yes! this is why i have a host of christmas stuff that is also, IMO, wintery - all things generic snow or snowmen stay out until Lent.  otherwise its too much a crash from the high of festive christmas fun

we decorate for every holiday, but obviously other ones are less big deal, just some decorative towels/fun little nickknacks here and there (st. pat’s; 4th of july; etc).  we also have lots of halloween/fall/thanksgiving decor.  ghosts, etc. are halloween only; turkeys, cornucopias, tkg only, but then leaves and acorns and pumpkins are for the “whole fall.”

i pink puffy heart seasonal decorations

Absolutely!!!  Our Christmas tree will be transformed into a Mardi Gras tree this weekend (we’re Cajun French).  I try really hard to decorate for all the seasons.  My kids both love when we pull out the bins and transform our living room into a magical place.  I’m sure the time will come (sooner than later) when they won’t be so mesmerized, so I’m enjoying it while I can. 

This is our first year in our new house and I’ve been realizing exactly that as we took down the Christmas decorations this weekend! I don’t have any wintery decorations yet but need to make/buy some. I was thinking maybe I’d skip right to Valentine’s Day though and make a felt heart garland or something, lol. We’ll see!
Do you do Pinterest? It’s such a fabulous place to see how other real people are decorating!

Yes!!! Exactly how I feel! Today is put- away -Christmas -day for us and now I am wondering what I can leave out! We are going to leave our LED taper candles in the windows, but I am thinking there needs to be twinkle lights someplace too. Do you think there is anyplace that stills has Christmas lights on clearance?

I don’t have much for winter decorations, but last year I left the nativity set up until Mardi Gras.  I liked having it around so much, I’m going to do it intentionally this year!

Our tree came down on the 1st, sadly.  I was tired of policing it (kids are 1.25 and 3.5).

I leave my snow village (I call it that rather than a Christmas village!) out for half of January at least—it takes too much work to put it up on my huge mantel to take it down so quickly.  We finally have the Christmas decorations down, but in their place I put my snowmen collection which grows each year.  And as we’ve had very little snow so far around these parts (50s today, snow maybe tomorrow), it’s nice to have them out!  I like the idea of leaving the nativity set out until Mardi Gras, I love displaying my set so I think I will aim for that.  My only problem is that I really have almost too many seasonal decorations after years of collecting and need to pare them down—the attic space is becoming too tight!

I was married in February and had a winter-themed wedding. I have white, blue, and silver decorations, some glittery branches, LOTS of blue and white tulle from pew bows and chair covers, and blue and silver ribbon. I have intentions of making a ribbon wreath but that may not happen. 5 year anniversary this year. I enjoy putting my winter wedding decorations out and it makes me think of my husband and that special day.

Thank you for this article.  This is something I struggle with, too.  (By the way, most of the parishes in my area are keeping the Christmas decorations up till the Sunday after Baptism of the Lord, and I think there are still some families out there who keep the stuff up till the Presentation, so don’t feel bad if your stuff is still up!).  This year our tree died quickly, and my son’s birthday is two weeks after Christmas, so we took everything down on New Year’s day.  It was hard.  One thing that helped is that Yankee Candle had a half-price sale on all their Christmas (pardon me “holiday”) merchandise, and their winter candles are considered “holiday”, so I splurged on a few.  They make a nice transition from Christmas to winter.

Oh yes,  This is the perfect time to make big paper snowflakes and hang them all around the house.  My kids look forward to this craft every year and always try to do something more elaborate and intricate than they did the year before.

I definitely decorate for holidays/seasons. I did it in my classroom, then transferred it to my home when I had children and quit teaching. I have BOXES of decorations for each holiday/season. The kids love it. When we were living overseas, and entertained a lot,  I used to leave my 8’ ft tree up in the foyer and just change it from a Christmas tree to a Winter tree. I would replace the Christmas decorations with snowflakes, snowmen, white ball ornaments, birds, pinecones, and fake snow sprinkled on and around it. I kept it up until Feb., then took it down to put up my Valentine’s decorations. Hmmmmm…..

My dds have little 1 ft. trees in their rooms. They now hold their hairbows, but they used to be decorated for each holiday.

I keep my manger up until Candlemas in February.  I also decorate with snowflakes -  we have a book of patterns where the snowflakes come out like animals - that is always a big hit.  I have some of that foam stuff shaped into snowflakes that is blue and white and you can hook them together (left over from a January birthday party) that I use over the mantel to replace the greenery.  I keep out our snowman mugs and put the Christmas ones away. I have some candle holders with winter scenes - birds on them.  We aren’t in the south, but I guess this is technically the season of Carnivale - so let the feasting and decorating continue!

I went on a field trip with my boys last month to a farm in NH.  We learned how people decorated their homes in Victorian fashion using the simplest things from nature.  I thought it was cool that they took the flowers Queen Anne’s Lace and pressed them in a book.  When removed them they looked like a beautiful snowflakes!  They used these to decorate their windows.  We plan on doing this next year, when they are in bloom along our driveway.  So pretty!

I also decorate for the “after Christmas season”. My decorations come from not so much a let down after Christmas, but a “where do I put all these snowmen, I’m out of room from all the other Christmas decorations.” I decided one year that instead of leaving really cute decorations in the box because I didn’t know where to put them all I would put all my snowmen out after Christmas. This way it’s not so much of a let-down after the holidays and I can use all of the decorations I have. I usually leave them up until I’m tired of the snow and ready for spring.

I leave the nativity up until Feb. 2 (Candlemas), but I decorate for all the holidays. I can’t wait to start St. Valentine’s Day…St. Patrick’s Day is HUGE at our house…and the list continues…but I love decorating for Christmas the most.

We still have our tree up but will be taking it down this weekend.  However, we will leave one nativity set (I have a collection of about a dozen nativity sets) up our mantle with garland and lights until Candlemas.  We have a small decorative gold pre-lit tree that sits on a table in our dining room.  That will stay out until then, too.  We also plan on leaving our outdoor lights lit at least thru the end of the month.  It’s our way off lighting up the winter darkness and being out of the mainstream.

I do have Winter decorations - but I cheat.  We have some small nativity scenes (just Momma Mary, Daddy Joseph and Baby Jesus) that we ended up keeping up all year a few years ago and they never have been put away - our big Nativity Set does come out for Advent.  Also, when Advent begins, I start with Angels - Angels in the Kitchen, Angels hung around the chandelier in the living room - a few other Angels.  All heaven is singing in anticipation of the Baby King.  Christmas decorations come out slowly over Advent after that ...  when I take down Christmas decorations down(always after Jan 12 - Baptism), those Angels stay up - as a seqway to Valentines…  It softens the blow to my littlest kids that the Angels can stay up and have hearts and cherubs added to them for Valentines…

I love decorating for the seasons, not just liturgically speaking. I love DIY crafts and I love nature, so my decor usually involves having the kids go find me beautiful seasonal objects from outdoors that I arrange inside.  I just made a beautiful pine cone and nut wreath that I have on a certain wall that I change the decor on seasonally.  All I did was hot glue various size and color pine cones on a straw wreath form and then I topped it off with walnuts and hazelnuts.  Not to toot my own horn, but it looks really elegant and it was very simple and cheap to make!  I also keep pine cones and deep red candles on my mantle and then my table centerpiece consists of a white candle on a mirror with pine cones and those clear glass gems you find at craft stores (I thought it looked like ice.) I also change the color of my throw pillows seasonally.  I’m biased toward homemade because I think that’s where everyone’s personality comes out and it gives your home that unique feel that makes it your home.  And, since making it myself is cheap it gives me the freedom to change it from year to year if I feel like it.  Good luck decorating, and have fun!

I’m so glad you posted this…between the dark days and cold weather then bare corners and no more lighted trees…augh! sometimes it’s too much.
Snowmen.  That’s what I do.  Through the year I look for them at thrift shops and yard sales…stuffed, wooden, etc.  Then I bring them out (usually) the day everything else goes up in the attic.  Alas, this year our college boys put everything away already (it was GREAT having their help…) and things are bare for now.  But once they head back to their colleges Sunday…I’m heading to the attic for snowmen!!
And I’ve always wondered about a Lenten Jesse tree…sounds like something that would be good too.

I love the idea of decorating for winter, but I live near Seattle where we rarely get any snow.  Honestly, the Christmas decorations aren’t down yet, but that’s due to my laziness to get at it on my own and my husband’s been occupied with a closet makeover!  But my plan for winter decorations here in the land of no-snow (I grew up in Minnesota and miss it) is a color scheme of green and white and lots of vanilla.  I have some ivy fake greenery that goes under my mantle, white twinkle lights to hang, and things of that sort.  It helped a lot when I did this last year and it wasn’t all about putting things away.  And the twinkle lights take away some of the long darkness.  Our nativity set is still out and I’m liking the idea of leaving out for a while yet.  It seems like the kings just arrived!

years ago my mom gave me a concrete duck for my front step with seasonal and holiday outfits to decorate it with and to keep each day a reason to celebrate!  Unfortuanately someone stole my duck but I’m thinking of renewing the tradition.

For the past few years, I’ve hung artificial pine garland in a few places around the house- on a curtain rod, draped over a big mirror, on the baker’s rack.  I string with white lights and favorite ornaments.  One garland has nativity ornaments and another has all angels.  I keep them up until the days get longer an brighter- I like the lights during the long cold winter.  Have fun decorating!

For the past few years, I’ve hung artificial pine garland in a few places around the house- on a curtain rod, draped over a big mirror, on the baker’s rack.  I string with white lights and favorite ornaments.  One garland has nativity ornaments and another has all angels.  I keep them up until the days get longer an brighter- I like the lights during the long cold winter.  Have fun decorating!

We too keep our tree up until Baptism.  I am going to get my Nativity back out…love the idea of until the presentation (it does seem to early to put away after the Kings just arrived).  Jacqueline, LOVE the angel idea…thanks!  Years ago I used to get very depressed after I took down my Christmas decorations, but now keep a lot up: everygreen, berrry, pinecone garland w/ lights around 3 pocket doors….several (9) small 3-4 ft. trees decorated w/ ribbon, birds, homemad seed and pinecone ornaments, mittens, icesicles, snowflakes…snowman stay up too.  I need that extra light during this long, cold dark season!  Kids love it too!

A coffee shop in our town spray paints large pine cones with silver and gold glitter and than hangs them with ribbons.  It is simple and yet a beautiful way to decorate during winter.  Something kind of like this: http://www.jenniferbrouwerdesign.com/blog/2011/12/use-what-you-have-holiday-decor/ (I just found this blog for its picture. I don’t know anymore about the blog itself)

The best suggestion anyone ever gave me: Use one container per room or area. For instance, the powder room box contains the towels, candle, night light and a few snowmen. When they come out of the box, the everyday decorations go into the box. I have a box for the navity, one for the foyer, one for the tree, etc. It’s makes it easier to just bring one box up, decorate, put away the every day stuff and be done with one area. Not so overwhelming that way.