Post-Holiday Winter Decorations Ideas

Add a winter and cozy feel to your home come January after the holiday season with these inspiring, DIY winter decorations ideas packed with warm, nod-to-nature flair.

Themed Winter Decor

After the holiday tinsel is packed away, the fun begins! Choose a winter motif or theme from the ideas below or dream up your own.

Birds-

If you’re a bird lover and enjoy feeding our winter feathered friends, you may enjoy a nature-inspired bird theme. Shop for snowy white bird ornaments and add them to a bare shrub branch clipped from the landscape.

You can also make your bird decor from embroidered felt or scrapbook paper. Lastly, add them to a bare grapevine wreath and display it.

Ice Skates-

Ice skating goes hand-in-hand with winter weather.  Add a Victorian-inspired ice skate motif, DIY or bought from a shop, to your winter decor ideas.

Snowflakes-

Nothing says winter like snowflakes. Craft your decor ideas by making snowflake string art using string, nails, and a wood backboard.

Or tape a snowflake design on a mason jar, coat the mason jar in Modge Podge, and roll it in Epsom salts, leaving you with a pretty snowy design that can be placed as a table centerpiece or on a mantel.

Mittens-

Purchase small children’s winter mittens or gloves and clothespin to a length of jute twine to make an impromptu garland perfect for any room. Or hang mittens from a grapevine wreath topped with a white or silver-blue bow.

Greenery and Pinecones-

Keep the greenery going with faux evergreen branches surrounding a trio of cream-colored candles or add a bare evergreen wreath on the front door decked out in blue, white, and silver trinkets.

Furthermore, pinecones are reminiscent of a winter nature walk – pile them high in outdoor plants, baskets, or clear glass bowls.  Lastly, tuck in a sprig of faux berries for a pop of color.

Change Up Your Rooms for Winter

Plusher, softer, and cozier is the word here. Mix natural elements, metallics, and winter white to brighten up your rooms.

Natural Elements: Pieces of nature can make beautiful winter decorations. Picks include birch bark, pinecones, bare twigs, acorns, cut wood branches, and also anything you discover on a winter nature walk.

Metallics: Light up a dark room with metallics. Spray paint terra cotta pots in shiny gold, silver, or bronze.

Add sparkle to pinecones with glue and glitter. Also, a votive candle popped into a mercury glass candle holder will add warmth and reflect the light.

Soft Goods Switch: Switch out medium to dark soft goods (throw pillows, rugs, blankets, curtains, and slipcovers) to lighter, pastel shades. Also, a plush winter white blanket or a soft, light blue throw pillow will brighten up your room on the darkest of days.

Lastly, lighten the room with a chunky faux fur throw for the couch.  Create your own chunky knit blanket with this easy tutorial video.

Plant a Flower, Indoors: Add a bright spot of color to your rooms with blooming flower bulbs. Bulb forcing kits are available at home stores and garden centers.

Choose from: paperwhites, amaryllis, hyacinths, tulips, crocus, and other varieties. Learn how to grow tulips in a vase here.

Wool Wrappings: Dress up a clear, glass candle holder with an old sweater. Trim the cuffs from a thrift store sweater to make a simple candle wrap that slips over the holder.

Additionally, tie a jute twine bow around the candle for natural charm.

Light Switch: Change out your light bulbs to those that emit sunshine-like light. Bulbs that emit blue or white light are best. Or try dawn wake-up lights.

Furthermore, dawn wake-up lights mimic the gradual light increase of a sunrise waking you up naturally.

Bring in Natural Light: Bring more light into your bedroom by hanging a decorative mirror on a wall opposite the window. Also, attach a mirror behind a table lamp to reflect light into space.

Keep the Tree: Remove the ornaments, garland, and lights from your Christmas tree and display it as an outdoorsy focal point. In addition, a bare evergreen will add a beautiful, rustic feel to your winter decorations.

Also, before discarding a real tree, trim a few branch tips to tuck into vases, bowls, or wrap around candle holders.

For more winter-themed decorating ideas visit here.

DIY a Winter-Themed Planter

Greet your guests with a rustic, outdoor-themed display gathered from nature. Also a beautiful front porch accent, this winter-themed planter can be put together in 15 minutes or less.

What you’ll need:

• Small, bare wood branches or logs
• Evergreen branches
• Pinecones
• Antlers (real or faux)
• Paper bag
• Heavy outdoor planter
• Scissors
• Mini string lights (optional)

First, crumple the paper bag to fit inside the planter. Add the bag to the bottom of the planter to provide height.

Additionally, place small, cut branches or logs angling them outward and putting the decor around the perimeter of the planter. Finally for visual interest, arrange to show off the smooth cut side and the rough, textured bark.

These ingeniously natural winter decorations ideas will transform your home from holiday to winter-warm in no time!

Interested in more DIY home decorating ideas? Click here.

Learn more DIY winter home improvement tips here.

(Photo Courtesy of Julie Blanner)