Transitioning from Christmas to Winter Decor

Happy Friday everyone! It’s been one tough week and I feel like I’ve been running on pure caffeine just to make it through each day. BUT I am super stoked for this weekend because we’re taking a trip to Las Vegas! We leave on Saturday and come back Tuesday night. It’s going to be a nice little getaway and I simply cannot wait to get away from the stress of everyday life for a couple of days!

Earlier this week when I shared pictures from Lucas’ birthday party you may have gotten a sneak peek at the subtle new decor that I have up in the background. This was actually my first year putting up décor specifically for winter. I usually just tear down the Christmas stuff and the house ends up sitting pretty bare until springtime rolls around.

Using some of the things that I had for Christmas plus a couple of other items I created a cozy winter cottage feeling in our home and am completely in love with how it all came together. So today I’m going to share a few key elements that I used to transition from Christmas to winter in case you’re like me and hate that empty feeling that happens after the tree gets put away in storage. Let’s get to it!

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1. Greenery

One of the easiest ways to make your home feel cozy after Christmas is to keep some of the greenery up. You can pack away the red berries and holiday ribbon, but leave some of the branches out because they add a nice feeling of warmth around the home and keep it from feeling lonely.

2. Pine Cones

The hubby would probably nod his head in agreeance when I say that I may have a slight pine cone problem. During Christmas I scatter them literally everywhere! Luckily for me they still work after the holidays and are a great way to fill empty spots.

I also like to fill up a basket or decorative metal container with a little bit of greenery and then top it off with a bunch of pine cones.

Nothing quite says woodsy than wood itself, right?! When I spotted these mini birch logs at that little farmhouse boutique for only 2 bucks a bundle I nearly squealed with glee! I even sent the hubby back the next day while I was at work to pick up a couple more.

I put them anywhere a place was looking too cold and they instantly warmed it up.

If you have a tree that needs a little trimming you can even go out and cut some branches off like I did. Thanks to our wild tree in the front yard I was able to get a few free logs to stick inside this bucket underneath our entry table.

Oh! And that bucket actually has red Christmas text on the front but I just turned it around and now nobody but me would ever know. Well…except for you all now!

When I was putting away the tree ornaments I realized that these wood snowflakes could be left out and I’m so glad I did because they look adorable strung along our mantle.

4. Pillows and Throws

It goes without question that a few plush pillows and some cozy throws tossed around a space will instantly make it feel inviting. I love knit and fleece ones for the colder months.

I found the awesome cable knit ones with buttons at IKEA but I’ve also made my own out old sweaters from Goodwill. Here’s a link from one that I shared way back in my early blogging days (try not to judge awesome photography too hard!)

5. Wreaths

A lot of people think that wreaths are only for the Christmas and honestly I did too! I was nervous to leave this one on our front door but I’m actually really enjoying it.

I also found a flocked grapevine one wreath on clearance and knew it would be perfect for our garage door. I just added some berry picks and a bow that I made with some linen ribbon. Simple but pretty!

6. Hot Cocoa Station

Hot cocoa stations are a big trend during Christmas right now but most people take them down as soon as it’s over. The family has been enjoying it so much this that I really didn’t want to take ours down. So I switched out the red bakers thread for plain twine and replaced the mini tree with a faux potted plant.

It looks pretty and it’s super convenient to whip up a nice cup of cocoa to enjoy on those super chilly nights!

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to officially do some decor for winter. When I look back at photos from last year I am amazed at how different our home looks. Now I’m not going to lie—-I won’t be sad to tuck this all into storage when spring rolls around since it’s my favorite time of the year, but I will admit that it’s making these winter months a little more bearable for me. Just a little!

Ok friends, I hope you each have an amazing weekend and I will be back next week after we get back from V-E-G-A-S!!!