Repurpose fabric scraps or cloth bags for a festive, eco-friendly alternative to traditional wrapping paper.
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Virginia Wells

Tips To Make Room for Joy This Holiday Season

The holiday season is just around the corner, bringing with it all the excitement of gift-giving, festive decorations, and quality time with loved ones. But let’s be honest—along with all the joy, it’s also the time of year when the clutter seems to multiply. Between the Christmas presents flooding in, holiday guests filling up your home, and time off with family, it’s easy for things to get a little… chaotic. But before you start building yourself a fort out of gift boxes and calling it quits… fear not. You’re in good hands! As a professional organiser, I’m here to help you prepare your home for Christmas (and summer) with less stress and maybe even a little sparkle. Here’s how to make room for joy, create space, and manage all those holiday extras – keeping your home looking merry and organised this season (and not like Santa’s workshop just exploded).

1. Create Space for New Items 

Christmas often brings an influx of gifts, which can quickly lead to clutter if you’re not prepared. Here’s how to create space for the new items coming in: 

  • Declutter in Advance: Take some time before the big day to go through your belongings and let go of items you no longer need or use. If you know what gifts your family members will be receiving, consider donating or discarding similar items to make room for the new ones. 
  • One In, One Out Rule: For every new item that comes into your home, let go of an old one. This helps maintain balance and prevents your space from becoming overcrowded. 
  • Gift Experiences instead of stuff: As per my previous blogs, if you are responsible for present buying, gift some experiences instead of stuff so you don’t have to worry about all the wrapping, mess and clutter later. 

2. Review Gift Wrapping and Cards 

Gift wrapping and holiday cards are often a part of Christmas preparations. Here’s how to keep them organised: 

  • Dedicated Storage: Designate a specific area for storing gift wrapping supplies and holiday cards. Use clear containers or labelled boxes to keep everything in one place and easily accessible.  
  • Keep It Simple: Limit the types of wrapping paper and ribbons you use. Choose a few versatile designs that work for multiple occasions to save space and reduce clutter. (Like plain colours and then using ribbons to make it Christmasy or suitable for a birthday). 
  • Organise Cards: For written-in Christmas cards you receive, consider if you want to keep them. If you do create a scrapbook or a dedicated box to store them. Be sure to have some ‘rules’ around what you’re keeping. One of mine is, only keep ones that have special memories. For the rest, I turn them into gift tags for next year (see photo below).  
Turn last year's Christmas cards into gift tags for the upcoming holiday season.

Image: Turn last year’s Christmas cards into gift tags for the upcoming holiday season. 

3. Manage Christmas Decorations 

Holiday decorations bring joy and festivity to your home, but they also need to be stored efficiently to avoid post-holiday chaos. Here are some tips:

  • Declutter Decorations: Before you start decorating, go through your existing decorations and let go of anything broken, outdated, or that you no longer love. This will make decorating easier and more enjoyable. 
  • Protect Fragile Items: Use bubble wrap, tissue paper, or dedicated ornament storage boxes to protect delicate items. This prevents damage and extends the life of your decorations. For a cheap option, egg cartons can work a treat for small ornaments. 
  • Categorise and Label: Store decorations by category (e.g., tree ornaments, outdoor lights, wreaths) and label each box clearly. This will make decorating next year a breeze. For some decorations, simple zip lock bags can help, or see-through containers from the supermarket or $2 shops (see photo below).  
Store your Christmas decorations in zip-lock bags or clear containers to keep them easily visible and accessible.

Image: Store your Christmas decorations in zip-lock bags or clear containers to keep them easily visible and accessible. 

4. Organise and Store New Gifts 

On Christmas day, it’s important to find a place for each new item once they’re unwrapped. Here’s how:

  • Immediate Integration: As soon as gifts are opened, decide where they will be stored. Avoid letting them pile up in common areas. 
  • Designated Homes: Sometimes you’ll have homes for items already and they can integrate easily. Other times you might have gotten a new hobby or category of things. Be sure to make a home for it and label that home if needed. 
  • Rotate Toys and Games: If you have children, (or maybe you have a large toy or game collection for yourself, or your furred friends), consider rotating their toys and games. Keep some out for immediate use and store others away to be brought out later. This keeps their play area manageable and fresh. 

5. Planning for Post-Holiday Clean-Up 

Preparing for the post-holiday clean-up can make the transition back to normalcy smoother. Here are a few tips:

  • Create a Clean-Up Plan: Have a plan in place for taking down decorations and putting away holiday items. Set a specific date for this task to ensure it gets done. If you want me to tell you when, anywhere between the 26 December to the 2 January. Use it as a way to signal a change of year, and energy for the new year and possibilities. 
  • Donate Unwanted Items: After the holidays, go through any gifts you received but don’t need or like. You might feel guilty doing this, but in reality, having them sit around for a year, and then letting it go will just cause you unneeded grief in the meantime. It’s ok to admit the gifter’s intention was good, they didn’t hit the mark this time. It’s the thought that counts. Take that thought within you and release the gift onto someone who will love it. Consider donating them to charity to prevent clutter and help those in need. 
  • Recycle and Reuse: Think about the environment by recycling wrapping paper and gift boxes. Reuse what you can for future occasions. But be sure to set a space limit for this! You don’t want your precious space taken up with wrapping and boxes that ‘could be useful’ sometime’
  • And finally…Enjoy a Stress-Free Christmas!!! 

Christmas is a time for joy, celebration, and togetherness. By getting ahead of the game with a little organising and decluttering, you can create a home that embraces the holiday spirit—without the stress. Remember, the goal is to create a space that allows you to enjoy the season to its fullest. 

If you loved these tips, and would like more beyond the Christmas period, check out the WellSorted Home Course

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