By now, some people are “all Christmased out” and ready to put the decorations away. But for others, Christmas clean-up day can be a little sad. Here are a few tips to make your un-decorating less painful.
Make it festive. Turn on the Holiday music one last time as you’re taking down the tree.
Store your decorations in totes or crates. They’ll keep out the dust if you’re storing them in the attic and keep your closets more space-efficient too.
Label those crates and totes. The few seconds it takes now will save you lots of time next year, and saving time makes you feel good. For example: “lights,” “garland & wreaths,” “ornaments,” etc. Or, label according to rooms: “living room decorations,” “kitchen decorations,” etc.
De-clutter as you pack. If it’s broken, toss it. If you’re tired of it, donate it. If you feel over decorated, thin out as you take stuff down and get rid of the excess. If the “extras” aren’t worth the aggravation, eliminate them now and give yourself permission to be less stressed next year. You’ll thank yourself later.
If you find you need to replace some strands of lights, or if you just want to change things up next year, Christmas clearance is the best time to buy. Saving money makes you feel good too.
A few other tips:
- When removing strands of Christmas lights, wind around an empty paper towel tube.
- Re-use wadded up wrapping paper from Christmas morning to cushion ornaments or other fragile items.
- Keep the hooks on your ornaments, but bend the ends with a needle-nosed pliers to keep them from coming off during storage.
- Pack extension cords or power strips with your lights so you don’t have to hunt for them next year.
Doing these simple things will give you more time to enjoy decorating next year. Now isn’t that a happy thought?
