Now that all the holiday celebrations have come to an end we must pack up the decor and tree. This is the not so fun part. But once we have a system in place to remove and organize Christmas decorations the task can become less dreaded.
Keep reading for my tips on how to take down, store and organize Christmas decorations.
1) Clear Your Space
Clear your space of wrapping paper, boxes and all the new gifts.
The few days following Christmas day are pretty relaxed for us and we leave all the kids new toys in the living room or kitchen table to be played with.
Start by breaking down the big boxes. The trash can fill up quickly after Christmas presents have been opened and empty boxes discarded. You will want to maximise your trash can space.
Put away all the new toys and gifts. Or at least get them to the room they will be stored in.
2) Schedule Take Down
Schedule a day and time to take down decor.
For myself, I like to pick a day to take down all the Christmas decorations. This happens anytime after Christmas or the day after New Years.
This year I took all our decor down the weekend after Christmas. My kids were a little sad because I normally wait until after New Years to remove the decorations. But I was ready for a clean and clear space.
If you have to return to work the day after Christmas possibly the weekend after Christmas or New Years Day would be a good take down day.
3) Ask For Help
Let family members know the date and time you will be removing decorations and if you want to- ask for help.
I prefer to only have my husband help take down the Christmas decorations. I can be pretty specific on how they get put away into the bins š
4) Bring In Your Christmas Bins
Take a look inside your bins first and assess what you didnāt use this year. Think about those items that didnāt make the cut this year.
If you didnāt use it this year maybe it needs to be removed from the bin. Try to only keep what decor you used this year.
5) Make Piles
Make a donate pile, sell pile and trash pile. Donate, sell or trash items you didn’t decorate with this past year.
If something was broken and not repairable then be ok with tossing it. If the item holds great sentimental value, take a picture so you have a memory of the item. Then throw it.
6) Bring All Decor Into A Central Location.
Gather all your Christmas decor in one location. This allows you to see just how many items you have! For me thatās my living room.
From here begin to group like items together. Reassess your decor items and decide if you want to donate or throw any broken items.
You really want to take this time to remove items you donāt love decorating with or broken items that canāt be fixed. I feel like a piece from my nativity set gets broken each Christmas š
7) Place Decor In Bins
Now that you have sorted and removed decor items, itās time to place all your Christmas decorations into your bins.
You can choose to organize your bins by type or location.
For myself, I like to store items by location. I have a bin for both Christmas trees, my entryway and living room.
Pick which sorting system will work best for you.
RELATED: The Secret To Keeping Your Home Tidy and Organized
8) Label The Outside Of The Bin.
Most of my Christmas bins are red. This helps me distinguish between my other bins stored in the garage. I still like to label the outside of the bin because a few are not red.
Last year I took an extra step and made a list of the bins contents on a slip of paper. I then placed this list into a clear adhesive sleeve and stuck it on the outside of my bin. (See video aboveā¬)
As a blogger I may be taking Christmas photos in October so this helps me know exactly which bin contains the decorations I need for my photos!
Grab these printable labels for your Christmas decor bins in the Freebie Library!
9) Post Christmas Shopping List
As you are putting away decor items begin to make a post Christmas shopping list. Maybe you have some bulbs that need replacing or a broken item that you’d like to replace.
Take advantage of the after Christmas decor sales and replace or mend broken items now. If you put it way broken or damaged you probably won’t use it next year when you take it out of your bin.
This year I made sure to get a stocking for our youngest daughter. I paid half price! Well worth the wait to get it after Christmas.
10) Put Your Christmas Tree In A Bag.
One of the best things we did was to buy a tree bag. Stuffing our tree back into the original box was such a struggle!
Using a tree bag is so much easier!
11) Get Those Bins Put Away.
Pull out the ladder and get the bins to the attic or back into the garage. You are going to thank yourself the following year having neat and organized Christmas decor!
12) Do A Quick Dust And Vacuum
Lastly, once your bins and tree are put away give your rooms a quick dust and vacuum. Enjoy the open and cleared spaces!
Putting in a little extra effort to store and organize Christmas decorations will really pay off next year when you can find just what you need and be able to decorate easily.
