Like everything in life we've grown used to for a while, Christmas decorations leave a sense of emptiness once they're packed back in their boxes. And even if we've basically had our fill of the rich colours and won't miss the pine needles on the floor, we'd still like to hold on to a little of the cosiness and warmth that are so much a part of Christmas. Here's how!
Beautiful alternatives to our favourite Christmas decorations:
- An inviting entrance – even without Christmas lights
- A cosy centrepiece without a Christmas tree
- Attractive table decorations without an Advent wreath
- Warm light even without fairy lights
- Getting together without Christmas visits
Before you start: store your Christmas decorations properly! After all, the time when we'll need them again always comes round sooner than we think.
An inviting entrance – even without Christmas lights
One of the loveliest things about the Christmas season is strolling through the neighbourhood and enjoying the prettily lit houses. And when we come home in the dark in the evening, a beautifully lit entrance awaits us too.
It stays dark for a while yet! Replace the little fir tree with fairy lights with a simple lantern holding an LED candle with a timer. Add a hardy evergreen plant next to it, and your entrance will give you a warm welcome once more. Just make sure your planters are frost-proof.
Alternatively, place weatherproof rechargeable lights on the steps up to the entrance, or as decoration on a bench or chair.
A cosy centrepiece without a Christmas tree
Nothing is cosier than sitting together around a brightly lit Christmas tree, with the scent of fresh pine in the air. At some point the tree has to go, of course – but the cosiness doesn't. If you have a fireplace, light it more often – not just for heat, but deliberately, for the atmosphere.
Show off your fireplace with suitable log storage, stylish fireplace tools and heat-resistant accessories. Scented candles or diffusers with fragrances such as cinnamon and pine needles add a pleasant scent. If that still feels too Christmassy, switch to a more neutral vanilla scent, for example.
Perhaps you could also rearrange the sofa – not around the TV as usual, but facing the fireplace. Soft cushions on the seat, a warm throw over the armrest – and your seating is ready around the new, cosy centrepiece.
Attractive table decorations without an Advent wreath
Throughout the Christmas season, Advent wreaths, candles and festive accessories decorate our tables. But candles aren't just for Christmas. Simply restyle neutral Advent candle holders, or replace the classic Advent wreath with lanterns and tealight holders. Decorated with neutral accessories or arranged in small groups, they'll remind you to light a candle every now and then. The warm light creates atmosphere and a cosy feel.
Tip: Lay a place mat in wintry colours or patterns, or put a tray under your lanterns and accessories. It brings your decorative pieces together and replaces the usually quite elaborate Advent arrangement.
Always a good idea: vases! You can arrange fresh flowers or wintry branches such as eucalyptus, holly, cotton or – yes, still – fir branches in vases. If fresh greenery is too much effort, there are now also natural-looking wintry dried flower bouquets that you can leave out for longer.
Some vases look good without any greenery at all. Place them on a stack of magazines or group different vases together.
Or how about a themed decoration? Choose a theme for your table decoration, such as "winter forest" or "Scandinavian Christmas". Use matching decorative pieces such as small animal figures, wood slices or minimalist ornaments. If you arrange everything on a tray, you can quickly clear your decoration away for meals and put it back afterwards.
Warm light even without fairy lights
Your living room should be bathed in warm light all year round, not just at Christmas. If fairy lights feel like too much after Christmas, modern lights give you endless ways to create a warm atmosphere all year – and thanks to rechargeable batteries and LEDs, without tangled cables or high electricity bills:
- For a warm greeting to the outside world, put a table lamp on the windowsill or a floor lamp in front of a floor-to-ceiling window.
- Add a battery-powered decorative light to your shelf decoration. They now come in lots of on-trend colours that blend harmoniously with your interior.
- On the table, too, rechargeable lights are a wonderful way to sit together without the usual festive lighting from above.
- Place a light on the side table next to the sofa – that way you have atmosphere, decoration and a practical surface all in one.
Overall, look for a warm colour temperature and dimmability. That way you can adapt the light to your needs. A flickering candle or two at the right moment adds extra atmosphere. Placed in lanterns, they can also go on the floor or windowsill without any risk.
Getting together without Christmas visits
What makes January and February after Christmas feel especially cold, empty and dreary is the people we miss. Over Christmas we got used to the bustle of our loved ones around us – and then we hibernate for a while. It doesn't have to be that way!
Invite the family round for a relaxed brunch, with everyone bringing something along. Or host a games night with good friends. A box-set binge is also much more fun with the people you love than on your own. Surround yourself with people who give you warmth!
We wish you a snug, cosy winter from the bottom of our hearts.
