Tidying Christmas Decoreation

Simple Tips for clearing away your Christmas decorations.

Start by making a decision when you will take down your decorations, tradition is twelfth night, for me that means 6th January – or have you done it already!

The time it takes will depend on how many decorations you have put up! If you have children or grandchildren then let them join in as putting away should be just at joyful as putting them up, with gratitude for giving you joy at Christmas. You can ask them what they have loved the most about this Christmas.

Top Tips:

·       Set the date for decorations to come down. Traditionally this is twelfth night. For me that means 6th January.

·       Get out all your Christmas storage boxes and bags.

·       Gather all your decorations and ornaments that you have placed around your home.

o   Put like items together.

o   Decide if you still want all of them for next year, are they clean and in good condition? Did you have too many?

o   Remove batteries. You can save these with a note saying ‘part used from Christmas’ as you will find they are usually still good to go back in the same ornaments the year after! However, if you leave them in, they could corrode.

o   Wrap any delicate ornaments in kitchen paper or tea towels to protect them.

o   If possible, store in boxes as these are easier to store than bags. Label the boxes.

·       Remove the Christmas tree decorations. Gather like with like. Clean off any dust that has gathered. Place them together in a box and label it. You can purchase storage boxes that are specifically made for baubles. Clearly label the box.

·       Remove the tree lights. Wrap these around a piece of card or empty kitchen roll to stop them tangling. You will be glad come December that you did this!

·       Time to take down the tree. If it’s a real one then it’s a good idea to throw over it a large bag or inside out duvet cover or sheet tied at the bottom to get it out of the house without spreading needles all over the place.

·       If you have an artificial tree, you can get rid of any dust by blowing with a hair dryer on a cool setting. Start at the top and work your way down. Fold the branches in and put away with a smile and say – see you in a few months’ time!

·       Gather Christmas plates, mugs, tea pots (make sure they have been cleaned) place in a box with a label on.

·       Gather Christmas bedding, towels, tea towels. Launder them and place in a box with a label.

·       Remove outside lights. Depending upon the length of the lights you can either wrap them around a piece of card cut off a box, or start rolling them into a ball by wrapping around your hand.

·       Remove your door wreath and any garden decorations.

·       Do a quick check around every room and then put everything away.

I hope this will help you get motivated to get everything put away and get ready for the year ahead.