Want to know how to organize and edit your holiday decor? It truly isn’t as hard as you think!
I feel that with most of us spending much more time at home, that this year we should all decorate our homes to the nines! As a home organizer, the top reason my clients tell me why they never get all of their holiday decorations out & up is that they don’t have enough time. Between holiday parties, community events, traveling or family visiting, and other distractions; decorating is something they don’t have time to do.
But if you organize and edit your holiday decor you won’t feel like it’s time-consuming – because it will all be ready when the holidays come!
Hunt & Gather
Find an empty space in your home or garage to pull out all the boxes, bins, bags, and then look in random drawers for holiday decorations that never got “put away” after last year’s holiday season. You know what I mean. You put away your holiday decorations, and then walk into the bathroom and see the holiday towels still out. What do you do?
Put them in the laundry, and then put them in a drawer out in the garage. You didn’t put them in the holiday decorations bin, because that would mean getting out the step ladder or jumping over a pile of sports equipment. So look in all those “spots” for those hidden items, that are not in the bins or boxes.
Sorting
Now that all of the holiday decorations are together it is time to inspect them. Can they be used again this year? Is anything torn, crinkled, looking too worn? If so, toss them now in the trash.
We are not sure if holiday gatherings would be permitted in our area, but if something belongs to another family member, put that decoration in a bag to be dropped off or mailed to them now, before that holiday starts. Do you change your holiday themes/ colors every year? Now would be a great time to gather up all the seashell ornaments and put them in the same container. Or if your child was really into blue and now not so much, you can put all the items that you already know you won’t ever be using again in bags or boxes to be dropped off at a donation center.
Decorating
Pick days on your calendar to decorate. Make is a family affair, turn on music, and really get into the spirit. Because 2020 hasn’t followed any rules, that means you don’t have to either.
Do you have a Christmas village that takes a long time to set up? Why not set it up now, put spider webs around it, instead of fake snow. Or want to get into the “fall” mood, go ahead and put up all your fall décor and change out your candles to fall scents. Get everyone involved in helping, your kids can pick out their favorites to do first, and you can take lots of pictures. This could be the year that you get around to carving a pumpkin too!
Editing your Decor
After everything is set up, displayed, and to your heart’s content. Look at what is leftover, do you see those cute hand towels that you got at the after holiday clearance section? Yes, it’s time to let go of them. Donate or gift them to a friend. You don’t need it.
You just finished decorating your home to the nines! You put decorations in almost every room in your home, plus the front porch, plus the backyard and you STILL have decorations… it means you need to let it go. Unless it is a family heirloom or something extremely sentimental that you would feel ill or guilty about, it is okay to get rid of it. I give you permission to trash, donate, or gift it to a friend, family, neighbor.
When you organize and edit your holiday decor not only will the holidays be less stressful, but you will be able to focus on your family and making the most wonderful memories!
