5 Easy Ways to Decorate After Christmas + Tips for How to Make Your Home Cozy

Happy New Year friends! I’m here to tell you that decorating your house after the Christmas season is over doesn’t have to be a challenge. Read on for the best and easiest winter decorating ideas to make your home cozy.

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There’s something great about the fresh clean feeling you get every January after the Christmas tree comes down and all of the holiday decorations are stored away. You’re left with a blank slate; a fresh start for the new year. And suddenly, what feels like a very empty home now that all of the festive décor and lights are gone.

Now what? It’s the same bittersweet feeling I used to get every single year. The holidays are over and spring seems so very far away, but you still crave some non Christmas winter decorations in your home.

No worries! These tips are perfect for January decorating ideas, and just the right amount of festive touches to cozy up your home after Christmas.

How to decorate after Christmas is over

Would you be surprised if I told you that some of the very same Christmas decorations you used to deck the halls during the holidays can actually stay put after Christmas is over? I know, sounds kind of silly right? But keeping just a little bit of seasonal touches is an easy way to make your home feel tastefully decorated during the winter season.

Simple, natural elements like pinecones, evergreen stems and even red berries make for the perfect winter home décor pieces this time of year. So before you go taking down all of your decorations after Christmas, the first thing you want to do is a little bit of editing.

Take inventory of those holiday pieces that can easily double as winter décor and set them aside. And decide on a nice cohesive winter color scheme as well.

I’m pretty much a basic neutral girl. Mainly because I’m lazy and I can add just about anything to my home without the fear of it clashing. What can I say, I like easy decorating. And after Christmas décor is no exception in my home. Which is why I wanted to share these super simple tips to help you with yours!

After christmas winter decorating ideas

cozy winter decor

Is there anything more cozy than the luxurious feel of velvet and fur?! Don’t worry, I’m not a monster. I’d never ever use real fur décor in my home. Eww. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love cuddling up in a nice heavy blanket while the snow’s piling up outside.

Adding in a quality, heavy textured throw blanket, like this one that I picked up from Ballard Designs, adds a nice wintery touch to any sofa or chair. Pair it with a few solid colored velvet or velour pillows and you now have the perfect place to lounge this season.

rustic + modern winter decor

There’s no doubt that rustic décor brings out all the winter feels, but I love the idea of pairing them with some more modern items after the holiday season, just to tone down the Christmas vibe a bit. just to tone down the holiday vibe a bit.

Remember how I said to hang on to those pinecones before you store them away? That’s because they make an amazing winter bowl filler when you place them in a trendy metallic brass dish like I did on our built-ins. Gold and brass metallic colors are another great way to add in some warmth to your home during the winter.

Sometimes it isn’t just about the number of décor pieces you have in your home that makes it feel less empty and bare. But more about the type and color that you use throughout a room that can really add some depth to it. Which is why I love using pieces like this brass drum side table to change things up a bit from traditional wood furniture.

For another easy winter decorating hack you can always sprinkle in some fresh greenery throughout your home. We have a ridiculous amount of evergreen trees in our backyard, so I swiped a few branches to fill some of my vases in the living room. They look great paired with my rustic plaster vases. Not to mention the fresh pine tree smell.

Simple birch logs stacked in a log holder or wicker basket also add an easy, seasonal touch to your winter décor.

winter mantel ideas

Who says garland is just for Christmas?! One of the biggest decorating trends right now is seasonal mantel themes, complete with matching garland for each holiday. So why not use some of your leftover Christmas garland to create a minimalist winter fireplace?

I kept some of my faux cedar garland out just for this idea. It’s pretty minimalist as far as garland goes, and it just gives it a nice woodsy feel to my pretty plain mantel. And that brings me to an important point! Don’t feel like you need to keep adding things to your home just to decorate it. Sometimes just a simple statement piece is all you need to draw in the eye and make a big design impact. Like this oversized windowpane mirror.

But just because I felt like being a little extra this winter, and also because I miss the warm glow of the Christmas twinkle lights, I decided to string in a strand of led fairy lights. Not too overwhelming, but jut the right amount of light to get us through the cold dark winter month of January. I’ll take it.

let’s recap those after Christmas decorating ideas!

• Re-use seasonally appropriate winter décor (like pinecones, greenery, birch logs and other nature inspired pieces)
• Add in warm and cozy textured layers like velvet, faux fur and even chenille using throw blankets and throw pillows
• Use warm metallic colors like gold and brass to brighten up a space
• Ad in some ambient lighting, like LED twinkle lights to keep a hint of that holiday glow around
• Make a statement with your fireplace mantel (if you have one) and if you don’t, perhaps your tv stand, using a simple strand of winter garland to keep the festive season around.

What do you think? Do you have any go to ideas to help decorate your home after Christmas? I’d love to know how you make your space feel cozy during the winter. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to subscribe to my e-mail list where I share all of my favorite decorating do’s and don’ts with you.