The day after Christmas, while Robert was at work, I got a little bit crazy eyed and took down every stitch of Christmas decor, two 7.5 foot Christmas trees, and filled up 6 bins to stick back into storage for another 11 months. #boom #girlpower

But then… the house felt so sad.

And I crept back out in the garage to those storage bins, whispered some apologies to a few strands of garland, and decided they could stick around for a winter party in our living room a while longer.

6 Ways to Make Your Home Feel Cozy After Christmas | blesserhouse.com - 6 surefire ways to decorate your home feel cozy after Christmas during the cold winter months using proven methods from the Hygge lifestyle. #winterdecor #cozydecor #afterchristmas #hygge

It happens every year. The winter blues creep in. And suddenly there’s a bigger reason to decorate than to just make the house look pretty. It’s to keep our spirits up even after the merry and bright have fizzled out.

So if your house is feeling a little empty after you’ve taken down the holiday cheer, I’m joining in again with Jennifer from Town and Country Living and my Cozy Living blogger crew to share some hygge love.

(If you’ve never heard of “hygge”, it’s a style of living from the Danish culture that focuses on enjoying life’s simple pleasures- friends, family, graciousness, contentment, good feelings, and a warm glow. You can read more about the art of Hygge coziness here, if you want to know more about it.)

6 Ways to Make Your Home Cozy After Christmas:

(Some affiliate links are provided below for convenience.)

1. Faux Fur and Cable Knit Throws & Pillows

Hold off on packing away the faux fur blankets and sweater pillows until March. There’s nothing like cuddling up with a bowl of hot soup of a frigid day. (Or you can even make your own cable knit pillows from thrift store sweaters using this tutorial.)

[Sources: Faux fur pillow | faux fur blanket | chair | rug]

2. Candles & fire

“Decorate with fire” sounds way awesome and action flick-ish. Haha! Lighting a candle at the end of a cold day while I cook dinner or Netflix it up with Robert in the evenings is one of my favorite ways to keep things cozy and glow-y around here. If our house is a mess and the laundry is piled up and I have dishes to do for days… well, I have a candle lit and that makes it a little better.

[Sources: Lanterns | brick limewash tutorial]

3. Greenery

I figure plain green garlands and branches are still fair game after Christmas. Remove any greenery with red berries and ta da! Winter. It adds a little bit of life. I big puffy heart love a bundle of $5 grocery store flowers too whenever I need a pick-me-up.

[Sources: Candle holders | concrete magnolia ]

4. Items with meaning and sentiment

One of the big “hygge” ways of living is to decorate with items that have special meaning- family photos, mementos from vacations, heirlooms you treasure. It makes total sense that they’re great at chasing away winter blues.

[Sources: Picture frame (similar) | vase (similar) | lamp]

5. Neutrals

I usually get some anxiety in the winter, so the best way for me to feel calm and relax is to stick to neutral colors. I know some will say that bright colors are the best way to make a house feel cheerful during the winter months, but they always make me feel keyed up and anxious, so I stay away from them.

And plus, it’s easier to mix up your decor year-round when you stick to lots of whites, grays, and browns. Woot! Perk!

[Sources: Ceiling fan | DIY ottoman]

6. Lamps

If it has to be dark outside 16 hours of the day, might as well bust out all of the lamps and stick them in every dark corner of the house. If you love lots of the antique style Edison bulbs, but you’re not a fan of the yellowy light, these bulbs are my favorite for combining a vintage look with clean, soft white light.

[Sources: Lamp | cable knit pillow (similar) | metallic and cream pillow | faux fur blanket | sofa]

Now if only some snow would decide to visit us, I’d be happy for winter to stick around a while. #SouthernerProblems Send snow! I’ll be over here buying up the milk and bread and crossing my fingers.