9 Ways to Decorate Your Home in Winter
Simple winter decorating ideas to make your home feel cozy and inviting after Christmas to transition into spring.
January and February are always my most challenging months of the year when I feel myself slipping into seasonal affective disorder.
I just feel sad and want to sleep and wish with all my might for spring to hurry itself up! But simple winter seasonal decor touches help.
They can be difficult to get through, but decorating my home the right way always lifts my mood and makes winter, dare I say, enjoyable. (Gasp!)
Using home decor that you love to freshen and brighten up spaces is a simple way to decorate your own home in the winter, and if you use these little tricks, your home’s decor will stretch seamlessly into spring.
Here are some of the best ways to decorate your home in winter without breaking the bank.
Simple Winter Decor Ideas
Most of the ideas below probably involve cozy elements you already own and have just forgotten about.
Make a more comfortable space using these winter decorating ideas. Your home will have a cozy feel in no time.
Use Plants Around Your Home
Tip: If you miss your Christmas tree, fill the spot where it used to sit with a large potted plant like a ficus, eucalyptus, or olive tree instead.
Plants are a symbol of life!
During winter, we are often overcome with feelings of sadness or gloom.
The winter blues are real, so livening up a room with live plants is a great way to get yourself through the winter season without feeling like you’re living in a blank, lifeless box.
If you don’t have a green thumb, use faux plants to give the appearance of live plants. Set them on your coffee table or end tables throughout the house.
They also look great on raised plant stands in the hallway or near doorways. I love filling extra space with a plant or other natural elements.
(When thrifting, keep an eye out for pretty planters like this brass planter I used to make my fake tree look realistic. If they have a great shape consider spray painting the planters too.)
Set Candles on Coffee Tables and Side Tables
Tip: Walk around your house to see what unique containers you might already own and melt down half used candles to create new, custom candles! (See how I made my own candy dish candles and brass canister candle with thrifted finds.)
Candles add a much needed layer of warmth and light on tabletops.
I like to light one every chance I get for a nice smell and pretty decor. Not to mention, our sense of smell does a lot for our mood.
Light a candle on those gloomy winter days when you need a pick-me-up.
Display White Flowers
Tip: Try forcing paperwhite bulbs in a thrifted bowl with some moss.
With winter comes some pretty dreary days.
Use white flowers (whether they are real or fake) to brighten up any room they are placed in.
I’m a sucker for white decor if you can’t tell, and white flowers always do the trick.
I have purchased faux flowers from the craft store (and they’re often marked down at a discount in winter).
Sometimes just scooping up a bundle of white flowers when I visit the grocery store to stick in a vase on our coffee table helps me feel better in the winter months.
Hang Winter Gear on the Walls
I’ve found snow skis, snowshoes, and ice skates at the thrift store before! I painted these thrifted skis and stuck them right on the wall as some interesting decor for winter.
Pay attention to what outdoor winter gear pops up at the thrift store and get creative with how you can use them as decor around your house instead.
Swap Out Artwork If You Can
After you take down the holiday decorations, you may not feel ready to put up your paintings of spring blooms and green grass.
Find some peaceful winter scenes to display in your large frames and hang them up until spring comes. Etsy has lots of winter art for around $2-5 for instant downloadable printables.
Or you can grab these free art prints from my library.
Winter Art Printables
- Winter Painting Free Art Printable to Frame Anywhere
- DIY Large Wall Art and Winter Landscape Printable
- Winter Botanical Gallery Wall Printables
Tip: You can also see the trick to display art on any Smart TV here.
Fill Dark Corners with Lamps
I’m one of those people who prefers lamplight instead of overhead lights.
The overhead lights are just too harsh for me. Lamps give off a soft glow and just enough lighting to fill a room. I love keeping an eye out at the thrift store for secondhand table lamps to paint. Or update an old floor lamp with a more modern shade for a new look.
Place lamps in small nooks and crannies to create a cozy ambience. We love to display them on shelves, end tables, and even in the kitchen.
Choose living spaces that need more light in the evenings and make sure there is an accessible plug for it.
Tip: If you have one, turn an old vase into a cordless lamp using this puck light trick.
Brighten the Room With White Accessories
A neutral color palette is great to brighten any room year-round. I love to stick to white, ivory, cream, and beige throw pillows with just a pop of one or two colored pillows.
It stretches your dollar that way and saves storage space since you can use most of them year-round.
We always have plenty of pillows on the couches. Grab some white pillows and throws to cheer up a room in winter to create that feeling of cozy warmth.
Include other white accessories white candles, jars, bowls, and anything you can find at the thrift store. These look great on your fireplace mantel too!
Clean Up Your Fireplace
Tip: See how to limewash your brick fireplace in just a few hours.
I limewashed our old brick fireplace in just an afternoon several years ago and have absolutely zero regrets! That one little project brightened up our entire living room.
Keep your mantel and fireplace minimal with decor to allow your focal point to “breathe”.
Sometimes less is more, and in winter, leaning minimal on the fireplace decor creates the feeling of a fresh start. After the busy Christmas decorating on our fireplace, I appreciate a simple winter mantel as a relief from the clutter.
Open the Curtains During the Day
Instead of flipping on all the lights when the sun is shining, try opening the curtains. The sun will peek through and bring you a little joy, as well as warm up your home when it’s chilly.
It’s one of the easiest ways to lighten the room and accent all the rich colors you have throughout. The natural light will lift your mood throughout the day.
Tip: See my favorite budget-friendly Amazon curtains here.
Do you have any other winter decorating ideas you’d add to the list to endure the cold weather months? Whatever helps chase away the winter blues, is a win, right?
I’ll just be over here curling up with a warm blanket, lighting a few candles, and enjoying the chilly weather as best I can all cozied up until spring finally comes back around.
Winter Home Decor Picks
More Winter Decorating Ideas
- 16 Cozy Winter January Decor Favorites
- 6 Ways to Make Your Home Cozy After Christmas
- Winter Living Room Ideas & My Favorite Winter Decor
