Organize + Energize: Organizing Your Holiday Decorations
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Broken ornaments, lights that no longer work, ornaments that were handmade but are now falling apart, decorations thrown in all different bins all over the basement and attic with no labels. Does this sound like you? This is a great time of year to organize your holiday decorations. Christmas is probably the biggest holiday you decorate for and is probably the holiday with the most decorations. As you take out your decorations this year, get organized so next year will be a breeze!
Here are 7 tips to help you with the process:
Do you really know what you have?
As you start to take out your decorations, take everything out of the boxes and sort. Once everything is out of the boxes, you will know exactly what you have. Are there boxes of decorations you haven’t opened in years? Now is the time to go through everything, throw away, donate, or keep.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTStoring your decorations.
Get rid of the cardboard boxes that you are holding the decorations in and purchase Rubbermaid or Sterilite totes. These bins are usually weather resistant and will keep out mold and mildew. If you are storing ornaments, banker’s box makes a box that holds ornaments.
Make a list of decorations you want to purchase for next year.
Think about what you need for next year as you start packing things away. Do you need more lights, decorations, table settings? Make a list now and place it in your calendar for next year. You won’t waste time figuring out what you need next year, it will be at your fingertips when you need it.
Keep like items together and in categories.
By storing things this way, they will be easier to find next year. This tips will save you time and you will have less stress because you know where everything is located.
Keep assortments of lights wrapped and labeled in a container.
If there are any sets of lights that aren’t working or are on their way out, be sure to throw them out now. Organize the types of lights you have and be sure to label. Keep lights in their own labeled containers.
Don’t forget about your wrapping materials.
It is also important to keep your wrapping materials organized. Keep all bags, tissue, wrapping contained to one area, categorized and organized in bins.
Label, label, label.
Be sure to label everything. Nothing is worse than looking at a bunch of bins in the basement or attic and having no idea what is in them.
When purchasing containers to store your decorations, think about what you have and then buy the containers to fit what you have. Never buy containers without first figuring out what you have to store in them. We get excited at the thought of organizing and go out and buy random containers only to get home and realize they aren’t right for what we need.
If you start this process of getting organized now, you won’t have to stress or waste time next year figuring out what you need to purchase. You won’t have to wonder where everything is located. You will be organized and it’s one less thing you have to worry about next holiday season.
Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. And on December 2, Kristin will be debuting her 1/2 hr weekly talk radio show, Organize, Energize with Kristin on www.talkstreamradio.com.
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