Once the gifts have been unwrapped, dinner has been devoured, and all the guests have gone on their way, post-holiday reality begins to set in. How long you want to leave your holiday decorations up is your call. However, if your new year’s resolution is to be more organized, you have your work cut out for you. From putting away the lights to finding a place for your new gifts, these holiday storage and organization tips will help you start the year on the right track.

Holiday decoration storage

Putting away your decorations isn’t nearly as fun as getting them out, but unless you plan on leaving them up for the entire year, it’s something you’re going to have to face sooner or later. When you’re ready to start taking down all the lights and ornaments, keep a few things in mind:

• Organize your ornaments: Ornaments are easy to lose track of – or worse, to break. Use old egg cartons to store smaller ornaments, and cardboard boxes with compartments for larger ones. If you still have the original boxes your ornaments came in, so much the better!
• Out with the old: It’s the same story every year: some of your seasonal decorations make the cut, and some don’t. This year, take a hard look at the ones that always spend the holidays in their boxes. Then, throw out or donate as many as you’re willing to part with.
• Store your lights smarter: If one of your least-treasured holiday traditions is unsnarling a tangled-up mess of lights, take the time to store your lights a little better this year. Wrap them around a rectangular piece of cardboard to keep them organized. Then, cut a notch in each end of the cardboard so the lights don’t slip off—or use an empty tube left over from a roll of wrapping paper.

Preparing for next year

One of the biggest benefits of organizing your holiday decorations is that this will make it easier to decorate when next season rolls around. Be sure to organize with an eye to the future.

• Overhaul your storage containers: If you’ve been storing decorations in old cardboard boxes, now is the time to upgrade. Clear plastic bins in various sizes are ideal since they can stack. They also protect fragile items from breakage and you can easily see what’s inside.
• Make an “unpack first” box: What are the first things you need when you start decorating for the holidays? Why not identify and pack them together in a single container? Stack this container on top or in front of all the others so it’s the easiest one to reach.
• Organize and label: Try to put similar items in the same boxes and then label each box. That way, next year, you’ll be able to choose your decor from clearly marked boxes!

Tackling holiday storage is no easy task, but it’s the first step to a more organized new year. Chances are, it will also make holiday decorating a little easier next year. Check out our blog to learn more about getting the most out of your new home in Austin, Texas!