Want to transition Christmas decor into winter decor? Here are five simple steps to slowly ease into the new season.
Somewhere between celebrating the holidays and watching football 2022 showed up.
I know, right?
I’m as surprised as you.
I feel like I just put away all the pumpkins.
I’ve spent the last week de-Christmasing my house.
I bought the best organizers to inspire me and left all the non-Christmas stuff out and thought about how we stress out about when to take down our Christmas decor and how it can all be a little overwhelming. So I wanted to share tips to make it easier and simple ideas that I do every single year to ease into winter.
So here’s my house’s journey from Christmas into winter.
Step by step.
One post-Christmas foot in front of the other.
Five simple steps to transition your Christmas decor into winter.
Five Simple Steps to Transition Christmas Decor Into Winter
Step 1: Take down the totes
Let’s go all Julie Andrews and start at the very beginning (it’s a really good place to start).
If you are thinking about de-Christmasing your house and you don’t know where to begin?
Just bring down a couple of totes.
Not all of them—I started with four.
I know it can be scary to see them. Sometimes my totes look at me with a judgemental eye and make me feel like I’m not moving fast enough to put away Christmas. If your totes start to backtalk you?
Don’t listen.
You are the boss of your de-Christmasing project.
Take the lids off of them and leave them open in the center of your hallway.
Those open totes are step one on the journey to taking it all down.
2. Fill up the totes with things that look like Christmas
You know what I’m talking about.
The Santas.
The stockings.
The light up blinking Merry Christmas sign.
The elves that climbed up the Christmas tree.
Here are examples of things that went into my Christmas bins first.
Anything that said Christmas.
Ornaments I was using to decorate with.
Sleighs.
Merry Christmas pillows.
You get the idea.
And here are some examples of what I kept.
Anything pinecone.
Anything greenery (except real greenery—it’s probably time to trash that).
Anything branchy looking.
Any small trees that looked like winter.
3. Organize the totes as you are putting things away
This makes everything so much easier for next year.
Remember when I said to leave all four totes open with their lids off? That’s because you want to organize things as you are putting them away so next year when you open them they won’t look like a jumbled mess.
We are starting with four totes because it’s less overwhelming.
You can read about my organizers and what I did with all my Christmas stuff here.
You can also tape a paper to the inside lid of the tote and write what you place in each tote with a pen.
4. Save the trees for last
I know this might seem counterintuitive. The trees are the largest decorating items in the Christmas repertoire.
I get it.
I understand.
But I like to take the un-decorating in small doses and when you remove all the Christmas from the rest of the house? The trees look like cozy winter trees and the lights are so pretty at night.
This also allows me to stagger the un-decorating so it’s not so painful to see it go.
5. Clean up, fluff and make it smell good
De-Christmasing is the perfect time to clean.
It’s almost like you can’t help it. When you clear off those surfaces and take down all the garland and it drops on the floor and counters and cabinets.
Wipe them down with a cleaner that smells like winter.
Dust off the cobwebs.
Take out the trash.
Then fluff what remains and make everything else smell good.
Here are some of my favorite winter scents:
nutmeg
cinnamon
vanilla spice
evergreen
Here are some of my favorite ways to decorate after all the Christmas is put away:
- fill a dough bowl with pinecones and rusty jingle bells
- make a twig vase and paint it white
- add a village of small houses with battery-operated tea lights
- make these DIY wood slice branches
- leave out a set of white skates and fill with greenery
- drape wooden garland over a set of books
- leave out snowflake pillows
- make a pine cone snowflake
- add white velvet bows to wreaths
- cover your vases with sweaters
- fill milk glass with jingle bells
- make a wreath with twigs from the yard
And now?
Your house is ready for the new year.
I know it’s going to be incredible.
I know it’s going to be full of promise and possibility.
I know it’s going to be an exciting next chapter.
Let’s go 2022.
PS How is your undecorating going?
Good advice stuff, KA! I pretty much do the same - but here in mid Ohio our winters are so long so always makes sense to keep out winter stuff until like Easter, haha. Seriously though when I was a girl it snowed many an Easter Sunday! Not so much now with things warming up - but def many St. Patrick's Day tea luncheons I have planned have had to be forfeit with bad non-travel snow days. You get the picture, haha. Stay well!
Thanks for making me feel like I'm not the only one still taking down Christmas decor. It's a bit of a process and it isn't as much of a rush to put things away as it is to get things up. I also appreciate the suggestions for transitioning to winter decor as I am in Wisconsin and spring is a LONG ways away.
Great ideas for greenery and pinecones. For January, I add in pears that I've collected over the years--white, green and gold ones, ceramic, straw, glass, metal, and fresh pears--just a few to make a theme I call Pinecones and Pears. Then in February, I replace the pears with Valentine decore. In March, I keep the greenery and take out the pinecones. I usually decorate with flowers from spring bulbs and shamrocks, unless Easter comes in March, and then, I'm all about eggs!
I take down Christmas decor the first week of Jan but I take my time. It took more than a day to do it all so why should we think it will take a day to put it all away. I do leave out some pine cones and evergreens till Feb. Just a tradition I follow. Large containers filled with real greens and a plain evergreen wreath keep the front porch from looking bare I enjoy the peace and simplicity of Jan decor and feel we need this season to restore and re-energize for spring.
Excellent advise! I just did that exact thing. It looks wintery but not like Christmas. Thanks for the assist!
Great ideas. This one readon why I enjoy making pinecone and nut wreaths. And why I decorate with pinecones and nuts in shells from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Then I can leave it for winter
I do this as well with greenery and pinecones. I did put out my snowmen and white and silver balls on my coffee table for winter, since I didn't get around to them for Christmas. It seams so bare after putting all the Christmas decor away so it is a nice to have a bit of winter.
Always giving good advice, I love your stories. I have to admit, I bought new throw pillows, artwork, a few decor items, some from walmart, and had them tucked away. I decided I wanted to update my livingroom this year with a darker peachy color for spring and summer. Well I couldnt wait. Down came Christmas and I bypassed winter totally. Finished my livingroom new decor complete with fresh tulips. It did bring me cheer so no regrets.
Pinecones, a blue/gray plaid throw, scented candles, and my cozy fireplace are my winter decor loves!!
We bought 2 of the Christmas tree bags you suggested what a game changer! My husband especially liked the tote for our 9 ft. Tree. Thanks
Wonderful advice. Loved saving the trees for last. There might still be a couple in my daughter's room. Our outdoor tree is staying lit as long as it makes us smile. It's a long , dark winter. My neighbors all still have their outdoor lights on and it makes those cold late dog walks much more pleasant!
I love the warmth and coziness that winter decor brings. I used to struggle with what to do after Christmas because spring decor just didn’t feel right. Now decorating for winter is fun and something I look forward to. I love the way you break it down for someone new to the idea!