The best ways to pack up your holiday decorations
Trimming the tree and decking the halls is a party — taking it all down and packing it away is not.
If you’re the one left holding the bin when it comes time to stow the stockings and retire the mistletoe, read on:
Where to start
Dorothy Breininger, a.k.a. Dorothy the Organizer and contributing expert on the A&E show “Hoarders,” said she asks clients to set a date for un-decorating. “Calendar it now,” she said, “and write down a song that motivates you so you can have it playing while you are taking stuff down … the association helps get us going.”
Start prepping for next year
Certified professional organizer Laura Ellis, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Assn. of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) and owner of Organized by Ellis, recommends taking pictures of decorations before taking them down. “It will help with setup next year and make it easier to delegate if a family member wants to pitch in … they can use the pictures as a guideline.”
Gather tools and supplies
“I suggest bringing in a folding table,” Breininger said. “I want you to be putting your decorations away on something that is at least waist-high … somehow that makes it all so much easier.”
Then grab the stepladder, packing supplies, containers, labeling items and anything else you might need. “Bring out all these things in advance,” Breininger said, “rather than, ‘Oh, shoot, now I have to go get the ladder …’”
Set a goal
Approach un-decorating with a goal of eliminating two to five items. “As you’re putting decorations away, think about something you didn’t like, didn’t use, didn’t work or didn’t have the same meaning this year,” Breininger said. “Give yourself the gift of having less next year.” She adds: “Put up a sign to eliminate two to five things — I bet you’ll do more than that. There’s freedom that comes along with that, and you know you’re making your life easier for next year.”
Just ditch it
Ellis suggests starting with the low-hanging fruit: broken or faded decorations.
“It’s good to be constantly editing,” said Ellis, “every year when you open that box be honest about what you really use” and get rid of the rest.
When it’s hard to part with items that never see the light of day, Louisa Gravelle, a Redondo Beach-based professional organizer and owner of New Leaf Organizing, suggests packing them into a holding box to review in six months.
Gravelle said she plays a game with her clients that goes like this: Put all your decorating items into one of these three categories: the strangers, the friends and the acquaintances. “The strangers have to go, donate them; the friends are who you keep; and the acquaintances are where you have to choose.” Put those into the holding box to review in six month.
When it comes to storing holiday cards from friends, Gravelle advises limiting what you keep to two to five cards per year, then culling through the stash annually.
On your mark, get set …
Time yourself. “Find out how long it takes you to take down the decorations,” Breininger said. “Write it on a piece of paper and put it in with your decorations. … Next year you’ll know how long to expect and it won’t be so daunting.”
Super-smart organizing tips
Pack decor according to where it will be used. So put all the dining room decor in one box, all the living room decor in another box, etc., which will make decorating next year much easier, Ellis said.
Pack tree trimmings separately from home decor, Gravelle suggests. That will also ease decorating next year.
All of the organizers we spoke to named clear plastic bins their container of choice.
Another unanimous tip: label, label, label. Using masking tape and a Sharpie, label each container on two sides and the top. “We’re talking down and dirty,” Gravelle said. “A simple word will remind you what’s in each box: ornaments, outside decor, lights, etc.”
For lights, ditch the boxes they were purchased in, Breininger said. “They never go back in anyway.” Instead, roll up each strand like a ball of yarn with the plug on the outside. Or wrap individual strands around a rectangle of cardboard, a clothes hanger or store-bought reel.
Buying new bins comes last. Measure the space where you plan to store your stuff so you know the bins you purchase will fit. And get bins that you can lift and store easily.
Feeling overwhelmed?
If help is needed, consider hiring hourly assistance from TaskRabbit.com or contacting a professional organizer via the NAPO.net website to create an action plan or provide on-site guidance.
That’s one resolution down ...
Bonnie McCarthy contributes to the Los Angeles Times as a home and lifestyle design writer. She enjoys scouting for directional trends and reporting on what’s new and next. Follow her on Twitter @ThsAmericanHome
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