Tip Tuesday – Painless Holiday Put-Away

Here are some tips for taking down your holiday decorations in the next week or two.

First, take photos of your decorations in place so you can refer to them next year. Print out pictures of your mantel, tree, menorah, staircase, any area you decorate. This will make replicating these areas effortless next year.

Then, take a good look around. What did you not put up this year?  Perhaps that decor is looking worn, or doesn’t fit your style or colors anymore?  Toss or donate those decorations right NOW!  Don’t store them for another year just for them to go unused again.

When you store the holiday items you ARE keeping, categorize boxes based on themes. We have one reader who organizes by color, another who groups all of the “classic” and “kitsch” separately. Personally, I put everything from the mantel in one box boldly labeled “mantel.” This way, I just take the mantel box to the fireplace, refer to my photo and—Viola—decorate like a pro! Using the photo and “place” approach is the easiest for me.

I’ll end with a specific tip about ornaments: put your tree ornaments away BACKWARD. In my ornament box, my “fill in” red ones are packed at the bottom, my white snowflakes and angels are packed next, then a layer of globes, and finally the most precious ornaments are packed on top. Next year, I’ll see the “best” ornaments on top, and can put them on the tree first. This reverse method makes decorating the tree fun and stress-free!

If you have any questions about storing your decorations, comment below or contact simplifyyou@gmail.com. I will be happy to answer!