It’s that time of year again where we need to start thinking about how to pack up the Christmas decorations…
It was fun to get them all out – singing carols and feeling excited for what was to come.
Now though it’s a different story.
It feels more like hard work to get the house straight again – ready for the new year and back to school/work/routine.
Although I quite like getting things back to normal and being able to clean properly etc.. (it feels like a good declutter!) – it still feels a little sad to be saying goodbye to it all for another 11 months.
Packing it all up should take the minimum amount of time possible, of course – but there’s quick and there’s quick.
I want you to take a few minutes before you start the packing up process, to ask yourself a couple of questions.
These questions will truly help you in the long run.
Your future self will thank you for making this extra effort now, because it will save them time/money and energy next Christmas – so don’t miss out on this – because when Christmas decorating time comes around again, you’ll wish you had….
Questions to ask before packing up the decorations
#1 – What Are You Keeping?
1st things first – you want to declutter as much as possible from your decorations before you store them away.
Just like when moving house – why would you go to all the trouble of storing, wrapping, moving stuff you don’t actually need anymore?
Take a few minutes now to sort through the decorations and get rid of anything you can.
Things you might want to think about are: –
- Decorations you didn’t use at all this year
- Decorations you used but that didn’t work very well
- Decorations that aren’t looking their best anymore
- Decorations that have broken beyond repair
You only ever want to store what you need – otherwise you’re literally storing up work for yourself….
These things can go straight into the charity box, or recycling or the bin – whatever is the most suitable for each item.
That way you can see what you have left much more easily, and the task can be a little less overwhelming.
RESULT: KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE TO STORE (AMOUNT AND SIZE)
#2 – What Do You Have, And Where Does It Go?
If you love a certain look you have achieved this year, or you always put certain things in a certain room or space – then why not make a note of it so it’s easy to replicate next year?
You could also take a photo of it as it looks right now and store the photo with the decorations.
TIP – There’s a space in the Christmas Planner for your decorations plan which really helps!.
This makes sense when packing away your decorations, because you can think about packing them into boxes for specific rooms or areas – and make unpacking and decorating next year so much more simple.
RESULT: KNOWING WHERE DECORATIONS ARE LIKELY TO BE PUT NEXT YEAR
#3 – What Do You Need To Buy For Next Year?
The next question to ask may seem strange to be thinking about now – but there is very good reason to do just that.
You see – right now, you know what you’re missing.
- Have you had to throw away anything that you will need to replace for next year?
- Are all the lights working OK or do you need different ones?
- Have you thought of something new that would look great somewhere?
Make a list of all these things, and ideally GO OUT AND BUY NOW IF YOU CAN FIND THEM!
Christmas items are often at bargain sale prices at this time of year, so you are not only making next year a lot easier, you are also saving money!
RESULT: HAVING EVERYTHING YOU NEED READY TO GO FOR NEXT YEAR
#4 – Where Will You Store Everything
When you pack up the Christmas decorations, you’ll also need to assess where you are going to store everything – what space do you actually have available (just have an idea at this stage).
Ideally this space will be somewhere that’s accessible but also out of the way – after all you don’t need these things for 12 months – and you don’t want to risk damaging them by having to move them out of the way every time you want to get something that’s further away….
If you’ve answered the first few questions you’ll know exactly what you have to store – it’s time to work out where the best space for it all would be.
Some ideas that work well are: –
- Loft / Attic
- Garage
- Under Bed Storage
- A specific cupboard in the house
RESULT: KNOWING WHERE YOU WANT TO STORE EVERYTHING
#5 – How Will You Store Everything?
Now you know the space you need to store everything, and where ideally you want to store it – it’s time to think about HOW you will store it all.
The WHERE that you worked out in #4 is all important to have done first because this can determine the types of storage that would be suitable.
For instance: –
- Garages are cold and may flood – so plastic containers stored above floor level and airtight would make sense.
- Lofts can be cold and dusty – so relatively small airtight containers that fit through the loft hatch and that you can lift above your head would be perfect (check your sizing before buying!).
- If in the main house, then you have the option of leaving more things loose, or using baskets etc…
RESULT: KNOWING HOW YOU WILL STORE IT ALL
Related: Christmas Storage Ideas You Need To Try
So – have you asked these Questions yet?
When you’re packing up the Christmas decorations – If you can answer WHAT are you keeping, WHERE does it go when on display, WHAT else do you need for next year, WHERE will you want to store it during the year, and HOW will you need to store it – then give yourself a huge pat on the back – your future self is already saying thanks!
If not – grab a cuppa and do the thinking – I promise, you won’t regret it!
Read Next: 31 Things To Get Rid Of In January [Free Checklist]
