Time to take down The Most Wonderful Christmas Garland Ever. Not to mention all of the less wonderful Christmas garland that might still be hanging around.
First take out all that extra junk that you put in to make it wild. Save all the fern pieces and nests and keep them handy for your spring wreath.
If you have space in your attic, garage or basement you can just slip a heavy duty hanger on each end of your garland and hang it up until next year.
If you are short on hanging space just stuff it all in a plastic bin. The garland is so easy to fluff back up you don't have to worry about smooshing it. Make sure you make a label and place it on top of the garland so you know what you are looking at come next Christmas. You don't need to remove the lights. Next year, plug them in and cut out or unwrap any light strands that have burnt out over the summer.
Do you pack away your Christmas decor before or after New Year's Day?
Storing Your Garland
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81 comments:
I'm one of the first to comment. Cool!
I always have good intentions to get everything down by New Year's, but that rarely happens. Arg! I like the idea of hanging it up for next year. That would save all the time of fluffing it back up.
Always after New Year's Day for me. I've always found it too much work to leave things up only for a short while.
I decorated abit late this year due to renos, so I don't mind stuff staying up till mid Jan. I only have a tree and the mantel garland anyway so it's not that big of a deal.
Besides, if I take down my mantle garland, then I have to grout the rock on the fireplace. No more excuses! eh.. maybe I'll leave it till March. :)
Donna
December 26. I know. But I am so ready for clean, organized and calm it just has to be that way. (Our poor neighbors avert their eyes so they don't have to see our tree at the curb the morning after Christmas!)
PS--I did leave my beautiful, bird-filled garland up this year--I love it! (it hangs over a big archway).
Mine is all away. I love doing it. Usually I have it away on Boxing day, but this year made it all the way to the 29th! :)
We have a NYE party, so I leave most of my things up until then. I wake up early Jan. 1 and get busy putting things away.
We always have a gigantic party so we leave everything up until after New Years. New Years day is spent recovering from the 70+ guests from the previous evening and the "mystery punch" my hubby makes. I am always sad when I take down my Christmas decorations. The home always seems so empty after all of the Christmas foo foo is gone. Of course, the emptiness always inspires me to do some unique project in my home to liven things up a little. I have the current project I will be working on posted on my blog after I saw it last week I knew I had to do it.
p.s. I am a tub fanatic. Love love my tubs for organizing my Chritmas items.
Usually I wait until mid-Jan to dissasemble, but this year I really want to get my house back! I'm still waiting though... Just because I have 3 kids and all the new things to put away before I start worrying about Christmas decorations. Besides, I LOVE the little twinkle lights on everything and am ALWAYS sad to see them go!
The garland came down yesterday. But the tree will stay up a little longer.
smart to label your garland- I never do that and then wish I did.
I pack everything away before New Year's Day - but mainly because Cade's birthday is on the 30th (today). And I'm ready to get my house back together!
I don't have a particular day or time that I take it down. It depends on the year and what's happening. Today is my day to do it though.
Usually, I'm more than ready to see it all packed away, but I'm so in love with my Jesus tree that I almost want to leave it up all year. If the tree wouldn't go all brown, I probably would!
Being short on storage space, I end up taking some holiday decorations to husband's office and using the basement storage area there...which is a hassle but it works. Most years I like to get the trees and decorations down soon after Christmas is over but since we're going to be away for a few days I'm leaving them up until the first of next week. I am putting away the small decorations though and yesterday got all of that stuff neatly packed into see through containers so next year retrieval will be simplified. This year was not simple...arggh.
Happy new year.
Seeing as this is my first year with a home and my own Christmas decorations and it is my plan to get them down today, I guess I take stuff down before New Year's. But I suppose I need more than one year to be able to say what I usually do, huh?
Mine was packed away yesterday - now I just have to finish putting all the other junk (I mean toys) away.
I try before!!! But, I don't think this is happening this year! oh well! I also want to organize my stuff a little better:)! Great idea with the hanger!
-sandy toes
It depends what kind of mood I am in. This year is after January 5th, because Hubby is off work till then. But I am tired of it and want to take it down. I just know this is not a job for both of us.
We celebrate Christmas until January 6... "On the twelveth day of Christmas... yada, yada, yada." So, that is the day I take everything down.
However, I think I will be taking the garland down (hopefully) today because (since it was real - and since it was the first time I did it and didn't know to soak the branches first) it just looks like twigs, and it looks like we have installed a lovely green carpet in our living room...
12 years of living in Germany really taught us to leave everything up until Three Kings Day, Jan 6. It's hard to do that in America though, especially when the communtiy you live in is picking up Christmas trees on an earlier day! Bah humbug.
I'm eager to get my stuff down so my house will look clean and fresh, but it probably won't happen until next week. I need to wait until my two-year-old is out of my house. Plus, I have weird organizing and cleaning issues, and this year I'm going to document some of them on my blog, which, as you know, means everything will take a little longer.
We have always left our tree up until January 6, which is supposedly when the 3 Kings arrived, sometimes called "Little Christmas."
I got things up late this year but with the way the days are falling, I'm actually hoping to get it all away today and tomorrow. I love my Christmas decorations and have a lot of them (25+ Nativities of various types, plus all the other red & green).
I like the idea of starting the New Year, clean and fresh. I'm going to keep some of the other decor that I put away for C'mas stored for awhile and enjoy the clean simple uncluttered look for a few days, weeks. It's fun to reevaluate where you want things displayed.
After Christmas for sure....it was such a short Christmas season, a few extra weeks extends the cozy factor (or procrastination stomach ache - your choice).
my lights went out on my garland and it was the prelit kind which means those things are stuck in there for life...ugh. Out comes the wire cutters.
Everything got put away over the weekend here. I do love decorating, but I'm so ready to get it all down after Christmas.
Ah the great debate. We leave our decorations up until after January 6th~Epiphany.
I am currently working on the mother of all garlands. It has been deemed: The Ragamonster.
It will make its debut on Jan. 5th.
I've taken the family room tree to make room for all the new toys...but the rest will have to wait until the kids start back to school. Just too much to tackle with them around.
I have the room in the attic and think hanging it is a great idea. I'm wonderging about the dust though. I'm thinking of maybe hanging an old sheet over it all, I could cut holes for the hanger so it would stay in place, like a dry cleaner's bag. Thanks for the post, I've been wondering how to store my newly improved garland this year.
Okay I'm glad I'm not the only one who leaves mine up until jan6 then everything comes down.
I love the hanging of the garland idea now to find a way to do that.
Have a wonderful New Year
julie
Definately after New Years and pushing Valentines Day if I really procrastinate!!! So sad to have to take it down after so much work and such a joyful season! I think I will leave up one strand of porch lights until the time changes. I need as much light as possible in the winter! Then I may just leave it up for warm summer nights on the porch with a Mimosa in hand!!!
This year the are down before New Year's. Usually I leave everthing up until after we have been in the middle of a "remodel" and I just had to have some unmessiness.
I usually leave my holiday decor up until the day after New Year's, but we are leaving to go out of town for New Year's this year and I know when I get home, I will not feel like taking it all down. It's been up since the weekend after Thanksgiving. (My tree is begging to be put out of its misery anyway).
I don't know about anyone else, but I so love putting it all up. It takes me a full day to decorate and I add here and there 'til Christmas.
However, I don't like taking it all down. It's just not as fun.
Now, my house looks sparse. Looking forward to some new great ideas for spring from the Nester!
I take it down on Jan 6. The 12th day of Christmas. No if's, and's or but's about it. That's what my mother does and that's what I do. lol I can't imagine taking it all down so early! And before New Years?? :o)
Oh Girl! BEFORE! I'm a definite taker downer! Friday morning in leopard slippers on the front porch...garland and lights were a flyin'. I love to start the new year fresh!
I keep my stuff up through New Year's Eve so I still have a few days left to enjoy it.
I thought of you yesterday when I was thinking about putting away my garland and wondering if I should take the lights off first and lo and behold...you answered that question today! Thanks Nester now I know I don't have to. ;
Have a great day!
After New Year's here! Then I start some major cleaning and decluttering in January. It is my tradition....lol!
Before! Mine was packed up the day after Christmas! Got to make room for the New Year's decorations! I posted them on my blog, if you'd like to take a peek!
cathy and i are on the same page!! my family always places bets on what time the stuff will be down and packed away, order restored, on dec.26. it is a gift i give myself! i love the stuff up, but after two weeks or so i want to get it down. i love paring down the decor and purging (things, not food) after christmas. and putting things away gets me in the mood to reestalish order in closets or my office (not that anything is ever out of place THERE!!!) (HA!)
my garland was lovely this year! and i can't wait to use it again next year. and then put it away. hahaha! jkj
Great idea using the hanger on each end! You always have such gret ideas from start to finish.
Karin
After New Years. It helps be festive for New Years Eve. But honestly, things straggle around till Feb. Yup...that's right, Feburary!
Just found you last weekend...love your blog! love the idea to store garland too! Labeling is important for me as I forget from year to year!
After New Years, I want to enjoy all of our decorations as long as possible.
Last year it was like Easter before I took the decorations down. They got put up late (due to surgery and FIL major illness) plus I was pretty down about losing our daughter (miscarriage). I had also lost my hubby's StarTrek ornaments and tree (I know...it is a battle I don't fight). I put it up on Valentine's day when I found it... but didn't get it taken down since we were out of town every weekend at the hospital. So far this year, I haven't taken the decor down, but it will surely be before Easter :)
I clear it all as soon after Christmas as possible. I'm no Scrooge, but when it's over, it's over...and I'm ready for a clean house. The inside is finished, and the outside lights will go today--since it's so balmy in Cincinnati.
Love your site! Keep up the good work.
I take everything down after Christmas. I finished it all yesterday.
Christmas goes away before New Year. If I wait any longer... my man isn't around to haul the stuff to the garage for me. I started taking things down last night. Today we're officially striking the set. I'll be ready for spring decor (here in Arizona, spring starts in February!) after Valentines Day.
Normally, my Christmas take down day is Jan 2nd, but this year, I couldn't stand even one more minute of chaos! I took it all down and packed it away on Sunday. My two year old was very upset!
January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany, at least! We like to keep everything up until then so that we keep the Christmas celebration going until it's over. And it ain't over until the Three Kings arrive!!!
I start by moving it all into one room a few days after Christmas. Then once the kids go back to school I will pack it all away.
I don't start packing away until January 7th. Because January 6th is Three Wise Men Day. Even then it is hard to have to say goodbye to all the pretty things. Last year I did leave one of my most beautiful (expensive) nativity sets up that I have displayed in my dinning room hutch. I was too nervous I would brake something and it just looked so pretty in there. I am always sad when I see everything taken down so quickly. My parents do it Christmas Day! SAD!!!
Everything is packed away EXCEPT for the garland. I just want it to take itself down. Sooo...I'll be doing that today. Thanks for the storage suggestions!
I am slowly learning that I am not like my mother and took my Christmas stuff down yesterday. I wanted to put it away the day after Christmas. It was taking up too much space in my little hovel. I shoved my big fat garland into it's tote and happily shoved it all into the shed out in the bitter cold...
and felt no remorse.
I don't want to! You can't make me! This is the first year I made myself a beautiful garland (on the top of my entertainment center) and I only had a 3rd of it down before Christmas. On Sunday I got stuff to finish the other 2/3rds and well now I don't want to put it away. Regardless it will come down on the 1st. *sob*
Actually, I've been going back and forth about it all morning...
To un-deck or just leave it decked??
I'm really hankering for a very clean, streamlined house. But we might have a little get together tomorrow night, so it might be nice to have it decorated.
I'm sure I'll make a decision, eventually.
I'm so glad you posted this today, because I wasn't quite sure how to take down the most beautiful garland I've ever made (thanks to you!). I started slowly taking down the decorations, much to my children's dismay. I go back to work next week so I like it all put away beforehand. Okay, off to remove the garland!
We leave our things up until 3 Kings. The lights will come down this Sunday, only because the hubby is only off every other weekend.
Gotta wait 'til New Years, it's only tradition after all! Thanks for the great tips!
Definitely after the New Year. We end up having a lot of visitors right after Christmas so I like to leave it all up for a while. But listen to this story...
Back in my younger, wilder days, I lived in a little 1-bedroom apartment by myself. I was travelling for work constantly but one year I put up a 4-foot tree because I was home for a couple of weeks around Christmas. That tree stayed up until May when my mother took it down for me while I was away on a trip.
Can you believe that? May!
Kimba
Usually before NY, but this is my first year to have THE MOST WONDERFUL GARLAND ever in my house, and I don't want to take it down yet!!
We just bought a bunch of bins for all the Legos Kiddo racked up this Christmas, with a couple thrown in to truly organize all our Christmas stuff. We are taking it all down tonight. Sigh...December just flew by this year...
We like to leave it all up as long as possible... so it'll all be coming down after new years sometime :D
After New Years
Happy New Year,
Kathy :)
Most definitely AFTER the New Year. Didn't you know the "12 Days of Christmas" starts ON Christmas day and not the days prior to Christmas?
Anywho, any suggestions on how to tastefully bring on some bling and fluff in the house after the Christmas decor is put away? It just feels so cold, barren and boring.
Mine's already down! I can't wait til the day after to start taking it apart, since I put it up around Thanksgiving. One month of living with it is enough! Glad to get the house cleaned & back in order for the New Year.
Since Christmas doesn't really end until the Epiphany, we always wait until then (this year Jan 4th) and sometimes later! I can't bear to put it away so quickly. We're still celebrating the Christmas octave!
This is the first year in a very long time that I have decided to clean up before New Year's.
I removed the mini starfish from my garland and carefully placed it in a plastic bag until next year.
Karol :0)
We decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving and usually leave it up until January 2nd. This year, however, we decided to pack it away on the 28th since I got new furniture for Christmas (yay!) that I wanted to put where the tree was.
After. As picky as my husband as is about not putting up Christmas decorations until Dec. 1, he really is adament that we leave everything up until after the Epiphany (Jan 7).
So here I sit, basking in the glow of Christmas lights as I check my blogs. Thanks for your post!
Always after new years. I leave my decorations up for the 12 days of Christmas. I love the Christmas season, decorations, and celebration. The 12 days of Christmas gives me an excuse to leave the decorations up longer. They come down after the 6th of January.
Love your tagline--'It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful'. Sure wish I had thought of that! and it's so true.
Very interesting site with LOTS of great ideas. I am truly inspired!
Ours really depend on what's going on and how crazy our life is, but we at least keep it up until Epiphany. (In our tradition, the days leading up to Christmas are Advent and Christmas doesn't really start until the 25th and lasts for 12 days), but we also do it because we love the lights. Last year I kept it up an embarrassingly long time because I was too lazy to deal with it...we did not light our tree toward the end though...too afraid it would burn our house down!
I normally try to have everything put up before New Year's...it's a Southern Tradition that if you leave it up through New Year's, you bring the energy from the old year into the new. However this year, it won't be taken down until this weekend....when DH will be off work.
http://alabamaslackermama.blogspot.com/search?q=
I use the bin technique as well! I have almost gotten everything stored already. Since my father passed this spring, my Christmas decorations were making me very sad! Ugh! Had to get them back in storage!
Well this year I put it (the tree is all) up on the 18th and took it down the 27th. I don't regret it either, it was so nice to not have all the clutter that comes with Christmas decor. I just wanted to focus on other things this year and it was refreshing. :)
We'll pack up everything on New Year's Day ... thanks for the tip on hanging a garland .. it never occurred to me!
We take ours down after January 6th - the Feast of the Theophany. I'm actually converting mine into a Mardi Gras tree so I may leave it up a little longer. Fat Tuesday is 2/24 but I don't think we'll leave it up THAT long!
Before New Years! It's like a Winter Time Spring cleaning. It feels so good to have a clean house!
I leave it up later than most, late into January. I'll put away nativity & stockings but keep up mantel, tree, white, gold, & red accents. Next change will be to Spring decor for Feb, Mar, & April!
Great idea about the note in the box! That's where I usually go wrong.
We always keep our decorations up until the 1st of the year, but by then I'm ready to yank them down!
You're so handy to have around! You tell us how to put it up, take it down & put it away!
I like to get it all taken down by the first week in January at the latest. Anything beyond that and it just becomes a burden of procrastination.
I packed it up yesterday, but last year I let it hang around till after my birthday (Jan 19th) and my friend offered (ie: told me she was coming over) to come help me take it down and put it away... This year I was ahead of the game and I even organized and labeled for easy id next year...
I am just taking down today although I usually take down pretty quickly after Christmas. I am ready for a fresh start.
This is a funny year for me though. I decorated up until the 23rd when we left town even though I'm the only one who saw some of the things. It was fun and relaxing to me though and felt like stretching the creative muscles and who cares if it was "productive". Then I was still decorating on the 26th actually! HUH??? I was at my in-laws and my father-in-law is British so they have a big Boxing Day party every year. They handed the decorating over to me which was fun. I got to dig through boxes of decorations I'd never seen and fluff and place and "festive" things up. It was neat. Plus, if you're the decorator you don't have to scrub toilets or anything. :) Plus I got lots of compliments which was fun and nice from my new family.
Anyway, right now I decided to finally take the rather fallish looking fabric out of the picture frames in the entry way but then the photos and matting I want to use now didn't match the frame of the mirror hanging with them so I'm thinking of being crazy and relocating it to the laundry room for a fun touch and then that is leading me to clean off the top of the drier and a shelf in the laundry room to get to where I want to hang the mirror and then that led me to needing a place for some of my glass cake plates so they are going to grace the top of the living room bookshelf which means I have to take my garland down now which led me back in here to my computer to read this post that I'd seen you had written but not yet read. :) Whew! Off to get my plastic tub from the garage and put it away with the lights on this year! Yea! Thanks Nester for all your inspiration and helpful hints! Kelly
I always clean up before New Year's Day. Guess I feel ready to start a new look for the new year? It always seems to be the time I purge lots of stuff too...including myself! I start my cleanse on Monday!
Thanks for all of your great ideas (and commentary) on your blog. It's one I check everyday! I just love it!
Always after New Years! Especially since we often travel during the holidays, I want to squeeze out those last few days of enjoying the extra sparkle. ;) Besides, the packing away part is such a chore. Putting it all out is so much more fun! I try to let the week between Christmas and New Years be one of rest and relaxation to recover from the busy December season. Packing the decor away doesn't fit the restful goal. :) I'm not one to stress about immediate tear down, so I've definitely been known to still have decorations lingering several days into January.
The house always looks so bare after we take down the Christmas decorations, especially the area where the tree was! The space that looked perfectly great all year suddenly looks sparse.
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