Contributor post by Sharon of HowtoGetOrganizedAtHome.com

Feeling overwhelmed about stashing away your holiday adornments? Unsure where to begin clearing out your decor or deciding what to do with them?

I understand it’s challenging, but occasionally, it’s crucial to sort and decide as you pack, rather than waiting until the next festive season.

Making these choices is tougher as the holidays draw near, but with the season concluding, now is the ideal time to streamline those decorations.

Initiating Decoration Cleanup

Choose a spot to start, gather all the storage boxes for your decorations, and identify what was left unused this year.

This can reveal items easily disposable—if you didn’t use them this year, perhaps it’s time for them to be among the first to go.

Sorting Sentimental Items

Sentimental pieces, often crafted by children or grandchildren, can be hard to part with. If they’re broken or no longer useful, take a photo to preserve the memory and then let them go.

Consider compiling a memory photo album stored with your decorations to remember those cherished items along with notes about who made them and when.

Systemizing Your Holiday Items

Organize your Christmas decorations into piles based on category, which will streamline the review process.

  • Donation pile
  • Discard pile
  • Keep pile

Evaluate for Recycling

As you assess your trash pile, see if any ornaments contain batteries or recyclable parts and ensure they are recycled.

It’s essential to minimize landfill contributions by recycling whenever possible, while still making a conscious decision not to retain unnecessary items.

Donating Christmas Ornaments

Before delivering your donations, verify that the intended recipients, such as charity shops, are currently accepting holiday decor.

With the New Year, some stores shift focus away from holiday stock, so it’s wise to confirm ahead of time.

While you could try selling some items, note that January buyers are not willing to spend much, so brace for low prices. Another strategy is storing donation items until October, when demand for decorations resurfaces.

Remember not to overlook these items until year-end; ensuring timely donation or sale is crucial.

Marie Kondo Your Holiday Decor

Consider each festive piece and assess if it sparks joy—a methodology inspired by Marie Kondo, which works well for holiday items. Review each piece and decide based on your feelings about the decoration.

Each item should be assessed to determine if it deserves a spot in your home next season. If the answer is no, decide if it can be donated or if it belongs in the trash.

Once all items, including tree ornaments, have been reviewed, it’s time to pack away the ones you choose to keep.

 

Pre-storage Cleaning

Cleaning items before storage ensures dust and dirt are not packed away, making next year’s unpacking easier.

This includes removing batteries to prevent leakage damage. Group the batteries with their corresponding items for easy access next season, and properly dispose of any dead batteries.

Storing Seasonal Decor

Store items in a manner that safeguards them and facilitates easy storage. How you store your decorations will depend on your available space and its location.

Pack breakable items securely; if they came in a box, return them to it. Smaller items can be grouped in a labeled plastic container.

Wrap lights around cardboard for hassle-free setup next year.

Placing items in plastic boxes protects them from dust and pests and prevents attic mishaps.

For example, a leaking snow globe once damaged several decorations, but thanks to plastic storage, the impact was contained.

The Importance of Labels

Labelling is indispensable; the more thoroughly you label containers and storage areas, the higher the chances of returning things to their correct location.

Ensure to label containers when storing away decorations to make identifying contents easier.

Thus, not only mark what’s inside the container but also tag the designated storage space, fostering better organization and making it simpler to locate your holiday adornments.

To Summarize…

  • Getting rid of unnecessary decorations is beneficial, begin with the ones you didn’t display. There was likely a reason they remained unused this year. 
  • Examine each decoration and retain only those that you cherish and plan to showcase.
  • Inspect decorations destined for disposal for recyclable elements like batteries.
  • If there are memorabilia from kids or grandkids that have aged, take pictures and compile them in a photo album stored with your decorations to revisit during each holiday season.
  • Store items for easy access, ensuring containers are labelled and have specific storage spots.
  • Make it a habit to review your holiday decorations annually.

About the Author

Sharon Rowe, the proprietor of How To Get Organized, is a mother to three adult children who have all moved out. Sharon resides with her spouse of 28 years and their 6-year-old black Labrador. She is passionate about assisting her readers in organizing and maintaining their homes and lives.
Discover more from her at: How To Get Organized At Home    Instagram    Pinterest