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Decorating your home should be like building a capsule wardrobe. While you have a core of versatile and beloved pieces, the accessories change with the seasons. In additional to seasonal decor, you probably also have specific items just for the holidays. But what do you do with all that stuff when it’s not in use?
Unfortunately, the first step in managing your seasonal decorations is to have fewer of them. Weeding your collection is all about keeping the stuff you love and actually use while letting go of everything else.
As for the size of your decor hoard, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. It depends on how much you like to decorate for the seasons and the amount of storage space you have available. If you’re still stumped about what to keep and what to toss, focus on the stuff that makes you happy. That’s more important than the monetary value of the item.
The best time to get rid of things is immediately after the season or holiday ends. Instead of packing up items that you no longer love, take them a second-hand store or put them aside for a yard sale.
It’s a good idea to break down your decor into seasons. That gives you 4 broad categories for general decor and things you keep just for specific holidays.
I’ve found that the best way to handle the storage of seasonal decorations is to use plastic bins of different sizes. Get a large tote with a lid for each season (plus an extra one for the winter holidays, if needed). Then buy smaller, shoebox-sized containers to store inside the tote.
Ideally, you’ll be able to grab the appropriate tote and find exactly what you need when you’re ready to decorate. It might seem like overkill, but if you just throw everything in a big cardboard box, stuff is going to get damaged. Don’t forget to label the boxes and bins!
Most of us don’t have tons of storage in our homes. If we do, it’s often in an attic or basement, which poses potential problems. You want to store your seasonal decor someplace that’s relatively easy to access–trust me, it’s no fun hauling heavy totes down an attic latter–and climate-controlled.
Basements are often musty and damp, and you run the risk of your beloved decorations getting ruined in the off-seasons. Attics are usually hot in the summer and freezing in the winter–plus you might end up with a roof leak that you don’t notice until your stuff is already waterlogged.
My favorite solution is to use plastic containers specifically made for under-the-bed storage. If that’s not an option, tuck them in an unused corner of your closet.
