Christmas Storage

Christmas is so much fun, but can also bring a lot of “stuff” into your home. These simple Christmas storage tips will help you organize after Christmas – without the stress!

From decluttering, to storing holiday decor items, and rotating through old and new toy storage, we’ve got it covered.

These eight steps from chaos to calm will start your new year off on the right foot!

A christmas tree in a blue and white living room

Christmas Organization
Eight Steps to De-Clutter After Christmas
Tips
Christmas Storage Sources
Christmas Tree Storage
Christmas Ornament Storage
Wrapping Paper Storage
Christmas Light Storage
Christmas Wreath Storage
More Organization Inspiration

All of the gifts that we spend hours meticulously wrapping need to find a home – as well as the wrapping paper itself!

Christmas Organization

Organizing the after-Christmas chaos can feel a little overwhelming. I like to take the day after Christmas to organize our home for a much needed reset.

An otherwise organized home is often quickly covered in toys, clothes, boxes, plastic bags, dishes and laundry after Christmas.

Not to mention, how do we store the Christmas decor itself? We’ve got it all covered in this complete guide!

Eight Steps to De-Clutter After Christmas

Take it one step at a time with these simple tips to help you get it all together after the holidays!

A wood bunk bedroom with a garland on the top bunk

Remove Items from Their Packaging

This is your first step – remove items from the packaging they came in to help you evaluate shape and size.

Boxes consume more than double the space. Open items, maintaining any assembly instructions and recycle packaging.

Create a Recycling “Center”

For quick cleanup, I use a big box that a toy came in in the living room for all recyclable packaging to go in. I used another large box for the upstairs, which kept me from running to the recycle bin frequently.

Sort Existing Toys (and Donate While You Have a Chance)

The easiest time to openly donate clothes and toys is when something new enters the home.

Seize the opportunity (quickly) and talk to them about making room for their new toys and work through their toy room or bedrooms together to see what they are ready to let go of.

Three little girls in blue pajamas with a Christmas tree in the background.

Rotate Toys

Move existing toys that you want to keep to a storage closet or basement when they’ll go unnoticed. Kiddos can be so enamored with their new, that for a short time, they won’t notice the old.

Again, take advantage of this opportunity while you can and rotate toys. In a month, you can rotate them again, bringing new life to the older toys you have chosen to keep. Use another large box or large bins (I use these bins) and pack old toys that you want to keep.

Assess What You Have (And Where it Will Go)

If you’re like us, toys linger around the living room, because that’s where they were opened.

Divide into piles/areas. Separate clothes, bedroom decor and toys that will go to bedrooms for each individual. Separate anything that will go to a toy room or additional space.

A basket with a blanket and a small blue package inside.

File Away

Start putting it all away. This should be easier now that you have completed the previous steps.

While doing so, take it one step further and find additional items to recycle, donate or dispose of. For example, when putting new clothes away see if there’s any you can eliminate.

You can find all of my favorite storage solutions, including Christmas decor storage here!

Drop Off Donations

The sooner you remove things from the house, the more organized you’ll feel. Organize into categories, one being donations.

Remove Greenery

The day before your Christmas tree pickup, remove any fresh greens including your tree, Christmas Wreath and greenery garlands so you can immediately take them to the curb, eliminating needles lingering in the garage.

P.S… Learn How to Keep Live Christmas Wreaths and Live Garlands Fresh in this comprehensive guide!

Tips

Eliminate excess. Start with my Decluttering Tips!
Order organizers and storage essentials ahead! That way when the urge to tackle to tackle this project hits you, you’re truly prepared.
Measure before ordering baskets, drawer organizers, bins and more.
Use expandable drawer organizers or assorted sizes for a custom fit for items. This applies to kitchen drawers, bathrooms, desks, and even nightstand organization!
Leave Empty Space – The best organization system is one that leaves empty space for incoming items until you can organize them into their appropriate home at a later time.