Happy New Year 2011! After today most homes will be struggling to remove all the festive decorations that were up in December awaiting the holidays. Christmas is over, it’s a new year and you’ve got an obligation to good taste to get those decorations down! Of course putting them away is not nearly as fun as putting them up.

I particularly like to do this part just by myself so that I know what is stored where and do so carefully so as not to break anything that might be of use these other coming years.  If you use these tips you’ll find it’s easier and you’ll be in better shape when next year rolls around. You’ll first have to decide which pieces you’re ready to get rid of and which you’ll save. Then you’ll need to organize what you are going to keep.

Get Plastic Containers for Everything.

No more throwing everything into one or two boxes where fragile family decorations can get smashed and light strands become so entangled the end up looking like a double mess. Take advantage of those big plastic containers- I love plastic containers they are a savior to home storage. Separate your tree decorations from other knickknacks you put up around the house. Give your lights their own home and wrap each strand around a folded paper bag or a good-sized piece of cardboard or you can even buy plastic light holders. This may seem like an extra step at the time, but it will literally save you hours next year. Keep spare bulbs with the lights and keep ornament hangers with the ornaments.

Protect the Fragile Goods.

If you’ve got valuable ornaments, treasured heirlooms or even just glass balls that easily break it’s important to store them properly. Imagine your heartbreak if that 50 year old ornament gets broken when you are just looking at it. You can no longer pass that tradition along because you were careless to put it in a protective box. Sure putting special ornaments into individual boxes takes up space and takes time but you’ll be happy you did and so will your children, and their children.

 Label Your Boxes.

Once you’ve got everything sorted into its box then label it. You can use masking tape or a  label marker or just write the contents on the box. There’s no reason not to write, in big, permanent marker. By doing this you’ll always know which box holds the lights, no faded tape and lost labels that have dried up and fallen to the floor.

Store in Order.

Once you’ve placed your items in a box and labeled them then take the extra time to store them in order so next year you’re not pulling everything on to the floor to get to the tree skirt or the Christmas wreath. Figure out which items you need first, obviously tree skirt and stand before ornaments. Maybe you decorate your house weeks before you get a tree. Whatever your family traditions and style, organize your boxes and file them away appropriately.

Decorating for the holidays is such a wonderful tradition. It allows you to bring an element of wonder and fairytales into your home, as well as religious and family traditions but taking down those decorations is as much a part of interior decorating as putting them up was. Taking down the decorations indoors and our doors is key to keeping your home looking clean and tasteful and current after the festive season. Using these tips for un-decorating will help you with that task and make next year even easier.

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