Holiday Decor Organization: Keep the Magic (Lose the Chaos)
The holidays are such a special time - but let’s be honest, they can also feel pretty overwhelming. Between tangled lights, mystery bins, and the constant shuffle of “where did I put that last year?”, it’s easy for the magic to feel lost in the mess.
A little organization makes all the difference. With a few simple systems for your holiday decor in place, decorating (and later packing it all away) can actually feel enjoyable - and dare I say - easy.
As a professional organizer who has organized a lot of holiday decorations and spends numerous hours each year putting up and taking down holiday decorations for clients, here are a few of my favorite holiday decor organizing tips that will help you start the season calm, collected, and ready to enjoy.
So… go grab a mug of hot chocolate (or glass of wine), turn up the holiday tunes, and let the festivities begin!
Tip #1: Declutter as You Go
Before the garland goes up and the tree comes out, take a little time to edit what you have. The rule we recommend is simple:
If you didn’t use it last year - and don’t plan to use it this year - it’s time to let it go.
As you unpack your bins, create quick piles for keep, donate, and toss. You’ll be amazed at how much less overwhelming decorating feels when you’re only dealing with the things you actually love and use.
Holiday decor tends to build up over the years - duplicate ornaments, half-working lights that you had the best intentions of fixing, or pieces that just don’t fit your home anymore. Streamlining now makes everything smoother later - and, as a bonus, gives your storage a more curated, elevated look!
Tip #2: Organize by Season, and by Area of the Home
One of the best ways to stay sane during the holidays is to store decor by location.
Ornaments for the foyer tree in one bin
Holiday village in another
Stockings and mantle decor in their own container
This system makes it easy to decorate (and later, take things down) one space at a time instead of turning your whole home upside down at once.
It also gives you flexibility. Maybe you like to have your entryway tree up before Thanksgiving, but you’re not ready to pull out the holiday village or stockings yet - that’s completely fine. When everything’s organized by area, you can decorate in phases as you have time, and actually enjoy the process.
Tip #3: Leave Notes (or Pictures) for Your Future Self
Next year’s you will thank you for this one.
Before you pack everything away, take a few quick photos of how you set things up - your mantle, your tree, your favorite little holiday vignette. You can even add a post-it note or label to your bins that says something like:
“Holiday Village - see Photos app, album ‘Christmas 2025 Setup’”
Or, include a helpful note like:
“Two extension cords needed for train set - stored in electronics’ bin in garage.”
These little breadcrumbs make next year’s setup so much easier.
In our house, all the holiday lights are connected to smart plugs, so we can just say “Hey smart home, make it feel like Christmas,” and everything turns on at once. It’s such a simple thing, but labeling each smart plug by space - tree, mantle, upstairs garland, downstairs garland - has saved so much time, energy and (let’s be honest) a few potential arguments along the way.
Tip #4: Give Yourself Plenty of Time
This one’s big: start early and give yourself plenty of time.
Decorating and organizing always take longer than we think they will. You don’t want to be rushing around the night before guests arrive, trying to untangle lights or remember which bin has the festive pillows.
Start early, take your time, and give yourself some grace. Turn on a playlist, pour a festive drink, and make it something you enjoy!
And if it starts to feel like it’s too much? It’s perfectly okay to let a few things go. You don’t have to put out everything every year. The goal is to make your home feel warm, inviting, and joyful - not overwhelming.
Tip #5: End the Season the Way You Want to Begin the Next
When it’s time to pack everything away, do your future self a favor: tidy up the bins before you store them. Use sturdy, stackable containers, label them clearly, and place them in order of when you’ll want them next year.
Store the “early” decor - like wreaths or the menorah- toward the front, and keep the items that come out later - perhaps stockings - toward the back. When next season rolls around, you’ll be so glad you took those extra few minutes to get organized.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
When your holiday decor is organized thoughtfully, the whole season just feels lighter. You’ll spend less time searching through bins and more time doing what you actually want to be doing - making memories, baking cookies, or just relaxing by the fire with your favorite movie.
And if the idea of sorting, labeling, or setting up storage systems sounds like more work than you have time for, my team at Simplified Professional Organizing in Pittsburgh can help.
We offer Holiday Decorating and Post-Holiday Decor Reset sessions - a simple way to put up and pack away your holiday items with a beautiful, easy-to-maintain system that sets you up perfectly for next year. From customized labeling to curated storage solutions, we’ll make sure every piece has its place so you can start next season feeling calm, organized, and ready to celebrate.
If you liked this post, check out: Top 5 Spaces to Declutter Before the Holidays
Whether you’re in Sewickley, Mount Lebanon, Wexford, Fox Chapel, or anywhere in the greater Pittsburgh area, our home concierge services are designed to make the holidays, and everyday, feel stress-free. From home setup to holiday decorating and seasonal refreshes, our team blends professional organizing with thoughtful design to help your home feel polished, functional, and beautifully ready for life.
Hi there! I’m Kristen, and I’m a Pittsburgh professional organizer and owner of Simplified Professional Organizing. My team and I serve Pittsburgh, PA and absolutely love helping people simplify their homes, businesses, and day-to-day lives with our professional organizing, productivity consulting, and moving services. No matter where you’re at in your organizing journey, we’re here to help.
Click HERE to schedule a complimentary consultation to talk about how we can help you eliminate the overwhelm and reclaim space in life for what truly matters most!
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