After Christmas, keep the green and take down everything that says Christmas. A wreath with a cream ribbon, a mat, one planter and a lantern is a full winter door, and it looks right from the first week of January into February. The red bows, the glitter and the ornaments go into the box. None of it needs a drill, and you may own half of it already. This winter door decor keeps a front door wreath and drops anything that says holiday decor. For the rest of the season’s small-space plan, see our small-space Christmas decor guide.
7 Winter Front Door Decor Ideas for After Christmas
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How do you decorate a front door for winter after Christmas?
Take down the red and the glitter, keep the green, and add one natural layer: a wreath with a neutral ribbon, a plain mat, one planter on one side and a battery lantern. A small entry looks best with one piece in each place, not three. The table shows what each piece looks like in numbers.
| Piece | Size to buy | January | February |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wreath | 20 inches across | Cedar or eucalyptus, cream ribbon | Same wreath, soft pink or plum ribbon |
| Hanger | Fits 15 to 25 inch wreaths, 20 pound limit | Over the door, no nails | Same |
| Mat | 24 by 36 inches | Plain coir with a striped layer | Same |
| Planter | 13 inches tall, 8.6 inches across | Cedar, birch, pinecones | Add white heather |
| Lantern | 13 inches, 6 hours on, 18 off | Timer on, warm white | Same |
| Boot tray | 23.75 by 15.5 inches | Beside the mat | Same |
What to take down first
Pull the red. Red ribbon, red picks, Santa, glitter and ornaments read as a Christmas decoration. Pinecones, greens, plain lights and a good wreath base read as winter, so they stay. Thistlewood Farm sorts the same way: anything that says Christmas goes in the bins first, and anything pinecone, branchy or boxwood stays out. The Spruce agrees that an undecorated wreath, pine swag or garland can stay up all winter once the bells and whistles are off.
Work with a bag beside you. Look at each piece as it comes off and bin anything bent or faded, so it does not end up back on the door in December. If real greenery has gone brown, replace it. For hanging and sizing a wreath for front door frames with a storm door or an odd frame, see Christmas front door decor.
1. Keep the wreath, change the ribbon
The wreath is the one piece worth keeping. A cedar, fir or eucalyptus wreath is just as good in January as in December, and the ribbon is what dates it. Untie the plaid bow and tie on a wide cream, oatmeal or gray linen ribbon in a loose bow. Leave the pinecones and any white berries, and pull red berries out one at a time. Porch Decor Ideas suggests groups in odd numbers, such as 3 pinecones or 5 berries.
If you are buying new, this 20 inch faux eucalyptus wreath (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is 20 by 20 inches and 5 inches deep, and the listing says to unfold it fully before you hang it. Hang it under a roof or on a sheltered door, because the maker says to avoid rain and snow. Cost: $.
Which greens last the longest is in winter wreath ideas that last past Christmas. Porch Decor Ideas also says to mist fresh greenery every few days and to keep it out of direct afternoon sun.
2. Put down a mat that does not say Christmas
The mat is the cheapest change and the one you see every day. Swap anything that says “Merry” or shows a reindeer for a plain coir mat or a simple stripe.
This natural coir mat (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is listed at 24 by 36 inches with a vinyl backing. Cost: $$. For a layered look, put a smaller striped mat on top and set a boot tray (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. beside it, 23.75 by 15.5 inches with a raised edge, for wet boots and snow melt. Open the door all the way once after you put any mat down, because a thick one can catch the bottom edge. Everything here is loose, so a renter can take it along.
3. Add one planter on one side of the door
On a small entry, one planter looks better than two. Put it on one side, leave the other open, and open the door fully before you place it so the door never touches it.
- Faux. Push cedar or pine stems into a pot of soil or gravel, with pinecones and bare birch or red twig branches for height. These 19 inch Norfolk pine stems (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. come 12 to a pack. The listing does not say they are rated for outdoors, so use them under cover. Cost: $$. This pair of 13 inch tapered planters (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. has removable inner pots; use one on the step and keep the second indoors. Cost: $$.
- Real. Dwarf Alberta spruce stays green through the cold, and Porch Decor Ideas lists cedar, juniper, boxwood, olive stems and magnolia among the greens that hold up after a freeze. Homes and Gardens adds nandina and holly for red berries. Use a pot with a drainage hole and stand it on pot feet so it does not sit in ice.
If the soil in a pot is frozen solid, push the stems into a small block of floral foam instead.
4. Set a battery lantern by the door
A lantern gives the doorstep a reason to look good after dark, and in January it is dark by dinner. This pair of 13 inch lanterns (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is listed with a flickering LED candle in each and a timer that runs 6 hours on and 18 hours off, repeating daily. Each takes 3 AAA batteries, not included. Cost: $$. Put one lantern next to the planter and keep the second inside by a window.
5. Fill a bucket or basket with what you already have
You do not need to buy anything for this one. A galvanized pail, a wicker basket, a wooden crate or a laundry basket works. Fill it with pinecones, or stand a few birch logs in it, cut ends up. Branches cut from your own cedar or pine fit too. If you want a pail, this 8 inch galvanized one (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is 7 inches tall with a swing handle. Cost: $. Keep to one container, because two or three start to look like a pile.
6. Run one strand of warm white lights along the frame
The Spruce says to stick to white, non-blinking warm white lights that say winter and not Merry Christmas. One strand along the top of the frame finishes the entry. This 33 foot battery set (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is two 16.4 foot strands with a 6 hours on, 18 hours off timer, and the battery case is rated IP65, so it needs no outlet. Cost: $.
Read the package on any adhesive hook or clip first, since some are made for indoor use only and cold and damp are hard on adhesive. Press one on a small spot, wait a day, and see if it holds. House Digest also warns that adhesive hooks can come loose under a heavy garland.
7. Change one thing at the end of January
The door does not need a rebuild in February. Swap the ribbon for soft pink, plum or a pale stripe, leave the wreath and the planter alone, and the door reads as late winter and not as a leftover.
How do you hang winter decor on a rental door without damage?
Use an over-the-door hanger for the wreath: it hooks over the top of the door and needs no nails. This adjustable one (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is listed as fitting 15 to 25 inch wreaths and holding 20 pounds, with felt inside. It fits doors under 1.8 inches thick, so measure yours. Cost: $. After you hang it, close the door and check that it still latches.
A steel door takes a magnetic hook. Wood and fiberglass doors do not. For a garland or lights on the frame, use removable hooks and test them first. If your door opens onto a shared hallway, keep everything on the door and the mat and leave the floor clear. Our renter-friendly Christmas decor guide has more no-nail methods.
What can you hang on a front door besides a wreath?
A door basket with a few cedar or pine branches, a narrow swag, a short garland across the top of the frame, or one small sign. A narrow door often looks better without a big round wreath. Martha Stewart skips the wreath for trailing laurel branches down the length of the door, and House Digest frames the door with a garland. For a garland over the frame, our Christmas garland guide explains how much to buy.
What goes on the front door in January, and what changes in February?
In January, an undecorated cedar or eucalyptus wreath with a cream or oatmeal ribbon, a plain mat, one planter, one lantern and one strand of warm white lights. In February, change only the ribbon to soft pink, plum or a pale stripe and leave the rest. The table above shows both months side by side. Porch Decor Ideas keeps January calm with winter whites, creams and icy blues and suggests skipping bold red, which reads as holiday.
Does a Christmas wreath work as a winter wreath?
Yes, if it is plain. A pine wreath or Christmas wreath of cedar, fir or eucalyptus, with each leaf and every pine cone left alone and the red parts removed, is the best way to decorate for winter on a small door, because evergreen holds its color through the whole winter season. Treat any tree-shaped extras the same way: a small evergreen tree in the planter stays, a Santa on a stick goes. The winter decorations that last are the natural ones, and a winter front door built from them costs almost nothing.
What can you use from your own home?
Go through the house first.
- Ribbon left from gift wrapping works for the bow.
- A galvanized pail, a basket or a crate for pinecones or logs.
- A flat tray from the kitchen under wet boots.
- Pinecones from the yard or a walk.
- A lantern from the living room, with a flameless candle.
- Pots you are not using in winter.
What to buy
Buy the one or two things you are missing, not the whole list. Cost is $ (least) to $$$ (most).
- Wreath: 20 inch faux eucalyptus wreath (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $
- Hanger: adjustable over-the-door wreath hanger (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $
- Mat: 24 by 36 inch natural coir mat (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $$
- Boot tray: 23.75 by 15.5 inch all-weather tray (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $
- Planter: 13 inch tapered planters, set of 2 (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $$
- Fill: 19 inch Norfolk pine stems (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $$
- Light: 13 inch lanterns with timer candles, pair (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $$
- Lights: 33 foot battery string lights with timer (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $
What to Read Next
- Christmas front door decor covers hanging and sizing a wreath on the door you actually have.
- Winter wreath ideas that last past Christmas shows which greens last.
- Christmas balcony decor for a small apartment carries the same ideas to a balcony door.
- Front porch planter ideas that look full all season has more planter combinations.
- 9 wet-boot entryway ideas when you don’t have a mudroom helps with the inside of the door.
