Hello, hello — and happy New Year’s Eve, my friends! What big plans do you have tonight? We’ll be ordering take-out, followed by a smorgasbord of chocolate fondue…it’s amazing how many things you can dip in melted chocolate. But before the ball drops, I hope to have the last of our Christmas decorations packed-away.
I was talking to my mom while removing ornaments from the tree, and she said, “Well I hope you’re taking pictures of how you organize it, I’d love to see it on the blog!” So for you mom, and anyone else interested in how I organize my holiday decor….
For years, I stored everything in random cardboard boxes, that moved with us from house to house, so you know what kind of shape those were in! I finally sucked it up, and started buying a few plastic storage tubs every year….life changing, I tell you! This year I splurged the extra few dollars, and bought the tubs that come with dividers….perfect for loose ornaments, candle toppers, ribbon and other small decor.
I put the discarded toy boxes to good use, and wrapped garlands and beads around pieces of cardboard.
The cardboard dividers are easily customized to fit all your different sized items.
God’s gift to organizing…the Ziploc bag…is perfect for grouping collections of similar decor.
They tuck easily in little nooks of the tubs.
I accidentally hit up Target’s after-Christmas sale….looks like next year will be jewel tones again!
Whenever possible, I place everything back in it’s original package, for the most compact storage.
I use the stockings as padding to protect the nativity scenes, and more fragile items like my DIY Sequin Trees.
All the greenery is stored together, and the snap lid keeps it from getting dust and critters. That makes it much nicer to unpack the next year!
And finally, I found these spools for $2 at Target….keeping the lights wrapped neatly should prevent the tangled mess next year! I’d show you more, but Mr. Sugarplum is in charge of taking down the lights and disassembling the tree…so it’s liable to still be up for Valentine’s Day.
All that remains is labeling these gorgeous plastic tubs! The other plus side is how much easier it is to haul these up the attic pull-down stairs (or so Mr. Sugarplum tells me, you think I’m climbing that death-trap?!)….not to mention, they take up less room than a collection of mis-matched boxes.
 |
| Um, this isn’t quite all of it. |
Our tree, if it ever comes down, (and remember it’s propped up on paint cans!), is kept in an over-sized plastic tub also. So what storage tips do you have? Have you taken down all your holiday decor? Are you dragging it out like my husband?! He thinks I’m cuckoo, but I prefer to start the New Year clean. Have a wonderful and safe night, lovebugs!
That looks great! I have also found that the cardboard rolls from wrapping paper works well for keeping beads and garland tidy!
I have 11 Christmas trees (well, now 12 since I just got one at Garden Ridge for the kitchen next year), so I've become a pro at organizing.
I used to group like items in the same tubs (ornaments, stockings, garlands, lights, etc. each had their own), but I found that wasn't very efficient and I was still looking for things.
So I started packing the tubs by tree, instead of by item. For example, one tub will hold everything related to that tree (ornaments, skirt, lights, etc.). It's made it so much easier!
Also, I don't like keeping the original packaging for ornaments like you do. I have found that those boxes are so bulky and take up too much valuable storage space. Instead, I have a ton of those small 6-qt. tubs. I wrap the ornaments in tissue paper and put them in the small tubs, which are labeled by tree. So a big tub for the red cardinal tree might have 4 6-qt. tubs inside of it with ornaments. That way, space is not used up by cardboard boxes, and the small tubs fit nicely inside the big ones. And all of the ornaments are packed well with the tissue. I've never had problems with anything breaking.
(I also hit up all of the stores for their clearance items, and I was surprised that everything was so picked over, and the discounts weren't that deep yet! I did find a few things that I had to have..ha!)
I am all about those tubs! Each assigned a specific room/item/task. Makes life so much easier when decorating and putting away each year. All has been put up but our family room tree. I usually take it down while hubby is engrossed in football. I love a clean slate for the New Year.
I only wish I was as organized!!! When it comes to taking all the xmas stuff down..my family scatters! And by then I just want it down and to move on. It usually goes in all of my random rubbermaid totes. Of course there are casualties the following year when I go to open…..gads…ugh….sigh! So glad to see so many of you organized folks….someday I will get there! Happy New Year everyone!
If you could only see the mess that is my Christmas bin, you'd be horrified- inspired by your fabulous organization! Happy New Year lovely!!! xo
You organize your Christmas things the way I have been doing it for a while. It is so much easier that way. Everything in plastic bins here too except for the tree. I use the original boxes. My holiday things were put away on Friday. I have been spending time cleaning now.
Wow. I only wish I could have a tenth of the organization of my decorations that you do! Amazing!
Happy New Year! 🙂
I invested in plastic tubs as well! Lifesaver!!! Plz pop over and enter to win a ticket to design camp in Atlanta!!! Would love to have u!!!!
Plastic tubs are a lifesaver!
I decided to get organized while putting away stuff this year. I wanted to be able to drag out only the tubs I needed, as opposed to dragging out ALL of them and picking out just the items I wanted.
I designated a tub for each color scheme and put all the red/green ornaments in one, all the candy/gingerbread theme ornaments in another, the snowflake/white ornaments in one, blue, silver & teal in another, etc.
The greenery all went into a big tub, the tabletop decor in another. All the outside decorations are sorted into their own bins.
Next year it should be much easier to pull out just what I want to use.
Having things in large plastic bins really does make a difference. I also really like having the Christmas colors to make them stand apart from the rest. Makes them so much easier to spot!
Damnit it. Why are you just now posting this shit after all my rats nest decorations are packed up in the attic? Tell me why??
so I still store my tree in the original box. I know, they expand like clothes on vacation, but I figured out a great way to make it fit. I had a leftover roll of the super-big saran-wrap stuff you get in the moving supplies to wrap sofas and such. Now, I wrap each piece of the tree each year, and it slides back into the box with ease!
I too like to start the NY with all XMAS put away! I did it the day after this year and took my five bins back to their storage spot. Feels great to get my house back to the basics! Great tips you shared, gave me some new ideas for next year! 🙂
I did mine too the weekend after New Year, and just posted about it today. I love how you divided your storage with those cardboard Cassie! And I can't believe you were able to keep the original acrylic boxes of some of your ornaments. I have a tendency to open and throw. 🙂
Check it out when you have the time. I am proud of getting better organized with the xmas decors this year too. Thank you!
http://buhayatbahay.blogspot.com/2013/01/christmas-decor-organizing.html