Organization Tips for the
Holidays
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Between traditions, gatherings, delicious food, and much needed rest, there are so many reasons to love holidays that are personal to each and every one of us. One experience that’s universal? Feeling torn between pausing to take it all in and racing to get it all done, bouncing between two realities and feeling drained.
From taking family pictures to hosting the neighborhood white elephant gift exchange, each holiday happening produces a to-do list a mile long that requires a lot of cleaning and organizing. Why? Because when your spaces aren’t organized, something as simple as family pictures can turn into an hours-long project. Before you know it, off-season items you need to store elsewhere and bags of clothes you want to donate take over the entryway you just cleaned.
Not to fear. We’ve got some holiday magic to help you get ahead of that all-too-familiar seasonal stress before it takes over a time that should be about joy. Keep reading for our top tidiness tips and holiday planning checklist created just for you by our team of organization experts.
Holiday Organization Tips
Begin with the end in mind. Make a holiday planning checklist that includes everything you want to do this season and the tasks associated with each end goal. Maybe you want to host a New Year’s Eve party, but to do that you have to clean out your pantry, organize your entryway, and tidy up your living room. As you work your way through each detail on your list, cleaning for the holidays won’t feel like such a chore with a visual representation of how each step moves you closer to your overall organization goals. Plus, what’s more satisfying than checking things off a to-do list?
When you’re creating your holiday planning checklist, have fun with it. Use colors, a compelling layout, and anything else that makes it a list you actually look forward to seeing and using (we suggest adding stickers for a little extra fun!). Or, you can go digital and use something as simple as a Google Doc or opt for more detailed project management software to help stay on track. Whatever method works best for you, be sure to think through timing and deadlines to avoid any last-minute rush.
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A packed holiday schedule requires a fabulous outfit rotation. So, we recommend starting your organization efforts in a space that has the power to help you feel calm, relaxed, and in control, a place where you begin and end each busy day: your closet. Begin by moving this season’s favorites to easy-to-access areas of your closet and rotating clothes you won’t be wearing to out-of-the-way storage spots. Think through the events you’re hosting or attending and what you’re going to wear to each, even the casual ones.
The key is to tackle outfit planning ahead of time so you’re not stressed on the day of the event. Plus, a pre-holiday closet evaluation will give you ample time to shop for anything new you need as well as save money by avoiding buying things you already own. Additionally, we recommend moving your hamper to a spot where any overwhelming dirty laundry is kept out of sight and out of mind until it needs to be done. Once you’ve finished prepping your closet, you can start to tackle the rest of the items on your holiday planning checklist with the calm and confidence a clean closet brings.
A Prepared Kitchen and Pantry
We’ve yet to see a holiday planning checklist that doesn’t involve food. That’s why the next areas to tackle on our holiday planning checklist list are the ever-busy kitchen and pantry. As two of the most important spaces that can be positively impacted by holiday storage solutions, it’s important to give them a full cleaning, discard expired ingredients, and donate unused serving items (think plates, bowls, china, silverware) so you’re just working with what you truly need and love. Now is also a great time to wipe down the shelves in your pantry and move essentials into pull-out drawers for easy access.
If you’re up for a slightly bigger project, consider working with a design expert to make modifications to your pantry with our holiday organization tips in mind so you can get the absolute most out of your space. For example, kitchen and pantry challenges we see time and time again are overstuffed base cabinets and underutilized upper wall space. While reworking your pantry design, you can solve both of these problems by adding upper storage, like corner shelving and vertical dividers, to move objects up and out of the base cabinets. Having this extra space will prevent storage headaches that can happen around the holiday season.
Another holiday storage idea we recommend incorporating into any pantry redesign is dedicated sheet pan and baking utensil storage. Having a special spot for these items keeps them easily accessible and in good condition for when you need them. While we’re on the topic of sweet treats, it’s smart to check your stock of cooking and baking essentials well ahead of the holiday season. That way, you won’t find yourself in the middle of making Grandma’s beloved sugar cookies only to discover you’re short a half cup of sugar!
A Warm Entryway Welcome
If you’re hosting this year, you’ll want to make sure your home feels welcoming, and that feeling starts right at your door. Your entryway is the first impression visitors have of your home and it sets the tone for the rest of the house. One way to make a positive impression is to ensure there’s ample, accessible, and organized storage for any belongings your friends and family bring with them.
Keeping holiday organization tips in mind, start by clearing out excess things your family doesn’t need to keep in the entryway, like off-season outerwear and accessories that can be stored elsewhere. This is also a great time to consider if your entryway is harboring any items you’d like to donate. Then, be sure to include plenty of shoe storage and coat hooks for family and guests alike. One of our favorite entryway organization tips is adding a bench with hidden storage or baskets underneath. This offers guests a seat as they put on or take off their shoes, and it functions as an easy drop zone to get organized before heading out the door.
A Place for Guests to Feel at Home
If your at-home holiday organization checklist has you cleaning out the guest room closet, chances are you’ve got company coming for an extended period of time. Making overnight guests feel welcome might be the most important end goal on your holiday planning checklist, and it starts with giving them their own space to unpack and feel at home.
If you’re anything like us, the closet in your guest room isn’t sitting empty. Rather, it’s become a catch-all space for out-of-season items from your closet or miscellaneous things you didn’t know what to do with. When in doubt, put it in the guest room. We’re not the only ones who do this, right?! So, start by cleaning out your guest room closet and making space for hanging clothes, folded items, and overnight bags or luggage.
If you don’t have a dedicated guest bedroom, one of our top holiday organization tips is to consider installing a pull-down Murphy bed. This super comfortable and chic solution seamlessly blends in and multiples the functionality of any room in your home. Most Murphy beds can be set up and put away in less than five minutes, so you can easily use the space in other ways when it isn’t needed by snoozing guests. Adding cabinetry and shelving around the bed amplifies the usability of the space for both you and your guests. Plus, it creates the perfect staging area for lights, garland, and any other cozy holiday decorations that will make your guests feel at home.
A Dedicated Gift Wrapping Station
Shopping for gifts is near the top of everyone’s holiday planning list. If beautifully wrapped gifts are your love language, create a dedicated wrapping station to execute your works of art! Consider setting up the station in your home office or an out-of-the-way spot in your garage. This way, you’ll have your very own holiday organization station to not only wrap gifts but also to work on greeting cards and tackle any other holiday to-dos. Make sure you stock up on markers, scissors, gift bags, ribbons, wrapping paper, and plenty of tape.
Maybe you’re thinking, “Hold on Inspired Closets, I’m no wrapping pro. The best gift for me would be if Santa’s elves were real!” Either way, creating a dedicated wrapping station allows you to better contain the mess that naturally comes with neatly folded corners and expertly tied bows (whether it takes you one or ten times to get it right!).
Another major perk of your own, dedicated wrapping space? You get to control the vibe. Get in the spirit, throw on your favorite holiday album or movie, and make it fun! If you don’t have the space to create a dedicated workstation, you can keep materials in storage bins that function as a mobile holiday organizer. You might even find that this system makes things so much easier that you decide to keep your holiday organizer stocked for year-round wrapping and gift-giving needs.
Starting holiday preparation with the end in mind and making a holiday planning checklist and checking it twice (or daily, really!) are the keys to embracing the season with a calm mindset and keeping things running as smoothly as Santa’s sleigh. Remember, when your spaces are organized, everything is easier.
Creating custom organization solutions that work best for both your home and the holidays is what we do. At Inspired Closets, our dedicated team of experts will transform your disorganized, stressful spaces into organized, inspired ones, all with a little dash of holiday cheer. Contact us today to make this the happiest and most relaxed holiday season yet.
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