Want to get a jump start on the holidays? Check out these simple tips to declutter for the holidays. You can get your home organized for Christmas and have a clutter free Christmas.
It's hard to believe that Christmas is only about 5 weeks off. After Thanksgiving, we tend to start pulling out all of our Christmas decorations and start decorating.
Suddenly with all the decorations, our homes can start feeling so cluttered during the holiday season.
We have Christmas trees with packages stacked up under them, decorations on the mantel, and garland everywhere.
Plus, most of your gifts will need a home somewhere in your house.
If you want to avoid all of the clutter this year check out these simple tips to declutter for the holidays.
Ready to Declutter For The Holidays?
Decluttering is great because you don't really need anything to get started. It cost $0 to declutter, plus if you sell your stuff you may make money!
With just a little bit of time (and maybe some trash bags) you can get your home looking clutter free before Christmas.
Declutter Holiday Decorations
Before you start putting up holiday decorations start by going through everything and deciding what to keep.
Declutter holiday items like:
- Christmas tree ornaments
- Christmas trees
- outdoor decorations
- Christmas linens, towels, etc.
Make sure everything is in good shape. If you have decorations that you haven't used in a year or two donate or sell them.
Right before Christmas is a great time to sell your decorations.
Get rid of that second Christmas tree that you don't put up anymore. Don't just let things sit in storage!
Donate those old decorations that you just don't use. You can get rid of some clutter and make some extra cash before Christmas.
While you are decluttering holiday decorations don't forget to also declutter:
- gift wrapping
- bows
- gift bags
Get your home holiday ready!
Get your home clean and organized for Christmas with this simple holiday cleaning checklist.
Declutter Knick-Knacks
Another great tip to declutter for the holidays is to go through any knick-knacks you have.
We often have knick-knacks around that we aren't crazy about but we just don't get rid of.
Before the decorations go up, take a look at what you really want to keep and what you can get rid of.
A few areas that tend to gather knick knacks are:
- mantle or fireplace
- tables
- china cabinets
- end tables and nightstands
A quick and easy way to declutter these areas is to remove everything and then dust really well.
Think about if you really want to put something back up before you place everything back in its place.
Go Through Kids Toys
If you have kids I highly recommend going through all of their toys before Christmas.
Kids tend to get a lot of new toys for Christmas so make some space now. Declutter the toys by getting rid of what they no longer play with.
Now is a great time of year to take toys to the resale or consignment shops to make some extra money before Christmas.
By getting rid of toys that they don't play with you can make room for the new things.
If you have a few more minutes after decluttering kids' toys you may also want to declutter:
- kids clothes
- sporting equipment
- hats, gloves, scarves, and mittens
- kids coats
- movies and games
Things like coats and gloves are great donation items this time of year. If you have winter clothes that no longer fit now is the time to donate.
Clean Out Bills & Paperwork
With all the holiday parties, present buying, and decorating don't forget about any bills or paperwork that are due.
Go through all your bills and paperwork and pay things ahead of time if necessary. You don't want to forget about a bill and get a late fee.
Mail tends to run slower this time of year so you will want to get any paperwork mailed early.
While you are cleaning out any bills or paperwork take some time to go through your magazines too. Throw out or donate any old magazines.
We tend to get so much paper clutter and junk mail this time of the year so don't let it pile up.
You can also declutter:
- junk drawers
- arts and craft drawers
- emails
Declutter Spices & Baking
Thanksgiving & Christmas are big times for baking so before you get started take a few minutes to declutter your spices. Throw out any expired spices.
Take a few minutes to go through your baking supplies and throw out any expired food. You can add anything you need to replace to your shopping list.
It's always so frustrating to start baking and realize that your food or spices are expired.
If you have any holiday cookie cutters, plates, or dishes take a few minutes to go through those and make sure you only save what you use.
Some other great places to declutter:
- pantry
- freezer
- medicine cabinet (replace any medication before cold & flu season)
Take a Decluttering Challenge
Still want to do some more decluttering?
You can sign up for the free 7 day decluttering challenge. This decluttering challenge will take you room by room to get your home in shape for the holidays.
This mini-challenge will help you organize all your living spaces before the holidays in just 15-30 minutes a day.
Start getting ready for the holidays with these simple tips to declutter for the holidays. Your home will look less cluttered and cleaner.
Want some other decluttering tips? Check out these awesome articles.
Join the Decluttering Challenge
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