in your home, keep following along cause that’s up next, ha!
xOxO
— April
Links to Everything Mentioned
PS: If you haven’t subscribed to my newsletter and blog you can do that here I promise I won’t overload ya but that way you don’t miss all the fun projects and deals coming up this year!
