4 Smart Tips to Organize and Store Holiday Décor

Are you still staring at your Christmas tree? I’m surely guilty, so tis the season to pack up all of the holiday clutter that has taken over my home the past 6 weeks or so!

I’m making it a point to finally organize your holiday décor this year as I pack it away until next December. While it may seem like a tedious chore in January, come next holiday season, you'll be toasting your tidy self with a mug of eggnog.

So here is my plan:

Begin with a Purge.

Holiday items can be some of the most difficult to let go. After all, the season is sentimental by nature, and many of us hesitate to part with gifts.

That said, it's time to say goodbye to those dusty snow globes and evict that singing Santa you dread unpacking every year.

Instead, donate grandma's Rudolph cookie jar, and put those vintage ornaments on eBay. One man's tacky, after all, is another's treasure. 

Keeping only what you love and what is actually your style will slim down your stockpile a surprising amount. 

How to Store Ornaments

There are entire stores dedicated to containers, and they'd be more than happy to sell you a clunky box specially designed to store ornaments. However, don't rush to purchase a new, single-use item.

Instead, simply use a large, sturdy cardboard box that contained a Christmas gift. Generously wrap each ornament in either packing paper or padded bubble-wrap pouches and carefully place them in the box, saving your most delicate ornaments for last (this will ensure that you safely unpack these first). Fill any extra space in your box with extra packing paper to prevent the box from being crushed.

How to Store Lights

Say it with us: Thou shalt not create a tangled nest of lights.

The key to organized Christmas lights starts as soon as you begin to remove them from the tree.

"When removing the lights from your tree, hold one end in your hand while wrapping the light strand around your elbow, creating a large loop of lights," says Gross. "Tie a piece of rope around the loop to maintain its form."

Place each secured loop in a large Ziploc bag, then store them together in a waterproof, labeled storage bin.

Use the same method for garland.

How to Store Gift Wrap Supplies

For some of us, gift wrapping is an art, worthy of its very own year-round crafting station. We salute you.

But if you're more of a "it's what's on the inside that counts" gifter, resist the urge to accumulate a large stockpile of cheap holiday wrap.

Consider investing in a beautiful, high-quality paper that you can use year-round, then decorating with occasion-specific ribbons.

For a small collection of bows and gift wrap, consider an under-the-bed storage container-these are long enough to hold rolls, and deep enough to protect your fluffiest bows.

Once everything is put away, I give the house a good cleaning. I dust the furniture and mop the floors, especially around where our tree was located. This is just the final touch to creating a clutter-free home. Until next year Christmas clutter, & don’t worry, I’ll be just as excited as I always am to put you up again.