Happy New Year.  I’m really excited about the year ahead and will share more about that tomorrow but for today I must talk about a big project I have ahead of me.

We finally got all of our Christmas decor taken down and in the garage.  And when I say in the garage, I don’t mean stored away neatly with all the bins stacked to Martha Stewart perfection, I mean sitting the middle of the garage.

The bins aren’t going to stay that way because I made the decision that this year is the year of purging and organizing.  I’m getting rid of things I haven’t touched in ages, don’t use and don’t want or need anymore and I’m starting with my Christmas decor.

As someone who owned their own home decor store for 8+ years and changes up their holiday theme each year, I’ve amassed quite a collection of holiday items and it’s time to free myself from the stuff.

Organizing my Christmas decor (and garage while I’m at it) isn’t going to happen overnight, I suspect it will take a weekend or two to get it in order.  Since I’m preparing to tackle this massive project, I thought I’d share my organizing tips on how I’m going to get the space in tip, top shape.

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TIP #1–Sort items by color and keep like items together.  This is one thing I haven’t always done a good job at so I’m going to focus on doing it this year.  Not only will it make finding items easier but it will also make it easier for me to pull together my tree theme in each.

Tip #2–Store holiday decor in plastic bins.  I’ve always used plastic bins to store the majority of my Christmas decor and I can’t tell you how easy this make organizing your storage space.  I’ve got an assorted variety of plastic bins (some see through and others not) so we are investing in some new bins this year.  I perfect see-through bins for my Christmas decor although I must say that the solid colored bins are a bit thicker and more sturdy.

Plastic under bed storage bins works great for storing garland and can be stacked to save space.  Label each bin with the location of where the garland goes in the house.

Tip #3–Label your bins.  I’ve done this a bit but after years of accumulating stuff, the contents in my bins no longer matches the labels.  When listing the content of each bin, be as specific as possible. Another tip is to take pictures of the items inside the bin and then print and tape the pictures to the inside of the bin lid for each reference.

**  I’m going to use these removable labels and handwrite what’s inside each bin.  The labels will then go on the outside of each storage bin 

**removable labels make it each to change out the bins as needed and keeps your storage looking tidy

** Wal-Mart has some of the best prices and best selection on storage bins

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Tip #4–Pack with care.  When you pack away your Christmas decor, take the time to protect the items you own.  I use tissue paper or newsprint between layers of ornaments and recently came across this idea of using coffee filters as individual ornaments cups.  250 coffee filters at Costco for $5.99.

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You can also use cardboard beverage trays to hold ornaments inside your bins.    You can buy a 75 count, 4 cups trays at Sam’s Club for $14.48.

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And here’s another idea that I love…plastic cups glued to cardboard to hold individual ornaments. This storage method is a bit time-consuming but once done, it’s a great way to protect ornaments from breakage.

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Tip #6–Store Wreaths on Hangers.  A great way to store your Christmas wreaths is by tying them onto a hanger and covering the wreath with a clear dry cleaning bag.  The hanger makes it easy to hang a wreath from a nail or hook.  And if you have multiple wreaths, put a hanging bar (clothesline style ) in your garage or storage room and hang all the wreaths together.

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Tip #7–Detangle the lights.  There is nothing that makes me crazier than lights that have become a jumbled mess.  A quick fix is to wrap your Christmas lights around a piece of cardboard.  The cardboard will allow you to stack your lights, maximize storage space and it makes it easy to test each cord each season when you get ready to decorate. This storage idea will also work for beaded garland and ribbon.

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Tips #8–Keep wrapping paper accessible and protected.  I buy a lot of gift wrap in generic patterns so it can be used year round but if you buy paper specific to Christmas or any other holiday for that matter, try storing your rolls in clear garment bags.  The garment bags will hold multiple rolls and can be easily stored in the back of a closet.

** you can pick up clear garment bags at the dollar store

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Tip #9–Vacumm pack your holiday pillows.  If you have holiday pillows with removable covers, remove the covers and store them folded in a drawers or storage bin.  You can then use the pillow inserts for other pillows throughout the year.  If the pillows don’t have removable covers, think about storing them in vacuum packed bags which will keep them fresh and protected and save you a ton of space.

**  you can pick up Space Bags at Walgreens

Tip #10–Store holiday signs and wall decor under the bed.  Plastic or cloth under-bed storage containers are a great way to store holiday wall plaques and decor.  I bought a couple of these bags from Container store and love them.  They are large and durable and the handle makes it easy to pull out from under the bed.

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Wish me luck as we tackle the garage.  I’ll be sure to share before and after photos once it’s all done. Stay tuned!

If you have any Christmas decor organizing tips to share, please do because I’d love to know.