How to Decorate for Winter after Christmas, Farmhouse Style + Before & After Pics

Need some inspiration to change over from Christmas to winter decor? Here are some budget-friendly ideas, in farmhouse style! Keep reading for a load of helpful ideas, plus before-and-after pictures!

How Do I Decorate My Home After Christmas?

It’s usually just a day or 2 after Christmas that I start getting the itch to de-Christmas and move on to winter. I’m not sure why…maybe because the Christmas season is so…consuming.

It’s everywhere, in everything – and I love it…but by December 26, I’m ready to put a period on it and move on.

When we spent our 1st real winter in our house (last year, we had just moved in a few weeks before Christmas, so I spent most of the winter just unpacking and organizing), I pretty much had a blank palette when it came to winter decor. 

I had a few ideas in mind, but nothing put together.

How Do I Make My Home Cozy after Winter?

I put together a post with a bunch of ideas on cozy farmhouse winter decor, which you can read here, and there are a few principles I’m following. I’ll list them here, but you can see them all fleshed out with lots of examples in the original post.

1| Winter Whites

Snowy decor, chunky blankets, cotton stems

2| Natural Elements

Pine cones, greenery, wooden logs

3| Clean & Simple Look

Streamlined theme, texture for depth rather than quantity of items

4| Soft & Neutral Colors

Couches, pillows, wall decor, soft lighting, accessories

5| Black & White

Buffalo check, rugs, pillows, blankets, wall and shelf decor, accessories

That was pretty much the ‘rules’ I was going to follow when putting together my farmhouse decor, going from Christmas to winter.

Other Budget-Friendly Pro-Tips for Winter Decor

There are a few other things you can do to keep this a pretty simple transition and do it in a way that’s cost-effective. 

I followed a lot of these tips that I describe in this post about cheap ways to decorate for Christmas. Also, many of these ideas for how to decorate your home on a tight budget can apply here as well.

But specifically for winter, here are a few things I did:

1| Decorate for Christmas with winter in mind.

As you decorate for the holidays, keep in mind that you’re going to have to take it all down and decorate for winter. 

Of course, you can just go back to your regular year-round decor. Growing up, I’m pretty sure my mom decorated for Christmas and that was it. 

But if you’re wanting to decorate for winter, include some pieces in your Christmas decor that can easily translate: flocked trees, pine cones, greens… anything that is woodsy, snowy, green, white, tan… those pieces transfer very well!

If you want some inspiration for winter decor that’s budget-friendly (as in DIY, lol), check out this post with 35 DIY Winter Wreaths (Easy Non-Christmas Ideas) and 35 Cozy DIY Winter Decor Ideas (Farmhouse Style).

These projects are in neutral rustic farmhouse style – and they are suitable to put up at Christmas and leave them up after Christmas all through the winter! 

For example, below is a bench I had decorated for Christmas. In the glass jars are cypress branches and white berries. I loved the look for Christmas, and I knew that I could leave them up for Christmas.

 

The same is true for the jars and bottles I have on the floating shelves. I knew I could just leave those as-is for winter.

Pro-Tip: If you avoid red and anything overtly Christmas (colorful ornaments, Christmas sayings, etc.), you can probably keep it around for winter.

2| Shop the post-Christmas sales for winter decor, not just Christmas.

It can be hard to resist gift bags for a quarter and a set of ornaments for $2.  Grab those for sure. But also keep an eye open for winter decor.

You can grab some amazing pieces that you can use right now, for winter decor, not just for Christmas next year.

I got some amazing deals this year that I was able to use right now!

For example – I didn’t do much with my kitchen before Christmas, but I found these mini-wreaths at Kroger that were just perfect the cabinets –  for 50% off the day after Christmas.

Pro-Tip: Start looking for deals BEFORE Christmas. Many places are already down 50% the week before Christmas and are putting out Valentine’s Day items. If you go after Christmas, go first thing in the morning on December 26th. You’ll get the best selections as great discounts.

Now, it’s true, the discounts get bigger the longer you wait, but the selection gets smaller.

To be honest, I made several trips, lol.

3| Modify what you have

There are somethings you have out that you might be able to make a few adjustments to and still use.

I had a galvanized pail with berries and greens and pine cones, and I just removed the berries and added in some extra greens.

I did a big orange-slice-and-ribbon theme this year for Christmas. I probably could have kept it for winter, but it was a little too Christmasy for me.

Instead, I replaced the orange slices with pine cones and use the ribbon to hang wreaths instead of as garland with orange slices.

 

I had these votive DIY jars I made, and I kept them around for winter but removed the berry garland.

So, my point is that you really can modify just a few things here and there, and keep it around for Christmas

How to Decorate for Winter After Christmas, Farmhouse Style!

Before and After Pictures of Christmas-to-Winter Decor

OK, so how does all this come together? I’m going to share some before and after pictures and highlight how I’m incorporating those winter decor principles I mentioned above.

Porch

BEFORE

Here’s a picture of my porch decorated for Christmas. You can see all the Christmas decor as well as the pops of red in the ornament jar, the lantern, buffalo-check banner, and in various Christmas decorations. 

I included a lot of greens and pine cones in my decor, knowing I didn’t want to start from scratch once we switched to winter.

 

AFTER

Here’s what it looks like after.

 

I added more of a snowy, ski theme with a sign on the wall and a big wooden snowflake (someone was tired the day after Christmas at Kroger, and since there was no price tag, she gave it to me for $3!)

I kept a lot of the greens, pine cones, and logs for some natural wintery elements. I added more trees that I got on sale after Christmas, as well as the wooden star.

The pine cone garland was a DIY project I created (here’s the tutorial!), using the ribbon I had decorated with inside.

I also switched out the red ornaments in the jar for gold and silver jingle bells, a more neutral color.

On the door, I had switched out the Christmas hanging for a lamb’s ear wreath ($9 at Walmart on clearance) and bells ($5 at Hobby Lobby – see what I mean about those deals?!?)

 

You can see below how another version of the winter porch, after we painted the door.

For more winter porch inspiration, be sure to check out 25 best winter porches for inspiration!

Rustic Bench Vignette

BEFORE

For Christmas, on the bench, I had the oranges and ribbons theme, which I carried through most of the living room.  I filled glass bottles with real evergreen stems and faux white berries (knowing I’d want to keep them around for winter).

The cream-colored bowl I had repurposed with chalk paint and filled with greens and orange slices.

I also had a Christmas print – ‘O Come Let Us Adore Him’ – a poster I made from a free printable, which you can get here! –  on the wall, and wrapped Christmas boxes on the bottom of the shelf.

On the mirror, there’s a real evergreen wreath with orange slices to tie it all together.

AFTER

I removed the garland (which was real and dead and making a huge mess, lol). If it had been faux, I may have kept it around for winter, but I like a cleaner look after Christmas, so I was fine to let it go.

I kept the glass jars with the cypress stems and whites berries. The stems were real but were fine to keep in there.

I put a crate on the bottom and used mini faux evergreen wreaths (on sale at Walmart post-Christmas) with some LED birch candles (on sale after Christmas at Big Lots).

The hurricane glasses were filled with winter potpourri, which I had in a different area, and I filled them with winter pine cones and moved them to the bottom shelf.

In the cream-colored bowl, I switched out the oranges and added pine cones to go with the evergreen branches.

I put my original print back on the wall – I didn’t want the winter theme to be too overwhelming because I have other winter signs around the living room (you’ll see those in a bit).

 

 

I switched out the live orange slice wreath with a simple evergreen and berry wreath I’d gotten at a post-Christmas sale at Walmart for 50%, which worked perfectly with the white berry stems on the bench. I kept the navy striped ribbon.

Below is the year after that:

 

Floating Shelves

BEFORE

I had glass bottles and jars filled with faux evergreens and pine stems, along with some Christmas signs, with berry garland around the bottom.

AFTER

I moved a few things around and added some winter signs. The Wish sign might lean a little Christmasy, but the pine theme blended, there was no red, so I kept it ($2 Walmart post-Christmas sale).

The other sign is a free printable I designed ‘Silver White Winters That Melt Into Spring’ which you can get here!

Cozy Couch and Pillows

BEFORE

I didn’t go too crazy with pillows this year. Can’t do it all at once, right?

Here’s how I set it up for Christmas:

AFTER

I switched out the red “Merry and Bright” and added a neutral-colored snowflake pillow (clearance $8 at Hobby Lobby) and a chunky blanket.

Cube Cabinet

BEFORE

Here, I had more live garland, orange slices, and ribbon. I framed some neutral-colored gift bags to use as prints and filled the squares with all kinds of Christmas and winter decor.

Here’s this same spot the following year for Christmas:

 

 

AFTER

 

 

I wanted a much cleaner look for winter, more minimalist, so again, I got rid of the garland, ribbon and orange slices. I kept what was still wintery – like the wooden snowflake, the lantern, the flocked tree, pines cones.

I even kept the jar of gold and silver ornaments. A little Christmasy, but it blended well-enough, so it made the cuts.

The tree printable on the very bottom is technically Chritsmas – ‘Let Heaven and Nature Sing’, but it was enough of a cross-over that I kept it.

I also created another printable (it’s the same frame I used on the floating shelf for Christmas) and made a winter sign: “Snowflakes that Stay on my Nose and Eyelashes.” 

The metal-and-bead tree might lean a little more Christmasy, but it also blended in and I got it for $5 at Hobby Lobby, so it made the cuts!

As long as things blend together for a streamlined theme, I say go for it!

I cleaned out the glass bowl that’s on the top of the Christmas potpourri and made it a little more wintery. The birch candles were clearance at Big Lots.

Here are a few more images from this same area the following year:

 

 

(All of the above prints are in  my Etsy shop!)

Shelves and Mantels

BEFORE

 

AFTER

I mostly removed the green garland and switched out the prints and decor. It definitely has a more ‘plain’ feeling, but that was the look I was going for – minimalistic and clean.

Dining Table

BEFORE

Lots of lush greens, which I just adore. But I needed much more practical and simple for winter!

AFTER

Much more simple and clean! You can check out the full winter tablescape post right here as well as more winter tablescape ideas here!

Fireplace and Mantel

BEFORE

You can see I went with a lot of green, intentionally, because it makes things a lot easier to change for winter. Lazy girl decorating for the win, right?

 

AFTER

Once again, a quick switch of prints (these are from my Etsy shop as well!), added some simple, clean candlesticks and just removed whatever was overtly ‘Christmas.” Reindeer and snowflakes and greens are still perfect for winter!

 

And here is the year after that, which just a few changes and repurposing:

For more winter mantel ideas, be sure to check out this post!

Winter Inspiration to Keep You Going Until Spring

I hope you found some ideas you can use! I had a great time putting this together – there’s something about letting your creative energy fly when you’re cooped up for the winter.

With a little pre-planning, going from Christmas to winter decor around the home can be a fairly easy transition.

Even if you’re last minute, you can throw winter decor together very easily! Let me know if I can be of help!

I’d love to see what you come up with! Tag me on instagram @100affections!

Future Farmhouse Decor

Once you’re all decorated for winter, right on its heels are Valentine’s Day and Spring.

While you’re cozy and under partial house arrest for winter, if you want to plan ahead, here are some Valentine’s Day Farmhouse-Inspired Decor Ideas  – budget-friendly! 

Also, here are 30 Farmhouse Valentine’s Home DIY Projects.

If you’re in the South like me, spring comes faster than most (yay!), and here are some Spring Wreaths you can start working on as well as Farmhouse Inspired Spring Home Decor as well as Spring DIY Projects!

 

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!