9 Strategies to Help Clear the Christmas Clutter Once and for All
It's officially time to pack up the tree and leave Christmas behind. So enjoy one more mince pie and let's tackle the mess together
Laura Gaskill
5 January 2015
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
As the flurry of holiday activity officially winds down, there is always that alarming moment when you look around the house and think, “What on earth happened here?” Between the shipping boxes and crumpled gift wrap, ornaments, decorations and shiny new toys, it can feel like a major accomplishment just to clear enough stuff to see the living room floor. At times like this it is helpful to remember the bit of advice emblazoned on the cover of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Don’t panic. Take a moment to savour one more mince pie and gaze at the tree … and when you are ready, we can tackle the mess together with the tips below, one step at a time.
1. Keep only the decorations you use and love
Empty your storage bins completely before packing up decorations after Christmas. Was there anything left in there that was not used this year? Ask yourself why you didn’t want to put it up – there is a very good chance you don’t need it at all.
Empty your storage bins completely before packing up decorations after Christmas. Was there anything left in there that was not used this year? Ask yourself why you didn’t want to put it up – there is a very good chance you don’t need it at all.
2. Choose a toy to give away for each new item received
Children’s rooms can feel overstuffed after a holiday-present-acquiring spree. If your child is young, cull toys you know are no longer favourites on your own. With older children, it’s best to involve them in the process. Make it meaningful by choosing a children’s charity together that they would like to give some of their toys to.
Children’s rooms can feel overstuffed after a holiday-present-acquiring spree. If your child is young, cull toys you know are no longer favourites on your own. With older children, it’s best to involve them in the process. Make it meaningful by choosing a children’s charity together that they would like to give some of their toys to.
3. Neaten your gift wrapping zone
A good deal of clutter comes from not knowing what we have and buying another (tape, ribbon) rather than finding the one we do have and using it. Take the time now to straighten out your gift packaging area, and not only will you be well prepared for the next gift you need to wrap, but sorting things out will save room to boot. Keep like with like, sorting small items like tape rolls and embellishments in a shoebox, and standing rolls of wrap upright in a bin.
A good deal of clutter comes from not knowing what we have and buying another (tape, ribbon) rather than finding the one we do have and using it. Take the time now to straighten out your gift packaging area, and not only will you be well prepared for the next gift you need to wrap, but sorting things out will save room to boot. Keep like with like, sorting small items like tape rolls and embellishments in a shoebox, and standing rolls of wrap upright in a bin.
4. Choose versatile gift wrapping supplies
Occasion-specific gift wrap and tags create clutter. Instead of having to scramble to find a spot for the holiday paper after Christmas (and then probably forgetting it’s there next year and buying more), combine simple solid-colour wrapping paper and pretty ribbons any number of ways to package presents throughout the year. Stock up during post-Christmas sales to save a few bucks, but beware the allure of the bargain bin. Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean you need it.
Occasion-specific gift wrap and tags create clutter. Instead of having to scramble to find a spot for the holiday paper after Christmas (and then probably forgetting it’s there next year and buying more), combine simple solid-colour wrapping paper and pretty ribbons any number of ways to package presents throughout the year. Stock up during post-Christmas sales to save a few bucks, but beware the allure of the bargain bin. Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean you need it.
5. Gift extra-large boxes to a local pre-school
Instead of shoving all of those giant cardboard packaging boxes into the garage or recycling bin, why not bring some to a local teacher instead? Pre-schools are usually happy to accept big cardboard boxes along with other recycled packaging materials to reuse in creative classroom projects.
Instead of shoving all of those giant cardboard packaging boxes into the garage or recycling bin, why not bring some to a local teacher instead? Pre-schools are usually happy to accept big cardboard boxes along with other recycled packaging materials to reuse in creative classroom projects.
6. Use smaller cardboard boxes to offload clutter
Toys aren’t the only things that pile up after the holidays. Take a look at your own gift haul and select a similar item to get rid of for each new thing you received. For instance, in with a new sweater, out with an old hoodie. Use the boxes your gifts came in to hold the items you are taking to charity, and you will be rid of boxes and clutter in one fell swoop.
More: Should It Stay or Should it Go Now? A Guide to New Year’s Purging
Toys aren’t the only things that pile up after the holidays. Take a look at your own gift haul and select a similar item to get rid of for each new thing you received. For instance, in with a new sweater, out with an old hoodie. Use the boxes your gifts came in to hold the items you are taking to charity, and you will be rid of boxes and clutter in one fell swoop.
More: Should It Stay or Should it Go Now? A Guide to New Year’s Purging
7. Clean up Santa’s workshop
If you dragged out the toolbox to assemble any large and complex Christmas gifts, now would be a good time to assess and reorganise the tools you have. If you are lucky enough to have a full-size toolshed (and it’s kept up), bravo. For the rest of us, cramming random tools, loose nails and boxes of lightbulbs into a hall cupboard together may signal that it’s time for an upgrade.
More: 10 Backyard Sheds With Extra-Special Features
If you dragged out the toolbox to assemble any large and complex Christmas gifts, now would be a good time to assess and reorganise the tools you have. If you are lucky enough to have a full-size toolshed (and it’s kept up), bravo. For the rest of us, cramming random tools, loose nails and boxes of lightbulbs into a hall cupboard together may signal that it’s time for an upgrade.
More: 10 Backyard Sheds With Extra-Special Features
8. Find a smart tool solution
If you found while working on recent projects that you were lacking any basic tools, make a list of what you need. For what you do have, try organising things on a magnetic wall rack: It’s neat and functional, and it fits in anywhere.
If you found while working on recent projects that you were lacking any basic tools, make a list of what you need. For what you do have, try organising things on a magnetic wall rack: It’s neat and functional, and it fits in anywhere.
9. Ask for clutter-free gifts
It feels great to have an uncluttered home. So the next time family and friends ask what you would like, tell them an experience or consumable gift would be much appreciated. Edible treats, concert tickets, memberships to local museums, gift certificates to new restaurants and weekend getaways all make wonderful, memorable gifts – and they won’t take up a bit of space in your home.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU…
Share your own Christmas clutter-busting tips in the Comments.
MORE TIPS
10 Creative DIYs to Put Old Gift Wrap to Good Use
10 Achievable Decor Resolutions for the New Year
The Home Office Detox … That’ll Prep You for a Productive New Year
It feels great to have an uncluttered home. So the next time family and friends ask what you would like, tell them an experience or consumable gift would be much appreciated. Edible treats, concert tickets, memberships to local museums, gift certificates to new restaurants and weekend getaways all make wonderful, memorable gifts – and they won’t take up a bit of space in your home.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU…
Share your own Christmas clutter-busting tips in the Comments.
MORE TIPS
10 Creative DIYs to Put Old Gift Wrap to Good Use
10 Achievable Decor Resolutions for the New Year
The Home Office Detox … That’ll Prep You for a Productive New Year
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Katelyn, I bought several of these at a craft show years ago. A sturdy list was attached to each bag (decorated as a gift tag) and we wrote out the person to whom it was being given plus the date. I think there were 25 lines to use. It was really neat to see it being used back and forth over the years. I don't know where they are now, but I absolutely LOVED using them! The bags had pull cords to close off the tops and the ends of the cords were decorated with different types of beads, then fringed. So pretty!
I used to have about seven Rubbermaid Totes containers that I lugged up stairs or down from the attic each year to decorate for the holidays. Of course, this is when my three children were younger and living at home, too. I used to think how nice it would be to have only ONE tote to open and be ready for Christmas. Well, a car accident later and severe downsizing forced me to do just that - and I couldn't be happier! I asked myself what decorations really made the holidays for me - our Advent wreath, our Fontanini manger scene, and making my own live wreath for the front door were the things that I just loved. With a bad back, decorating a tree is out of the question - it's just too difficult. And now that I live in such a small place, there really is no room for one, anyway. I still haven't given away the artificial tree we've had for about 35 years (yes, and it still looks great!). Perhaps my son would like it, now that he's on his own and headed for a duty station far away. It would be neat to know he's still putting it up, using the same decorations I've used all these years - and have loved! Less is more!
Buy just one large roll of white giftwrap. A couple of different ribbons and you're set - no more cumbersome rolls of paper that are hard to store and just get ratty! Just think, for the sake of about one week a year the other 51 weeks they are clutter.
I couldn't find one box of my Christmas decorations up in the storage attic - found it when putting the others away. I just emptied it into a charity box - only kept 3 decorations and the others are now re-homed.