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10 Tips for Organizing Your Christmas Decor

January 4, 2016

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.

Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour–The Finale!

December 16, 2015

Well friends, it’s sad to see the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour come to an end. Over the last two weeks me and the 8 other bloggers that are a part of the tour have shared our Christmas trees, front doors, holiday tablescapes and much more. I hope you’ve been inspired by all the holiday merriment.

If you’re coming over from OMG Lifestyle Blog, welcome. It’s been so fun to see Elaine’s beautiful holiday decor over the last three weeks.I know you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have.

With just 9 days left before Christmas, I can officially say I’m finished decorating! Today I’m sharing the final holiday touches I added around the house (warning: lots of photos ahead).

BEDROOM DECOR

One of my favorite rooms to decorate at Christmas is the bedroom. I love lying in bed at night surrounded by holiday cheer.

I hung a wreath on the headboard and draped the mirrors over the nightstand with holly leaf garland.

I kept the black and white pillows I had on the bed all summer and added the fur-trimmed tartan pillow from HomeGoods.

One set of standard pillowcases was changed out to red.

The black and white dot ottoman at the foot of the bed is dressed up with red and green pillows and a red throw.

I placed the lighted marquee JOY signed I made last year at a Home Depot Do-it-Herself workshop on top of the armoire and draped some garland around it.

The JOY sign is on a timer and I go to sleep each night with the soft glow of the lights.

I wanted to address garland to my dress form last year but never got around to it. This year I made it happen.

Instead of fresh greenery, I used artificial greenery sprays and hung them from a belt that is wrapped at the waist.

LITTLE TOUCHES IN THE KITCHEN

Nothing major in the kitchen except this corner vignette with a mix of vintage, new and handcrafted items.

MY WORKSPACE

I replaced the inspiration board that normally hangs over my desk with this chalkboard and added a small Christmas tree in a brass urn next to the lamp.

MY HOLIDAY GIFT WRAP

After making my mobile giftwrap crate, I got busy wrapping gifts.

In addition to wrapping gifts with paper, I placed some gifts in decorative boxes I picked up at Target and Container Store. The solid colored boxes mixed great with my wrapping paper designs so I’ve got a fun mix of packages under the tree.

SPECIAL TOUCHES

I framed my childhood stocking after seeing client do this with hers and hung it on my bedroom door.

I found an oversized brass scales of justice at a thrift store and placed it on the table near the tree. I set small gifts inside the tray.

The fur-trimmed stockings I made last year are hung and ready to be filled with goodies.

Thanks so much for following along on my holiday home tour.

You next stop on the Merry & Bright Holiday Home tour is Amy Howard Social. Amy’s holiday home is filled with an abundance of festive touches and you’ll love what she is sharing on the final leg of the tour.

And be sure to visit all of the other bloggers on the tour too!

Kellie@ Design Asylum

Elaine @ OMG Lifestyle Blog

Debbie @ Refresh ReStyle

Tamyra @ Positively Southern

Kate @ Chic On A Shoe String Decorating

Amy @ Amy Howard Social

Yuni @ Love Your Abode

Marsha @ M.Jones Style

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I’ve got a few more holiday post to share with your before the big day so keep coming back and if you want to check out all of my holiday decor again, just click the links below:

Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour–Part 1: Christmas Tree & Front Door Decor

5 Minute Holiday Doormat

Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour–Part 2: Holiday Entertaining

Easy DIY Christmas Cards

DIY Merry & Bright Placemats

DIY Holiday Wrapping Crate

Use What You Have Holiday Decor–DIY Tile Ornaments

DIY Merry & Bright Placemats

December 10, 2015

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home tour yesterday on the blog and my festive tablescape. Today I want to share the details of the DIY placemats I made for my table.

You might remember that I used printable art pieces from My Love Note Designs in my bedroom refresh back in May. Christina has a wonderful collection of custom art pieces available in her Etsy shop. Several weeks ago she reached out to me again and asked if I wanted to use a print in my holiday decor. I jumped at the opportunity. Not only are there loads of amazing designs at great prices, but since all the images are downloadable and printable after purchase, you have instant gratification.

In looking through the My Love Note Designs shop, I spotted several images that would have worked with my Christmas decor but the Merry & Bright print was a perfect fit! #merryandbrightholidayhome

image via MyLoveNoteDesigns

Once I saw the image I started thinking about other ways I could use it besides in a frame. The idea of turning it into a placemat came to mind.

So here’s what I did…

Originally I was going to cut my own wood but then I stumbled across 12″ x 12″ unfinished plywood sheets at JoAnn’s ($4.99 each). They were thin and the perfect size for a placemat. Next I grabbed four sheets of green glitter scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby ($1.99 and 50% off) and printed four of the Merry & Bright art images on glossy photo paper.

To create the placemats I used a permanent double-sided table to attached the glitter paper to the wood and then used Mod Podge to adhere the artwork to the glitter paper and to coat the surface. The Mod Podge creates a durable finish and seal over the art image.

I haven’t done it yet but I’m going to paint the edges of the wood with gold rub-n-buff to finish the look.

I must say without these placemats, my holiday table wouldn’t be as Merry & Bright!

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If you’re looking to add some holiday decor to your home this season, I highly recommend checking out the selection of holiday art in My Love Note Designs. These are a few of my favorite pieces and some creative ideas on how they could be used:

Snowflake Red Plaid–use as a decorative topper on gifts wrapped in white, craft or black wrapping paper

Eat Drink and Be Merry–frame and hang over your bar cart, cocktail station or food buffet

Making Spirits Bright–the perfect piece to hang in the guest bedroom or bath to welcome guests for the holidays

Be Joyful–a fun piece to include in a gift baskets as a hostess gift (I adore this image)

Merry Christmas Y’all–I’d place this piece in the center of a wreath and hang it on the front door to welcome family and friends southern style

Plaid Tree–this tree design would be cute framed and used as the topper on a Christmas Tree or the centerpiece of a DIY serving tray

Thanks for stopping by.

A big thanks to MyLoveNotedesigns for providing the prints used in this project. I love sharing my favorite Etsy shops with you and know you’ll find something for yourself in this shop. All opinions are 100% mine.

Happy Thanksgiving {plus a throwback Thursday post}

November 26, 2015

I just wanted to pop in today and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and to share a throwback Thursday post just in case you’ve got Christmas decorating on your to-do list this weekend.

I’m thankful for each and every one of you that reads and supports the blog. Have a fantastic day!

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Better Homes and Gardens

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Let’s Go Shopping: 12 Must-Have Items From Ikea

November 17, 2014

I ventured out to Ikea last Friday after having stayed away for several months.

A trip to Ikea is not typically something you just do on the spur of the moment. There are a couple of things you’ll need to do before heading to Ikea…

1) You have to think about the day and time to go (in order to maintain your sanity)

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2) if you’re married, you have to get the hubs on board at least a week in advance so that he can store up some patience for what is sure to be a few hours of browsing, oohing and awing and creative brainstorming. Oh, and you just might have to promise to take him out to lunch and you pay for it…just saying!

With both to-do’s check off my list the hubs and I headed to Ikea.

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Getting Creative with Wallternatives

August 25, 2014

I hope everyone had a great weekend. The hubs and I spent the weekend in Alabama at his high school reunion. He had a great time seeing and catching up with people he hadn’t seen in years. I also had a great time hearing stories about him from his high school days and learning about all the tricks he played on his freinds. I can definitely say that while he has gotten older, he still has the heart and spirit of a kid.

Anyway, I’ve been busy all day getting caught up on work, emails and projects so I’m hitting the send button on this post a bit late.

Today I wanted to share a fun little project I created using Wallternatives wall decals. During the Haven conference in July, I got a first hand look at Wallternatives wall decals and immediately my mind starting pondering all the ways I could decoratve with them.

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Tricks-of-the Trade Retail Shopping Tips

March 20, 2014

Where’s the first place you head when you walk into a big box store like HomeGoods, World Market or Target? If you’re not shopping for something specific do you start at the front of the store and make your way around the store or do you head to your favorite department first?

I have a system when I walk into one of these stores, a system that comes from having worked in the retail industry for over 20 years. My years working in a department store, as a buyer and retail executive have given me an insider view of the tricks-of-the-trade that most retailers use when it comes to merchandising products.

Today I’m going to share a few of those tips with you so you can find the best deals and avoid the retail traps.

Let’s start with Target. When they receive a new collection of product, one of the places they display that product is on the front end of an aisle also known as a End Cap. This product placement allows shoppers to see what’s new at a glance before they head down the aisle to take in the full offering of merchandise.

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While seeing what’s new at the front of the aisle is always good, it’s the back of the aisle, the back end cap that will usually yield you the best bargain shopping. The back of an end cap is typically where stores place their sale items and once items are part of a markdown cycle this is where you’ll find your best deals. Target is currently in the midst of taking markdowns on lots of home décor items and some good clearance deals are landing on the end cap. Here are few bargains I spotted earlier this week.

This black and white duvet cover was a great deal at $21.98 for the full/queen

I loved this mustard yellow quilt. It was on clearance for $19.48 for the full/queen

Fun wall plaques for under $5.00

Geometric pattern embossed lamp shade for $ 9.48

This was a great looking wood and metal tray for $17.48. Great for a men’s gift.

This gorgeous peacock blue glass jar was marked down to $31.48

I shared these rattan tables on Instagram. They were clearance priced at $34.98 and were are stuury with a nice tight weave. (The Northpoint Target had about 10 of them in stock)

And there were lot of picture frames marked down and all under $10.00.

Another tip for shopping big box stores is to look in multiple places for trend product and new collections. Many stores like HomeGoods and Target will double expose products that are a seasonal trend statement in a group with related pieces and also in the specific department where those items are housed.

Lampshades may be merchandised with a collection of items and also in the lamp department/aisle.

A third tip to remember is that not all stores are created equal. When major department stores take a markdown on an item that markdown typically happens at all stores across the country. Most product that come into a big box store are coded with a barcode that includes the receipt date. This receipt date is usually the trigger for when a markdown is taken.

If one store received an item weeks earlier than another, one store may have the item marked down while the other still has it at regular price. I’ve seen this happen a lot at Target and typically if you bring it to managements attention the store with the full price item will look it up and honor the sale price.

This point is also good to keep in mind because with different receipt dates triggering markdowns, you may find the same item on sale and also in the regular price section. The sale item will be towards the back of the store or on a back end cap because the store hopes you’ll pick up the regular price piece first without ever making it to the sale area.

It’s been proven that the majority of people turn right when they enter a store (because most people are right handed) so retailers often place new item displays or even more expensive items to the right, inside the door.

Did you know that in many stores, especially clothing stores that sale racks are kept messy on purpose. Stores don’t want to make it easy for you to shop the sale area hoping you’ll get frustrated and shop the regular priced, well-organized and well stocked racks. This trick works on me more times than not.

The trill of the deal can only last so long before I need to move on to calm and clutter free!

And the final shopping tip I want to share with you has to do with the cash register area. The impulse items placed near the cash wrap are there because they are proven to be items that people will pick up without much thought. Sometimes you can find some bargains in this area but most of the time this area is planned as an easy add-on sale for the stores. TJMaxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls are the master of cash register sabotage and I’ve fallen into the trap by picking up a roll of gift-wrap, stationery, paper products and even a treat or two (just yesterday as a matter of fact) 🙂

I hope you enjoyed these tips. The next time you get caught at the register with an impulse item, leave me a comment and let me know what you bought.

Happy shopping and happy first day of spring!

My Fall Coffee Table {inspirational ideas}

September 9, 2013

Good day to you! I jumped right into work this morning and after churning away for hours, I realized I hadn’t posted my blog post for today. Sorry for the tardiness. Seems that my days have a mind of their own and I just might have to start posting in the afternoons rather than the mornings. It is my goal to post at a regular time each day so if you have a preference, morning or afternoons, leave me a comment and let me know.

Now on to the good stuff. How many of you have starting decorating for fall?? I’m definitely in the mood and plan to get a few fall vignettes in place this week. One of the first areas I want to infuse a little fall into is my coffee table. I tend to like more vs less on my table but can’t decide what look I want to go with. These are some of the images that are inspiring me but the only thing I know for sure is that my décor will include a candle (or two), a tray, books and this!

I really like the look of a dark candle hurricane and am thinking about this tortoise candleholder or using this paper to diy my own.

A lantern is always a great look for a coffee table. Love the look that Kim over at Savvy Southern Style pulled together for her table.

I do love flowers on the coffee table and this mix of fall colored stems and greenery is really nice.

It wasn’t so much the coffee table décor here that caught my eye, but the idea of using a knit throw as a coffee table cloth? Interesting!

There’s my gold sphere and books. Just needs a some true fall touches.

I’m so loving the idea of different boxes on the table. HomeGoods or diy??

And finally, I really like this wood piece and cloche that Donna from Funky Junk Interiors styled for her coffee table. And just think, I happened to stumbled across these tree slabs on-line. {lumberjacking is not on my skills list, so this is definitely not a diy for me}!

So which look to do you like best and have you starting decorating for fall?