My sister gets me! Let's face it, I'm the one who many times is drawn to certain seasonal objects without much thought of where to store these items once purchased. Case in point, one year I spotted a pre-lit artificial fir Christmas tree on clearance and thought it would be perfect in my space. This of course would be in addition to the primary Christmas tree on the main floor. But where to store another tree and all the decorations that would inevitably be purchased to adorn it? My sister, who I call my enabler because she has never discouraged my creative side with such logical questions as to where to store yet another crafting project, brought her expertise in retail organization to keeping my holiday decorations well organized.
The first key element is to have a dedicated place or space. For instance, a garage, a storage closet, a storage unit, etc. When first setting up my organization system, what was the main question my sister posed to me? Was I willing to give up my dream of having a real garage that I could drive my car into? Was I willing to do this to maximize my living space? And so the idea became to set up my garage much like a mini-warehouse, so to speak. (that's another article!) So once you've decided on your space, measure it and maximize it. Bear in mind that the first year will require the most time as you try to initially set up your system.
The second key element with a post-holiday organization is to have an accurate inventory of exactly what you will need to store. Holiday decor, in addition to the Christmas tree, may include wreaths, garlands, ornaments, wrapping paper, etc. This will guide you to purchase the proper storage containers needed or even repurpose containers you may already have. In this aspect, plastic bins have served me well. To initially set up my holiday organization system, my sister was committed to creating the necessary compartments to house various sized ornaments. She cut old cardboard boxes to create a grid pattern inside the bins. Then, each bin was labeled by room. As the creators of The Home Edit advocate, label, label, label!
As for those who choose faux Christmas trees, you can choose to store them in their original box or large bin such as I do, or in a tree bag, such as can be found at such places as @balsamhill, @frontgate, @homedepot, @amazon. There is a myriad of appropriate containers to be found.
The third key element with post-holiday organization, or with any organizational task for that matter, is to be committed to purging when necessary. @thehomeedit states, "you get the item or you get the space, but you can't get both." So keeping this in mind, my plan next Christmas is to change the current garlands that dress my banisters. This means repurposing or donating the current ones. So here's to a less stressful and more efficient post-holiday breakdown!
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