Winter decor after Christmas is how you keep your home warm and pretty once the tree comes down, without it looking like you forgot to finish packing. The trick is simple: put away the red, the gold and the Santa stuff, and keep the greenery, the candlelight and the soft textures.
I know that first week of January feels a little flat. The room looks bare, the evenings are still dark, and you are not ready for spring decor. These 17 winter decor ideas fix that for the mantel, the coffee table, the dining table and the cozy corners in between, mostly with things you already own.
If you are not done with Christmas yet, my Christmas living room decor ideas will keep you busy until New Year. When you are ready for the switch, start here.
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How to Decorate for Winter After Christmas
To decorate for winter after Christmas, pack away anything red, gold or Santa themed and keep the neutral pieces: greenery, pinecones, white candles, wood and knits. Then add one or two winter touches like bare white branches so the room feels finished, not stripped.
1. Pack the red and gold, keep the green and the glow. Ornaments, stockings, red bows and anything with “Merry” written on it go back in the box. Plain garland, fairy lights, pinecones and white candles can stay right through February.
2. Swap shiny for natural. Glitter and metallic baubles shout Christmas. Wood beads, linen, wool and stoneware say winter decor. A wood bead garland draped over a stack of books or a basket of pinecones does the same job as an ornament bowl, minus the glitter.
What to Keep and What to Pack Away
- Keep: faux greenery without bows, pinecones, white or ivory candles, fairy lights, knit throws, wood bowls and trays.
- Pack away: ornaments, stockings, red and gold ribbon, Santa figures, tree skirts and anything printed with Christmas words.
- Toss: a dried out fresh tree. The NFPA says to get rid of the tree after Christmas or when it is dry, and not to leave it in the home or garage.
Fresh holly is worth a second look too. The ASPCA lists holly as toxic to dogs and cats, so if you have pets, compost the fresh holly and keep faux greenery instead.
What can I decorate with after Christmas so my living room doesn’t feel empty and bare in January?
Fill the gaps the Christmas decor left with height, light and texture. A tall vase of white branches where the tree stood, a cluster of flameless candles on the side table and a chunky knit throw on the sofa will make January feel calm and full instead of empty.
Winter Mantel Decor
Winter mantel decor works best with three simple layers: something tall like branches, something glowing like candles and something soft like plain garland. Keep the palette white, green and wood so the mantel feels wintry, not festive.
3. Trade the stockings for white branches. A tall glass vase of white birch branches gives the mantel instant height. The VANTREE 10 PCS Artificial White Birch Branches are faux, so they never drop bark or dry out, and you can reuse them every winter.
4. Group pillar candles in odd numbers. Three or five ivory pillars at different heights look styled, not lined up. Flameless candles are the safer pick on a mantel, and the NFPA recommends keeping real candles at least 12 inches from anything that can burn.
5. Keep the garland, lose the bows. A faux cedar or pine garland with fairy lights woven in looks wintry once the red ribbon comes off. If you light fires, the US Fire Administration advises keeping anything that can burn at least 3 feet from fireplaces, so let the garland sit back from the opening and follow your fireplace maker’s clearances.
For year round ideas, see my modern fireplace mantel guide, and if you want to compare it with last month’s look, here are my Christmas mantel decor ideas.
How do I style a mantel for winter in a neutral, Scandinavian way on a small budget?
Use what you already have in white, cream and wood. Pull the plain garland and white pillar candles from your Christmas boxes, add one tall vase of faux white branches, and finish with a small bowl of pinecones. One new piece of under $20 is usually enough.
Winter Coffee Table Decor
Winter coffee table decor should be low, simple and built on a tray: one candle, one bowl, a short stack of books and a small sprig of greenery. Everything stays below eye level so you can still see across the room.
6. Start with a round wood tray. A tray corrals the small pieces and makes the table easy to clear. Wood reads warmer than mirror or gold in winter. If you are still choosing the table itself, my guide on how to pick a coffee table covers shape and size.
7. Add one flameless pillar candle. The Luminara Flameless LED Ivory Pillar Candle has a moving flame effect that looks surprisingly real, and you never have to worry about a throw slipping over a lit wick.
8. Finish with books, pinecones and a sprig of greenery. Stack two neutral books under the candle, fill a small stoneware bowl with pinecones and tuck in a little eucalyptus. Choose faux eucalyptus if you have pets, since the ASPCA lists eucalyptus as toxic to dogs and cats.
Winter Dining Table Decor
Winter dining table decor needs one long centerpiece, plain linen and white plates. A dough bowl filled with greenery, pinecones and candles keeps the table cozy for weeks, and nothing about the setup says Christmas.
9. Build the centerpiece in a dough bowl. The Hanobe Wood Dough Bowl is 14 inches long and fits nicely down the middle of a standard table. Fill the dough bowl with faux pine, pinecones and three flameless candles of different heights.
10. Keep the table setting quiet. A linen runner, white plates and cream napkins tied with twine look calm next to the dough bowl. Swap red chargers for plain wood or skip them. If you want the festive version for next December, my Christmas dining table decor post has you covered.
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Get the Free ChecklistNeutral and Scandinavian Winter Decor
Neutral and Scandinavian winter decor uses white, oatmeal and pale wood with lots of soft texture. Think faux sheepskin, paper lanterns, dried grasses and plenty of empty space, so the room feels bright on gray days.
11. Drape faux sheepskin over a wood chair. Faux sheepskin is the fastest way to make a plain chair look like winter. The Carvapet 2 Piece Faux Sheepskin Rug Set gives you two 2 by 3 foot pieces, so one can go on a chair and one on a bench or stool.
12. Stick to a white, oatmeal and pale wood palette. Swap a few colorful pillows for boucle or knit covers in cream and beige. A round paper lantern pendant adds soft light without any visual weight.
13. Mix dried pampas with bare branches. A white ceramic vase with pampas grass and a few twiggy branches looks wintry and lasts all season with zero care.
Rustic Winter Decor
Rustic winter decor leans on plaid, leather, stone and raw wood. A wool plaid blanket, a black lantern and a basket of logs make a room feel like a cabin without a single snowman.
14. Throw plaid over leather. A cream and brown plaid wool blanket over a leather armchair looks warm all winter. Neutral plaid works better than red tartan here, because red tartan still reads as Christmas.
15. Set a lantern on a log side table. A black metal lantern with a flameless candle inside on a tree stump table gives you that cabin glow. A basket of firewood by the hearth finishes the look.
Quick Tip: Keep one Christmas piece in plain sight, like the plain pine garland. Your eye reads the room as continued, not emptied out.
Winter Decor That’s Not Christmas: Textiles and Lighting
Winter decor that’s not Christmas comes down to soft textiles and warm light. Fairy lights, flameless candles, chunky knits and textured pillows carry the cozy feeling from New Year until the first spring flowers show up.
16. Leave the fairy lights up. Plain warm white fairy lights around a window or bookshelf are winter lighting, not Christmas lighting. When you do take any string down, ESFI advises you to inspect the wiring and discard any set with cracked or frayed cords before storing it in a dry spot.
17. Pile on chunky knits. An ivory chunky knit throw is the one textile I would add first. The L’AGRATY Chunky Knit Throw in ivory measures 50 by 60 inches, which is big enough for two on the sofa. Want more ideas for soft layers? My cozy bedroom ideas use the same textures.
Which Christmas decorations can I leave up through winter without it looking like I forgot to take them down?
Leave up anything without Christmas symbols or colors: plain greenery, pinecones, white candles, fairy lights, wood bead garland and knit throws. Wreaths can stay too if you strip off the red bows and ornaments and leave just the greenery.
Budget Winter Decor Finds
Budget winter decor finds are the small, reusable pieces that do the most work: branches, candles, faux sheepskin and a good bowl. Each pick below is well reviewed on Amazon and works from January through February.
| Product Name | Price Range | Best For | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
| VANTREE White Birch Branches | $15 to $20 | Mantel height | Check Price |
| Luminara Flameless Pillar Candle | $25 to $30 | Coffee table glow | Check Price |
| Carvapet Faux Sheepskin Set | $25 to $35 | Chairs and benches | Check Price |
| Hanobe Wood Dough Bowl | $20 to $25 | Dining centerpiece | Check Price |
If you only buy one piece, start with the white branches, since they change the whole room for the least money.
Keep the Glow, Lose the Glitter
Winter decor after Christmas is really about editing. Pack away the red and the sparkle, keep the greenery and the candlelight, and add a few soft textures so January feels cozy instead of bare.
Pick one spot to start, maybe the mantel or the coffee table, and give it the branches, candle and knit treatment this weekend. The rest of the room will follow, and you will have a calm, warm home until spring.
Winter Decor After Christmas FAQ
When should I take down Christmas decorations and switch to winter decor?
Most people switch to winter decor in the first week of January, right after New Year. A fresh tree should go sooner if it is drying out, since the NFPA advises removing a tree after Christmas or when it is dry.
What is winter decor that’s not Christmas?
Winter decor that’s not Christmas uses white, cream, green and natural wood instead of red and gold. Bare white branches, pinecones, flameless candles, fairy lights, faux sheepskin and chunky knit throws all feel wintry without any holiday symbols.
How long can I keep winter decor up after Christmas?
Winter decor can stay up until late February or early March. Swap the greenery and pinecones for fresh flowers or light linens once spring arrives, and keep the candles and throws as long as the evenings feel cold.
Can I keep my Christmas wreath up after Christmas?
Yes, a wreath can stay up through winter if you remove the red bows, ornaments and bells. A plain green or faux cedar wreath, or one with a simple white ribbon, looks like winter decor rather than leftover Christmas.
What can I put on my mantel after Christmas so it doesn’t look empty and plain until spring?
Put a tall vase of white branches on one side, a group of three or five white pillar candles on the other and a plain garland along the front. The mix of height, light and greenery keeps the mantel full until spring.
How do I make my home feel cozy in January on a budget?
Reuse your Christmas basics first: fairy lights, white candles, plain garland and knit throws. Then add one inexpensive piece, like faux white birch branches or a faux sheepskin, to make the room feel finished.
What colors work best for neutral winter decor?
Neutral winter decor works best in white, ivory, oatmeal, soft gray and pale wood, with a touch of deep green from faux greenery. Keep metallics to a minimum so the room reads calm and wintry instead of festive.
