As the food coma from the turkey and all the fixings has settled and we’ve worked our way through most of the leftovers, many of us shift our focus to the multitude of tasks for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Decorating a tree and other areas inside and outside our homes can be as time consuming as we let it be – and all that decorating often results in lots of boxes and bins full of decorations.
For more than 25 years, I’ve followed the same ritual during the weekend after Thanksgiving. I turn on Christmas music and pull out the Christmas decorations.
The first thing I do is assemble the tree, bend and spread the branches to look natural, and then string the lights. With each passing year, I cross my fingers, hoping more needles stay on the tree than fall to the floor as the tree goes through its transformation.
I then have my children come to the living room, and I pull out the "special ornaments" box. One by one each of them puts their ornaments on the tree. Once everyone has hung the ornaments they had made or that were given to them, there is a mad dash to finish hanging up the rest of the ornaments. Then once the tree is done, the rest of the decorations come out.
A few years ago, I had the Christmas decorating nightmare we all dread. I was late getting out the decorations and Christmas was less than a week away. I went to put lights on the tree, and the trusted strands I had used every year no longer worked!
I remembered I had made a mental note the year before that I might need new lights but quickly had forgotten as I put everything away. I tried to space the remaining strands further out, but it looked odd. The “extra” strands I pulled out of my bins were bright white and did not match the warm lights of the top 2/3 of the tree. My husband kindly went out shopping for new lights. With Christmas so near, it took trips to multiple stores for him to find the "right lights" while I removed the older strands. Disaster averted.
Christmas decorations are bulky and can change year by year as our circumstances change. Whether you are someone who decorates the whole house with multiple trees or are happy if you get the tree up the week before Christmas, we all must deal with organizing and storing the decorations for 10-11 months of the year. Then, in a matter of days, we need to get everything out and get the house ready for company. A month later we then take everything down and store it away. Add all the other activities like preparing for parties, gift giving, and cooking, and each year it can be overwhelming if you don’t have a plan in place.
Below are some tips I have used to get my decorations organized enough that within a few hours, I can have everything either put out or put away. I have adapted over the years as my family moved to different homes, grew to include seven children, went from stay-at-home mom to working full-time, and even dealt with health issues. And now that my children are adults and can even help with the task as I watch is even better!
Before the Holidays – Let the Decorating Begin!
Do NOT buy storage containers at this stage. Unlike most organizers, I recommend going through two holiday seasons before spending the money on containers or making up pretty labels unless you are fairly organized already. Use what you have until after the holidays when storage items go on sale. Focus on getting the decorations out, not on new containers.
Before you pull out your decorations, list what areas you are going to decorate. If you are overwhelmed, just choose a few "high impact" areas. For example, your tree, fireplace mantel, and the front door. For those who love decorating, you might have multiple rooms and areas. Use your list to stay focused and not start decorating projects you won’t finish.
Use your list of areas you want to decorate and pull out only what you are going to use for that area. You don’t want to create a huge mess before the holidays.
While you have your decorations out, throw away any broken items or take a picture to remember what you need to fix. Many charities will only take Christmas decorations before the holidays, so this is a good time to donate any items you haven’t used that are still in good shape.
When you finish decorating, take photos. If you are shopping for more decorations, use the photos to focus on what you need. If you like a decorated area, you can use the photos next year to recreate the look. It will save you time and energy, and you can focus on other activities.
Bonus Tip 1: Take a photo of your gift-wrapping supplies so you know what you have on hand already.
Bonus Tip 2: When buying gifts that require batteries or additional accessories, take a photo or screenshot of accessory requirements on the gift’s box so that when you are out you can purchase any needed items.
Enjoy the Holidays
You did your best, so enjoy parties, cooking, movies, family, and friends! Remember the holidays are about the experience you have with others, so be happy with what decorations you put out this year!
After the Holidays – Let the Organizing Begin!
Before taking down your decorations, pull out all the decorations you DID NOT use. Set up a place where you can bring everything together to see what you have. Now is the time to purge and be more ruthless. If you didn’t use them this year or the previous year, it is unlikely you will use them in the future. These are the items that didn’t make the cut and probably won’t in the future, so get rid of them. Any broken items, fix or toss. There is no reason to hold onto broken items.
Make a list of items to buy during the after-Christmas sales. If you notice you need more lights or want something different for a specific area, write it down. I take a photo of what I need or the area I want to change the following year instead of composing a list. Then at the store, I can look at the photos to stay focused and not buy something on sale that won’t work the following year. You want to buy these items and put them with the decorations they will go with next year.
Take down one area at a time, so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Use any containers or boxes you have on hand and start grouping your decorations the way you decorate. For example, I decorate by area, so I put all the "Christmas tree" items together, items for the fireplace mantel and stockings, and then all my living room decorations together. Another person might group items by color or theme. Purge items that have seen better days or you plan to replace. Note: At this point you should have all your decorations in one area sorted by how you want to store them.
Label and bundle lights and greenery as you take it down, so the following season you can easily grab what you need. I prefer Velcro labels and straps because, unlike tape, you can easily remove it and use it again. Here are a couple products I use to keep extension cords and lights neatly wrapped: Cord Labels by Wrap-It to label lights and greenery and Cinch-Straps by Wrap-It.
Wait two Christmas seasons before investing in containers because you want to make sure your storage solutions work before spending money. Remember these items are going into storage that most people won’t see, so if you have something that works keep using it. I have used the same wrapping paper bin for 20 years because it fits perfectly on the shelf with my decorations and in my closet during December. It might not be Pinterest-worthy, but it works.
However, if you are going to buy new containers, now is the time! Measure your storage space, write down the measurements, and find containers that fit in that area. Boxes with straight sides make it easier to put smaller boxes inside. Originally, I wanted to match my other bins, but going with red bins make them much easier to find. This consideration is especially important if you store decorations in a garage or attic. Remember to make sure the lid stays on when being moved and that they can stack if you don’t have shelving units in your storage area.
For bulky items, look on Pinterest to get storage ideas for things like wreaths, larger trees, and other items that won’t fit in a box or bin. These items will also need to fit in your storage area, so take a minute to decide what will work in your space. The solution might be as simple as placing a garbage bag over an item to keep the dust from getting on it or buying a specialty storage item for things like wreaths.
Label it! Use temporary labels the first year so you can test your organizing solutions out in the following season and make sure they work for you. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing you spent time on labels only to have to redo them the following year after you are more organized. Use notecards and packing tape if you aren’t ready for permanent labels. I like the Post-its that have a full adhesive back because you can move around the boxes and they won’t fall off. Keep the label general enough that you can use the same categories year after year. "Ornaments" or "Greenery" is usually good enough unless you have a large collection. If you are ready to commit to labels, you can print out labels on sticker paper, order labels online, or use a label maker. Each label should include what is in the container, so anyone can locate items without having to open the container. Make sure the labels can be seen when stored. The more uniform the labels, the easier locate what you are searching for.
Helpful Hint: Label every item even if it is not a bin. Count how many boxes, bins or other storage options you have in total and add an incremental numbering scheme to your label, so each label will designate "# of total #" -- such as "4 of 10." Then take a picture, so next year you know exactly how many items you are searching for and what they look like.
Final Thoughts on Organizing Holiday Decorations
The purpose of organizing your holiday decorations is to make your life easier, not to add stress to an already busy time of year. If a certain method doesn’t work for you, try something else. The goal is not to have everything look so pretty – that isn’t practical. Your goal is to make small changes, so each year you enjoy the people and events around you even more.
I hope some of my ideas have helped you and wish you success in your journey. I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Gigi Maddox is a certified organizational specialist and professional photo organizer. Three years ago she left the corporate world and started her own business, Organized by Gigi. She has gone through many stages in her life, from being a stay-at-home mom homeschooling four children to a divorced full-time working mom of teenagers, and finally remarrying and becoming a mom of seven with a daughter-in-law added to the mix. She has experienced it all and knows that each stage requires simple ways to organize your home and routines with an emphasis on photos and memorabilia. Follow Organized by Gigi on Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks for reading this post! We encourage you to comment – and if you do – would you consider signing off on your comment with your first name and last initial? We love to know who’s commenting, but we don’t want to require a sign-in to add your thoughts.
If you want to receive an email reminder about each new post, just visit this page to sign up (it’s easy, you can unsubscribe anytime, and we send only one email a week).
~ Heather M. and Jodi B.
Great suggestions, GIgi! I especially appreciate the encouragement to get rid of decorations you just haven’t used in a long time. They can light up another’s holiday life!—Laurie B