Christmas is over, it’s a new year and you’ve got an obligation to good taste to get those decorations down! Of course putting them away is not nearly as fun as putting them up but if you use these tips you’ll find it’s easier and you’ll be in better shape when next year rolls around.
1) Get Containers for Everything. No more throwing everything into one or two tubs where fragile family heirlooms can get smashed and light strands become so entangled the end up looking like a double helix. Take advantage of the post Christmas sales and pick up a few of those big plastic tubs. Separate your tree decorations from other knickknacks you put up around the house. Give your lights their own home and wrap each strand around a folded paper bag (my family trick) or a good-sized piece of cardboard or you can even buy plastic light holders. This may seem like an extra step at the time, but it will literally save you hours next year. Keep spare bulbs with the lights and keep ornament hangers with the ornaments.
2) Protect the Fragile. If you’ve got valuable ornaments, treasured heirlooms or even just glass balls that easily break it’s important to store them properly. Imagine your heartbreak if that 100 year old ornament gets broken during “your watch”. You can no longer pass that tradition along because you were too lazy to put it in a protective box. Sure putting special ornaments into individual boxes takes up space and takes time but you’ll be happy you did and so will your children, and their children.
3) Label Your Boxes. Once you’ve got everything sorted into its box then label it. You can use masking tape or a fancy label maker or just write right on the box. There’s no reason not to write, in big, permanent marker CHRISTMAS LIGHT BOX. By doing this you’ll always know which box holds the lights, no faded tape and lost labels that have dried up and fallen to the floor.
4) Store in Order. Once you’ve placed your items in a box and labeled them then take the extra time to store them in order so next year you’re not pulling everything on to the floor to get to the tree skirt or the garland. Figure out which items you need first, obviously tree skirt and stand before ornaments. Maybe you decorate your house weeks before you get a tree. Whatever your family traditions and style, organize your boxes and file them away appropriately.
Decorating for the holidays is such a wonderful tradition. It allows you to bring an element of wonder and fairytales into your home, as well as religious and family traditions but taking down those decorations is as much a part of interior decorating as putting them up was. Taking down the decorations indoors (and out) is key to keeping your home looking clean and tasteful and current. Using these tips for undecorating will help you with that task and make next year even easier.
