Winter Decorating Ideas You’ll Love

The twinkly lights and the reindeer are all put away and now it’s just cold. And somewhat drab in the house if I’m being honest. Even my 8-year-old commented that our house “looks so boring” now. And I agree. It’s that let down feeling you get after a big event or a holiday that just kind of leaves you feeling a little bummed. I’ve got some favorite winter decorating ideas for you to lessen the “boring” factor and get you over the hump until Spring. Plus a little bonus of some great indoor activities for these cold days inside!

While it’s true that the house seems a little boring, I do welcome the blank slate. When January rolls around, it seems everyone gets so excited to organize and simplify. So you don’t need a lot of fuss for winter decorating. Think simple, cozy, and natural.

Winter Decorating Ideas

I’m always cold. My husband jokes that I don’t have any blood in my body! If the temp dips below 70, I’m cold. We’ve got lots of cold days ahead of us so we’ll be inside a lot. And what’s better when you’re stuck inside than feeling cozy and warm?

You can bet that my living room has not one, but three throw blankets at all times. Once we hit about November, my robe stays on all the time and I’m under a blanket. I even got the kids throws of their own, so they don’t steal mine!

So if you ever want to buy that “always cold” person a great gift – give them a throw. Here are a few neutral choices that will work with any home decor! Win-win – keeps you warm and looks good doing it!

Throws

When the lights come down and the tree is packed away, I always want to add something to the decor to bring some life back to it. A perfect winter wreath is just the answer! Just because the big tree is gone doesn’t mean you can’t still have some natural elements. Add a wreath to the windows or front door. Hang some tiny ones on the backs of chairs. Or just grab some branches and a few stems from the floral section and add to your mantel.

Wreaths

Candles and Wood Elements

Candles make a room look so cozy and bonus that they smell amazing. Especially if you’ve had a real Christmas tree and you got to enjoy the yummy scents for weeks. I definitely have favorite scents for the seasons. 

I’ll take all the pine, gingerbread, apple, and pumpkin scents until Spring hits and then it’s all island and ocean scents. No matter what you like there’s a candle for everything – I’ve even seen a bacon-scented candle. This girl loves her bacon, but no thanks!

Add some gorgeous wood lanterns or candle holders and you’ll have some gorgeous winter decorating!

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For a gorgeous example of how candles and wood can impact your space, check out this dining room is from Kristi over at Making it in the Mountains.   It’s cozy, calm, and beautiful with all the candles, whites, and wood tones!

Winter Whites and Silver

Winter white and silver is a perfect combo for transitioning your winter decorating after Christmas. Think white candles, silver candle holders, white wreaths. Calm, neutral, and cozy. Below is one of my favorite mantels and to me, it’s the perfect balance for winter. Go check out Hymns & Verses for all the details on how she made that beautiful sign!

Or how about this one from Twelve on Main – It’s a perfect winter entryway. White, fur, plaid, neutral, and perfectly cozy! I love the simplicity!And The Everyday Home knocked it out of the park with this perfect combo of blue, white, greenery, and vintage furnishings. I love everything about this space! Her floral arrangements are beautiful examples of winter decorating ideas!

Ideas for Cold Winter Days Inside

Light your candles, snuggle under a blanket and grab a good book. I don’t do it much anymore, but something I love to do is read. I used to read a book a week and somehow between the chaos of life and starting this blog, I stopped.

But last year, the day after Christmas I took my kids to the library so my son could get the next book in a series he’s reading. And something amazing happened. I forgot how much I love the library. The smells, the endless options, the quiet. I took a few minutes to browse around and I brought home something for myself. And I sat that day and I read. It was amazing. Just to sit and let yourself wander to another place.

I’ve read everything by Nelson Demille and I picked out one of his books that I read an eternity ago. It seems weird to get something I’ve read before, but when I finally took the time to sit and read, I couldn’t put it down.

There’s not much better on a cold day than to sit snuggled under a blanket reading.  My whole family was relaxing after the chaos of Christmas and it was the most peaceful I’ve felt all year.

So if you’re a reader and like mystery type novels, you can pick up anything by Nelson Demille and love it. I’m currently on Up Country, but anything he writes is amazing in my opinion. Or if you like a softer type of book (is that even a phrase?), I’ve also loved anything by Jodi Picoult.

If you’ve been around for a while, you know I have two kiddos that are 11 and 8. One of our favorite family night activities is game night. My kids love games and so do I. Thankfully, I was blessed with two aunts that used to keep me and my sister sometimes and my best memories are game nights. Pepsi Cola, records, and games in the sunroom. They had a glass table that we all sat around and played endless hours of Monopoly, Chinese Checkers, Yahtzee, Sorry, Life, and Uno.

So each year I try to add a new game to our collection. And this year was a winner. Are you ready??

Yep – Speak Out – Kids vs Parents. Prepare yourself to laugh uncontrollably with the kids and want to keep going when it’s over. We played one kid/one parent and then kids vs parents. And since mine are 11 and 8, it’s a little easier having one kid paired with one parent. I couldn’t stop laughing. They loved it, we loved it, and it was definitely a hit!

Completely random I know, but it’s just too good not to share.

Do you have any favorite winter time finds? Or something you love to do when it’s just too cold to go out. Feel free to share it with me! And for more winter transition decorating ideas – check out my friend Wendy from At Lane & High – she’s got a great post here!

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