Organizing Your Way to a Simple Christmas: Decorating

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source: DBR9007

source: DBR9007

Today is day eight in our two-week Christmas series: Organizing Your Way to a Simple Christmas.

Ideally, you should complete a Christmas decor inventory as you’re packing up your Christmas decorations, with a list of items that you’d like to buy for the next year so that you can begin scouring the after-Christmas sales when decor is marked down by 75 to 90%.

But if you didn’t do that (and I didn’t either!), then use the Christmas Decor Inventory printable to think through what you have and what you need to buy this year so that you’ll have everything you need when you begin to decorate. One year we pulled out our decorations and couldn’t find ornament hangers anywhere and had to wait several days to actually put our ornaments up (remember, we live in the boonies), and that was very disappointing!

As a side note, just because something is on the Decor Inventory list doesn’t mean that you need to buy it. We don’t have Christmas tableware, and I’m okay with that, but I wanted to include it for those of you who do.

Unpacking the Decorations

When it’s time to unpack your decorations, be sure to do it in a way that makes decorating now and packing up after Christmas easier.

:: We usually start by unpacking everything onto our counters (it used to be the floor, but 4 little ones have changed that!) so that we can see what we have before we start making decisions about how to decorate.

:: Fix or throw away any broken decorations.

:: Make notes about anything you need — or want — to buy.

:: Don’t be afraid to create a give away pile for decorations that you aren’t going to use. You may have a few sentimental pieces that you’re not using but want to keep, but try to keep those to a minimum. Use it or lose it.

:: Keep all of your packing paper — or in my case, plastic grocery bags — together in one place for packing up your decorations at the end of the season. Make a note of any additional packing materials you’ll need.

Taking a few extra minutes to organize things as you’re unpacking your decorations makes the dreaded task of packing them back up a little bit easier!

Today’s task: Fill out the Christmas Decor Inventory Printable to the best of your memory, making notes about anything you need to buy before you start decorating.

What is your favorite ornament or piece of decor? Do you have a collection or set that you add to each year?

About the Author

Mandi Ehman

Hi. My name is Mandi and I’m an organizing junkie. I’m also a wife, and Momma to four little girls (5, 3.5, 2 and a new baby!). I've worked at home since our oldest was a baby, and like a lot of other moms, my life is a constant balancing act of caring for my family and my home, meeting my obligations and finding time for hobbies in there somewhere. Oh, yeah, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m somewhat of a kitchen dunce and I only like to pretend that I’m crafty. Read more here!

6 Responses to “ Organizing Your Way to a Simple Christmas: Decorating ”

  1. This is my favorite part it’s just not “Christmas” without the decorations! I box up my decor by room, so when I get it our I can do each one at a time. I still end up moving thigs around each year but it keeps it managable with a busy schedule to know I can do a little bit at a time. I love opening the boxes and seeing things I haven seen in a while, it’s like old friends(not that I keep my friends in a box-LOL). I even took photos last year and stuck them in the boxes of my favorite displays to make it easier. I am looking forward to decorating, it’s always so hard to wait until after our Thanksgiving gathering!
    Bekki´s last blog ..We’re not moving… My ComLuv Profile

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  2. I love the idea of taking pictures of your favorite displays! Inevitably, my husband and I end up looking at each other wondering how the heck we had something set up the year before!

    And this — “not that I keep my friends in a box-LOL” — really did make me laugh out loud. I know exactly what you mean, though; I love unpacking the decorations!

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  3. thanks for the inventory list, what a help!

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  4. Because it is just my husband and I we tend to not put out alot of decorations – however, I keep all of my decorations in a plastic tub with a lid and our tree is a small table stand tree that I keep decorated and cover with a plastic bag every year for storage. Makes it easy to put up and take down. We also decorate our horses stalls and make sure there are plenty of candy canes for the horses. The dogs all get special collars to wear for christmas and a special “brownie” treat especially for canines!
    Nancy Thornton´s last blog ..Kodak is giving away $15.00 Gift codes! My ComLuv Profile

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  5. my special decorations include the ones that i got each year my children were born and the one that was bought for the baby we lost.

    i don’t really have too many collections, but we do add to the children’s ornaments each year. this is a collection that they will take with them when they start life on their own!
    tzigane´s last blog ..Brokenness My ComLuv Profile

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  6. Just last year I finally started a list of my decorations, did not get all the boxes labeled before my husband hauled them upstairs, but this year I will complete that task.
    I love ALL my Christmas decorations (I love Christmas), but my favorite is the Nativity scence we had when I was growing up, however, Jesus is missing…When I was four I would carry him around in my pocket (my Mother had taught me that Jesus was your friend and always with you)and of course, being a child, I lost him…not to worry, I have found Jesus, just not the figurine for our Nativity!

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