Thinking about organizing after Christmas does not enter your mind when decorating for Christmas. The holiday season is a wonderful time of year, but it can also leave your home feeling like a chaotic mess! After all the decorations have been taken down, the presents unwrapped, and the holiday festivities come to an end, it’s time to get back to normal. To help you get your home back in order after Christmas, here are 9 simple organizing tips that will help you create an organized space in no time.
Save This Year’s Work
Taking pictures can be handy when you decorate the house next year. If you’ve found the perfect spot, take a picture so there’s less to decide next year.
To help your home look neat and organized after the holiday season, here are some quick organizing tips:
- Start by decluttering as much as you can. Give everyone a bag or basket to collect their old stuff they want to get rid of…more about that later.
- Use baskets and bins to store all those small items that tend to end up scattered around your home. Give the little ones their own basket so they can pick up the pieces that go with their new toys.
- Make sure that everyone has picked up and put away their new stuff so it does not get caught up with the old stuff you will be getting rid of…shortly.
Break it down into categories.
Separate the breakables. This saves time and space because these need to be wrapped and placed in divided boxes. If you decorate with stuffed animals, they can be thrown into a box alone since they don’t need to be wrapped.
Experts advise to “Fill a box with only lights, or only books,” however, next year I will make different bins for different areas of the house; a box for mantle decorations, one for tree decorations, one for the front door…etc. You can still categorize boxes or bins into tree ornaments, miscellaneous ornaments, wreaths, stockings, tinsel and other garlands until you find that perfect spot for something.
Make a note. Put notes in your boxes detailing what is in the box, if things are broken, or if you need to buy more of something. If you need to buy more, jot that down in your calendar in October or November OR better yet, go out and catch the after-Christmas sales this year and pack it in the box now.
Give Away Some christmas cheer
Everything that is broken, old, worn out or simply disgusting should be tossed without any hesitation. If it needs replacing, catch the after-Christmas sales this year or again, note it in your calendar in October or November.
Wrap your fairy lights around a coat hanger or wrapping paper tube so they’re easier to unravel next year. You can pack them in the light box or in the mantle box or front door box; whichever way you are going to organize.
Clean up the messes
Messy situations might’ve been signs of fun at the time, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying. Check for stains immediately because the longer they go undetected, the harder they’ll be to remove.
Open and scrub the windows and doors clean to let fresh air inside and the strange ham smell out. Even better, simmer a pot of water with cinnamon sticks and halved lemons for a quick, sweet fragrance.
decorations are not the only thing to organize
If you and your family will not be able to consume all of the extra food, you might as well store it and eat it later on. Many desserts can freeze beautifully and can be reheated and eaten when your craving that cherry pie mid-January.
make next year easier
Sort and store away Christmas things, always in the same location, so they are always easy to find and just before and after Christmas will be less stressful. The last thing you’ll want to do is figure out where you put all of your decorations next year. Make sure you have a designated space to store your things – either in the basement, garage or somewhere else.
Buy some storage containers with lids. Putting away decorations is much easier when you have containers with lids. Not only does this keep your decorations from getting damaged in storage, but when you want to decorate for Christmas next year, you will find the whole process straightforward. If you store all your decorations in transparent bins, it’ll be a breeze! If not, simply attach a label on the outside of the container.
don’t shy away from the big project
When you’re trying to clean and organize your living room after Christmas, the tree occupies a large amount of space. When storing an artificial tree, wipe the branches gently with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. Let the branches dry completely before storing. Some people get a tree bag and wrap the tree and store it…if they have a place for it.
Search online for a composting site in your area if you’ve decorated with a real tree. It’s a useful and sustainable alternative. Some people will take their tree outside and tie pinecones covered in peanut butter and seeds for the birds. I would be afraid of attracting mice, if your not afraid, it is nice for the birds.
An important point to remember is that the more care you put into cleaning and storing your decorations, the easier next year will be.
don’t become a hoarder after christmas
Your older children will know what toys can be donated. Bag up toys that your children don’t use and place them in a donation pile. In terms of younger babies, you’ll have a better idea of what they can play with and wear.
As for clothing, if your child has outgrown it or doesn’t wear it anymore, throw it in the donation pile as well. That way, you’ll have more room for new things later.
is that pink bunny suit the suit of dreams or nightmares?
Once everyone’s finished opening their gifts, it’s a good idea to separate them into two piles, one for gifts that can be exchanged, and one for gifts to be returned to the store. Don’t forget to find all the receipts!
After that, allow your entire family to independently assemble their own piles of gifts, if it hasn’t already been done. You may have to help your toddler, just take the time to explain and point them to where the toys are meant to be placed.