Was decorating for Christmas easy this year? Could you quickly find what you were looking for in all of your boxes of holiday decorations?  If you answered no then read on.  I have some tips that you can implement now that will make next year’s decorating easier.

• Sort items into logical groups and store each group in a separate container.  For example, a container that is labeled family room tree ornaments should only contain ornaments for that specific tree. Please resist the urge to mix in decorations that are used in other spaces. You may wish to organize the decorations by room such as a box for dining room decorations or by type such as boxes labeled Dickens Houses.
• Use a bold black marker and colored index cards to make your box labels. Designate one card color for Christmas decorations, another for Halloween, etc… Label at least two sides of each box for increased visibility. Use clear packaging tape to secure the cards. I love this type of packaging tape: Scotch Tear-By-Hand-Tape.  It is available at most retailers.
• Number boxes that contain like items.  For example, if you have two boxes of Dining Room decor, label one Dining Room Décor: Box 1 of 2 and the other Dining Room Décor: Box 2 of 2.
• You may find that you have some decorations that you haven’t used in a while. Consider donating them to charity. If you can’t part with them, store them together in one or two containers labeled Old Ornaments.  This way you won’t be shuffling through them as you are choosing the ornaments that you will use next year.
• Make a holiday notebook to help you keep track of the location of your stored items. This is especially helpful if your storage space is limited and you must split your items among several areas. This notebook can also help you keep track of your card list, gifts to buy, and holiday menus.  You can use a loose-leaf notebook, a spiral notebook or a digital notebook such as Microsoft One Note. Evernote (web-based) would be a great tool to use if you needed to share your online notebook with family members.
• Did you have a floral arrangement or display that was really spectacular this year? Take a picture of it so that you can recreate it next year.  Store the picture in your notebook.

 Take a little extra time this year as you pack away Christmas. Pace yourself because as my grandmother used to say “haste makes waste”.  Follow these tips and decorating next year will be much easier.