I posted a similar question last year. And received some really good suggestions. I ended up going out in the woods and filling vases and crocks with bare branches. It was kind of stark but interesting. Someone had suggested forcing tulip bulbs for some winter color which I intended to do this year but I forgot to pick up bulbs last fall. You might want to check out the blog site that was mentioned in the post.

Here is a link that might be useful: Post christmas decorating ides

sidney, I remember your post last year. My mantle has had green topiaries in mercury glass urns since last year when I took down my Christmas decor!

Polly, do you have any pictures? I would love to see them. I am still in search of the right decor for my mantle. Thanks

but.. but... it is only the fifth day of Christmas!!

Things should not be coming down now, as AFTER Christmas = after Epiphany.

LOL!! :-)

Here ya go.....

This is an old pic, pictures on my mantle have been updated. But you get the gist.

Thanks Polly, looks great. I have a couple of topiaries that could be repurposed.

I leave Christmas decor up until after the first week of January, sometimes even past the middle of the month. I do change things tho and put away the nativity, most wreaths, and Santas at some point when I feel Christmas is really over altho that hasn't happened yet but will soon. I also don't do much red and green decor so what's left is only glitzy stuff. I'm planning to bring out more of my collection of silver holloware and use greenery with it.

I like to use lots of candles/candleholders, glass, crystal, metallics, white, green, and usually one other accent color for my winter decor. Our winters here are quite long so glitz is essential for me to survive until spring! One year I hung a lot of silver plates and trays on the wall instead of china plates. Later saw the same thing on a magazine website!

I've not taken down the Christmas decs yet, but they will be down by the 1st. I don't really do winter decorating. I have brought out some chunkier, more substantial throws, I use more candles during the winter, etc.

tina

"Things should not be coming down now, as AFTER Christmas = after Epiphany."

Not in my house. Things come down when I tire of looking at them. Also, not everyone celebrates Epiphany.

Like tina61, I use alot of candles during the winter months to "warm" things up a bit. Also, greens, pine cones, etc., pretty much anything I can find on our property that strikes my fancy.

I keep out baskets/bowls filled with pinecones. Also I have a very nice wreath that is just greenery and pinecones, along with all my framed winter prints. A lot of candles and throws too.

I usually wait until the day after Twelfth Night to take down my Christmas decs. I have so many that the large bins for them are stored out in our garage closet. It's a major task to get all of them into the house, lined up down the hallway, emptied, the Christmas decs packed away into them and finally moved back out to the garage closet. Because of this, they all get packed away at the same time.

By this time, I'm not too excited about putting up any Winter decs (LOL!). But, we do eat in our formal dining room pretty much every night Sunday-Thursday, plus weekend breakfasts, so I do decorate the table for Winter. I especially like to use my white or my blue & white china with silver or mercury glass accessories and serving pieces. To me they look so fresh and wintery. Here's some pics of one of my tables:
{{gwi:1409434}}
{{gwi:1403320}}
I have a silver icebucket that I like to add the faux ice branches to at this time of the year.
{{gwi:1403324}}

It's also the perfect time for me to use some of my Native American art. This little batik painting, by NM artist Alice Valdez, is a Winter scene and works nicely with the giant pinecone and storyteller, etc:
{{gwi:1404126}}

I use my cream colored, pinecone rimmed dishes with it. BTW, that's a typical (delicious!) New Mexican breakfast on them, Huevos Rancheros (translation: Ranch Eggs):
{{gwi:1404131}}
That's about as decorated as my home gets until Valentine's Day.
Lynn

lynneinnewmexico,
What is the pattern of the white and blue bowl setting on top of the dark blue plate? It's beautiful.

I can't recall the pattern or maker of them. They're packed away for Christmas as I needed room for my Christmas dinnerware in the drawers. I do know that I bought them at Marshalls one or two years ago, but have seen them there since then. If you remind me, I'll try and get that info to you after Twelfth Night.
Lynn

I do have some advice on what NOT to do.

I am a person who is always cold. Not the biggest fan of winter and lack of sun and warmth.

I have discovered that I enjoy winter more if I DO NOT have decor of cold items, like snowmen and the like.

So today we packed away the Christmas items inside (yard is still decorated outside) and we are cleaning and getting ready for NYE. I have some real forced bulbs, and sparkly crystal, brass, silver items out, and will use silver and gold linens and lots of candles. Once the New Year's party is over, the plants and candles will stay out.

It will be St Patrick's Day before you know it!

pfmastin, look for Mylott Finlandia. lynn, it looks so great together with that dark blue pattern!

Myott, not Mylott. I woke up too early.

...also sold as Churchill Finlandia. I have a some of both and they look the same to me. They came from my partner's mother so I don't know the history. The Churchill says it's microwave safe so maybe it's just newer.

Here is a link that might be useful: amazon

It is too bad we forget Christmas did not begin until Dec. 25 and goes until Jan 8th, Epiphany!! 12 days long!! Saying that I will be taking mine down this week end.My poor kings never do make it to the Nativity!! I have to do it while on break from school. It is too big a job to not do all at once. I will put out all my snow people/crystal/snow scapes then. Blue reigns with the white. It does make me cold..but it is also nice to be more monochromatic after all the color of Christmas!!

My poor kings never do make it to the Nativity!!

(grin)

This year the Christmas tree and all the decorations came down yesterday. Our tree was drooping and shedding needles all over the place. Enough! Plus I have the week off so it's more convenient to do the clean up now. We do have the window candles and outside lights on and will keep them on until January 8th...maybe longer.

I'm still in cleaning decluttering mode here, having made several trips to Goodwill before Christmas. I do not mind the bare look. It's quite soothing.

That pattern is Churchill Finlandia, I had the whole china set until last year, when I switched out to all white Palm china. Wishing now that I'd kept the Finlandia set, too, it's such a pretty pattern. Your place settings look beautiful, Lynn - and that photo of the Huevos Rancheros looks too good to eat!!!

Thanks Bungalow House and Nanny for giving Pfmastin that pattern name for me. I was worried that I'd forget to post once I unpacked them again on the 7th. Nanny, thanks! I'm so proud of how nicely my photo turned out. I always make my own red chile (sauce) and this meal tastes as delicious as it looks! This is our most traditional New Mexico breakfast and much beloved. There are as many versions of it as there are cooks here in NM, but they're all wonderful!
Lynn