11 Winter Decor Ideas: How to Decorate for the Winter Season

You can start taking down the fall decor after Thanksgiving in anticipation of the winter holiday season. Keep in mind that you should pair holiday-specific decorations with more holistic decor befitting the entire winter season. For instance, Christmas decor might have to come down after December 25, but you should have plenty of other generally wintry decorations to compensate for their loss.

Winter decor entails any decorations appropriate for the entirety of the winter season, whereas holiday decor refers to things like Christmas trees, menorahs, and other holiday-specific items. The latter are only appropriate during the holiday season itself, whereas winter decorations fit every day from December through February. There’s some overlap between the two categories—for example, a Christmas wreath can double as a winter wreath so long as it doesn’t have any additional Christmas ornaments adorning its interior.

Winter means more time spent indoors, so you might want to make house decor as homey as possible. Try out these cozy winter decorating ideas:

1. 1. Area rugs: Lay out some rugs befitting the snowy season for cozy living room decor. From light brown burlap to snow white faux fur, the focus should be on using rugs that can mimic the look of the chilly outdoors while inspiring a sense of homelike warmth alongside the rest of the interior.
2. 2. Candles: Your central heating unit and fireplace might be what keeps you warmest in winter, but the flickering flames and scented wax of candles do just as much to usher in the overall feeling of the season. Consider using white or light blue candlesticks and candle holders to reflect the icy temperatures.
3. 3. Ornaments: Holiday ornaments come down midway through winter, but you can put other, more all-encompassing winter decorations up in their stead. Place snowflake ornaments above your fireplace or make your own miniature snowmen out of styrofoam as a DIY winter decor idea.
4. 4. Table centerpieces: Brighten up your tablescapes with centerpieces worthy of the wintertime. This can mean a set of silver candles or a vignette of pinecones and faux snowballs on your dining room or coffee table.
5. 5. Vignettes: Craft your own vignettes as DIY projects. Vignettes are small collections of decorations, often in baskets, that evoke a specific look or style. For winter, include candles or appropriate greenery fitting the general winter color palette.
6. 6. Wall art: Craft your own wintry wall art if you please—a painting of hot cocoa or sledding might fit the bill. Just make sure to use winter-appropriate paint colors. If you’d rather avoid DIY winter decorations, there’s plenty of printable winter wall art on the market, too.
7. 7. Wreaths: Place a white and green winter wreath on your front door to replace its red and green Christmas counterpart. It’s a nice way to keep the entryway seasonal without feeling too dated once you’re in January and February.

Decorating for the winter months is simple. Follow these four winter home decor tips to make your house hum with the spirit of the season:

1. 1. Decorate beyond the holidays. There are two winter months beyond the major holidays, so be ready to decorate with more general materials for the remainder of the season. Better yet, use a mix of holiday-specific decorations and wintry decorations so that when you take down the former you still have plenty of winter decor in place.
2. 2. Focus on your fireplace. You’ll likely spend plenty of time in front of your fireplace during the cold winter months, so that’s the perfect place to add some winter living room decor. Stack some white birch logs by the fire or set ornaments on your winter mantel. If your home lacks a fireplace, you might have some other central feature that you wish to showcase, such as a bay window area or a piano.
3. 3. Put out some greenery. It’s possible the natural elements you use to decorate your house might well be the only greenery you and your neighbors see for a few months throughout this season. For your front porch decor especially, try leaving out some evergreen foliage.
4. 4. Use a winter color scheme. Use winter white, light blue, or bright silver for your winter needs. The goal should be to reflect or at least complement how the outside world looks indoors. Any accent colors you include—such as green, red, or a brighter blue—will make a powerful visual impact, so remember that a little goes a long way.

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