Monday, December 10, 2012

23 My Favorite Christmas Organizing Ideas

The holidays come with so many things.  Things to buy.  Things to make.  Things to decorate.  Things to give.  Things to cherish.  I could go on and on right?

So staying even somewhat organized through the busiest time of the year, will be a huge stress reducer. Here are some of my favorite tips for super simple and time saving organizing during the holiday season:

Track Your Giving!
It is the giving season, that is for sure!  And it can get out of control, expensive and overwhelming, so I like to use a gift tracking checklist.

{download your FREE copy here}

The checklist helps me jot down ideas for each individual I will be purchasing for, keeps me on budget and lets me check things off when I am done, so I always know who is left.


Create a Card Display!
As holiday cards roll in...


It's nice to keep them out on display!  Not only does the display let me see the smiling mugs of my friends and family each day, it also adds a nice festive flair to our home!


Organize Christmas Cards.
If you are a little bit of a sentimental peep like me, then you hold onto those photo greeting cards and look back on the memories and changes from year to year.

I like to organize them by year in an album...


But you can also quickly make your own as well!



Make Wrapping Easy!
Of course, an entire wrap station year round would be ultra dreamy....

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However, realistically, most of us don't have an entire closet, room or area in our home to dedicate to a single function.  But, wrapping supplies can definitely accumulate, especially if you use different papers for each occasion, keep gift bags, tissue, bows and ribbon...

Slim totes that fit under a bed are a really great option...

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Adding some additional trays for scissors, tape, ribbon, tags and trimmings keeps everything separate and orderly for a quickly wrap job!

Another great way to store wrapping gear is with an over the door organizer.

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They take advantage of typically unused door space,  yet still offer year round access to your wrapping goodies.

Since a lot of quick and smaller gifts are given during the holidays, keeping a small box with a few ready-to-go essentials ensures that you will never be late to a party or show up without a gift in hand.



Decor Storage!
But what about all of those ornaments?  And lights?  Decorating a tree takes all sorts of beautiful bulbs and glittering strands of lights, but no need to invest in super expensive containers to keep them safe and organized year after year.

If you eat eggs as often as we do, it wouldn't take long to stock up on a few of those cartons, which are the perfect solution for the smaller glass bulbs.

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And for larger bulbs, plastic cups make perfect dividers!  Hot glue them onto some cardboard and you can even stack!

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Or save up on tomato and apple containers throughout the year.  They also make incredible divided storage, and it won't cost you a thing!

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For the really fragile pieces, adding a small layer of felt padding will ensure your favorite ornaments grace the branches of your tree year after year!

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When storing lights, we love to use the classic trick of wrapping them around some cardboard strips.


I love the idea of using tension rods too!  Decor below, lights above!  So smart!

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The same method could be used for beads and ribbons as well!

I like to use a small storage container to hold off our our smaller bits and pieces, such as tree hooks and spare lights.


And of course, label, label label!



Keeping bins labeled will make it easy to quickly find contents from year to year.  You can use clear business card holders or make your own pockets out of cardstock.  Another tip is to use a specific color for your Christmas bins so they are easy to spot, and to load them up either by category, or by putting the first out items on top to prevent digging.


It is OK to Buy!
Knowing when it is OK to invest in good storage vs. DIYing it is a good thing.  For me, I will be purchasing a good tree bag to ensure our prelit tree stays preserved for the long haul.  And a hard sided wreath bin will keep those beautiful hand made wreaths lasting longer than those soft sided ones will.




So there you have it!  A round up of my favorite tips to keep us smiling though the Christmas season craziness.  What other things do you do to keep your sanity through the holiday season?  What is your number one Christmas organizing tip?

Pssst!  I recently blogged about more gift wrap storage ideas over at Better Homes & Gardens Style Spotters blog here!



23 comments:

  1. i really like your gift tracker jen :) thanks for all these ideas, i'm so inspired..

    huggies***
    rea

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  2. I got lots of great ideas here as usual, Jen!

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  3. I'm printing out your holiday gift tracking sheet straight away! I still have a few presents to buy and this will help me to keep track of all of them. :o)

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  4. Ah, you're so sweet to include my wrapping box. Just used it today for two of our teachers. What a great round up with so much inspiration.

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  5. All great tips! Thanks for the printable, I was actually going to type one up this week so you've saved me a lot of time...which I will dedicate to wrapping the other 30 gifts still waiting on my table :)

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  6. Fantastic ideas for storing Christmas decorations! I am soooooo motivated to get organised, neat & tidy this year!

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  7. Love this! Thanks so much for sharing your amazing work. I just found your site and am so excited that I did. I will be back often to learn more.

    Thanks and Merry Christmas!

    Carri

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  8. I urge people not to use see-through plastic bins.

    Light wreaks havoc on things, especially paper, and even shiny brite ornaments.

    Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way.

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  9. I switched to brown paper for everything. One roll of wrapping and then just a drawer for boxes and ribbons. So much easier to store this way and I really like the simple homespun look of it all.

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  10. These are some awesome ideas! Especially using felt to cushion ornaments in storage. Felt is so cheap and would work perfect!!!

    Great post!

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  11. All the photos are very inpspirational. Thank you- I have so many ideas now.

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  12. LOVE the holiday gift tracking sheet! AWESOME.

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  13. You always have great organizing ideas. I love getting your e-mail updates.

    I lost my wordpress.com followers when I switched web host this week. If you were following me and did not get the updated post today, please follow me again. I would be grateful! Thanks and You really do have an encouraging blog! Many Blessings!! Diane Roark www.recipesforourdailybread.com

    I enjoy getting your e-mail updates and reading your encouraging stories on how to make my life more organized. Blessings, Diane Roark

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  14. Such great ideas, jen! I am head-over-heels with my gift wrap door station now that I'm up to my eyeballs in presents to wrap!!

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  15. Love this! I just finished my holiday shopping this week and am feeling so proud!!

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  16. Fantastic ideas/tips! I have downloaded the checklist, thank you :)

    www.ofbeautyandnothingness.blogspot.co.uk

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  17. Where did you get the album in the first photo where you keep your Christmas cards? Been looking for one!
    Also...what are the email updates? An I missing out???

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  18. Jen, I am in love with your holiday gift tracking sheet. Right now my shopping list is scribbled on a legal pad but I'm totally converting to this. I always love your organizing ideas!

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  19. Love the giftracker sheet! I'll totally be using that in the future!!!

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  20. Great resource! Will definitely be using this and sharing on my site!! Thanks!

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  21. Thanks so much for the great ideas!!! You always inspire me

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  22. OMG! This post is fabulous. Thank you for the gift organizer! I will use this and share with friends via pintrest! Your ROCK Jen!

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  23. This post will be very helpful when we are packing up our Christmas ornaments and decorations! Lots of great tips!

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