14 Ways to Decorate Naturally for Winter
Get inspiration for winter decor after the holidays are over. See these ideas for a natural and elegant but cozy home during the cold season.
Your home is where you spend the most time and welcome your family back to every day. Making the home beautiful for those you love is an art that’s well worth it. Seasonal decorating is just one way to bring this art to life.
When the leaves finish falling and the weather gets colder, you may think about Christmas and decorating for the holiday season, but what about after all that? The Christmas tree with its lights and ornaments are taken down and the Christmas knickknacks go away, but you don’t want a bare home for the remainder of the winter season. Decorating and adding cozy elements can bring warmth during the cold and dark months before spring.
Take a look at these ideas below to get inspiration!
Wreaths:
What better place to give an elegant, wintery first impression than your front door? You can make your own wreath or buy one, but beware, they’re pricey! Thrift stores are a great place to look for them, or you can shop the sales at a craft store. I have a wreath I use all year and add seasonal touches to every few months. In winter, I add berries and some sparkly decorative leaves.
Pinecones:
I love pinecones because you can practically throw them anywhere in your house and make them look good. You can even frost them for a little extra flair!
Lights:
Twinkle lights are a must in the darker months… They make for elegant low lighting and add sparkle wherever they are! You can drape them around windows, nestle them in a bowl of pinecones, or use them to brighten up other items. The options are limitless!
Lanterns:
Lanterns are another nice touch to add elegance and extra light. Try putting one by your fireplace or on a shelf alongside some greenery or pinecones. You can either leave it empty or put a candle inside.
Candles:
Candles come in so many different colors and scents, and they’re so fun to make too! You can group them with pinecones, twinkle lights, or practically anything you want. I like to use candles in the rooms of my house where I’ll appreciate them the most. For example, a clean, fresh scent is wonderful for the kitchen and dining room, and a vanilla or spiced scent is nice for the living room or bedroom.
Taper candles are a great way to enhance a table centerpiece.
Baskets:
Baskets are a cute and fun year-round addition to your decor that also play a practical role. Use them for storage while contributing to your style.
Garlands:
The natural look of a garland is so refreshing! Whether you made it yourself or bought it, garlands are beautiful draped over a window, across a doorway, on a banister, or wound around a mirror. Tree farms, forests, and parks are all great places to find materials to make a garland.
Blankets:
Find some fuzzy blankets to throw on the couch or have a few of them in a basket near the sofa.
Throw Pillows:
Whether you have stylish neutral pillows or colorful wintery ones, they’re an easy addition to contribute to the theme you want. You can even thrift some old pillows and make new covers for them.
Books:
Try the look of stacked books for vintage vibes. Pick a few aesthetic-looking books and stack them with a plant or small lamp on top.
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Burlap:
Throw some burlap trim on your garlands or use a wide strip as a table runner for a rustic feel. Burlap can be used in many different ways, so get creative!
Snowflakes:
DIY snowflakes are another fun thing to make that you can incorporate into your decor. You can make paper ones to hang in hallways or windows, or you can pin them to a bulletin board. Wood ones are also pretty propped up on a shelf.
Signs:
Look for a sign or two at your local thrift store or give a makeover to one you already have. You can go with cursive lettering on a chalkboard or block letters on sanded wood for a rustic farmhouse vibe.
Towels and Linens:
Put out some fresh winter-themed towels to quickly brighten up the practical spaces of your house without adding clutter.
These are just a few ideas of things you can do with your spaces! Get creative and try out different looks. If an item doesn’t look right to you where you placed it, then arrange it differently or try it somewhere else.
Some Things to Consider:
What’s your style? Don’t go all out and buy a bunch of decor just because it’s trendy. First consider the era and aesthetic of your home, then think about your own personal style preferences and find a way to tie them together. I have a 70’s home with lots of dark furniture, so I add twinkle lights to brighten things up a bit. I also love woodland themes and the color green, so I use greenery, a log slice, and woodland animals to play into that theme.
Pick a color scheme or go with neutrals. This is important to keep your house from feeling chaotic with multiple different colors. When decorating for winter, you could go with green and red, green, blue, neutrals, or whatever combination you like. Don’t get me wrong- color is fun! But having too many different colors in your decor can be very distracting and loud. Find a color scheme you like and stick with it.
Don’t overdo it. It’s easy to make or buy a lot of stuff to display all around your house each season, but that can make it feel cluttered and overwhelming (plus, that’s a lot of stuff to pack away in boxes for next winter). Instead, create “attractions” with your decor: Decorate the mantel, front door, table, and a couple other spots instead of putting a little (or a lot!) of everything everywhere.
A Word on Arranging:
Think about how you arrange your “attractions”. Place objects of different heights together to give more depth and satisfaction to the eye. A bunch of small objects clumped together aren’t very pleasing because each item has to compete against the others. Instead, try putting a vase with some tall foliage or grasses in the back of your arrangement, then place a couple more medium and shorter items in front of it, like a candle and figurine.
