Downsizing Christmas Decor

I decorated for Fall last Friday and it's my favorite season. What surprised me was how minimal my Fall decor is. I thought since it's my favorite, I would have more than I do. Maybe I decluttered some last year??? Don't remember but there are only a few areas of my kitchen and living room that have Fall decor in them. And I'm really liking it. Touches of Fall here and there and nothing over powering.

But... looking back at last year's Christmas pictures I took of my house, all the Christmas decor seems over-whelming now after realizing how much I like how my house is decorated for Fall. In the pictures, my living room looked like it vomited Christmas. :laff: I'm really thinking of downsizing some (maybe a lot) of my Christmas decor to get the same feelings I have with my Fall decor.

I might spend some time today printing out last year's Christmas pictures and circle some things that can either be decluttered or maybe moved to another room that doesn't have as much decor as the living room. But I don't want to over-whelm another area either. I guess I'll see what happens in a few months and hopefully my house looks festive without screaming Christmas this year.

good job in downsizing and decluttering. It’s hard to reach the balance of the right amount of stuff isn’t it?

That's a great idea to use pictures and circle what goes! Good luck.

Good luck! My Christmas decorations consist of a 2ft tall tabletop tree and decorations. Some years I get a small poinsettia. That’s it. I will display the Christmas cards I receive.

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Originally Posted by happystuff

That's a great idea to use pictures and circle what goes! Good luck.

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It's proving harder than I thought. I'm looking at things and want everything to remain. Now there are some stuff that is on the fence so that's good but I think I won't know for sure until December when I decorate and start with the things I know I love and once it starts to look over-done, what's left will go.

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Originally Posted by Tradd

Good luck! My Christmas decorations consist of a 2ft tall tabletop tree and decorations. Some years I get a small poinsettia. That’s it. I will display the Christmas cards I receive.

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I display cards as well. Normally they go all around our pantry door. But last year, I think I only got 3-4 cards. I guess others decided like me to stop sending cards.

So many people have cut back on sending cards; I think your experience is the norm, getting few. We send a few out but not nearly what we used to send.

One thing that helps me declutter Christmas is to think if I give it away now, someone else will be enjoying it this Christmas, so long as I recycle it somewhere like Goodwill or my grandchildren.

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Originally Posted by Tybee

So many people have cut back on sending cards; I think your experience is the norm, getting few. We send a few out but not nearly what we used to send.

One thing that helps me declutter Christmas is to think if I give it away now, someone else will be enjoying it this Christmas, so long as I recycle it somewhere like Goodwill or my grandchildren.

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I won't be able to go through the Christmas stuff until December when I start to decorate. That way, I'll know what things look like when done so I'll know what is excess. Places around me have very strict days/times when stuff can be dropped off and it doesn't fit with my life. I take some things to work and leave on the loading dock if someone wants it. Otherwise it gets trashed.

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Originally Posted by Tybee

So many people have cut back on sending cards; I think your experience is the norm, getting few. We send a few out but not nearly what we used to send.

One thing that helps me declutter Christmas is to think if I give it away now, someone else will be enjoying it this Christmas, so long as I recycle it somewhere like Goodwill or my grandchildren.

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I send maybe 150 cards. And get about that many. I’m part of a British author fan group on FB and we’ve been doing a holiday card exchange for about a decade. It’s literally the best part of my Christmas. I start getting cards late November and they come until mid-January. They come from people all over the world. I actually budget for this.

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Originally Posted by Tradd

I send maybe 150 cards. And get about that many. I’m part of a British author fan group on FB and we’ve been doing a holiday card exchange for about a decade. It’s literally the best part of my Christmas. I start getting cards late November and they come until mid-January. They come from people all over the world. I actually budget for this.

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I can see where receiving 100+ cards, many from overseas, would be a fun Christmas tradition. You don’t need much more decoration.

so, do you toss them after the season is over?

I was a member of The Tilling Society for several years. This is a group based in England and honoring author EF Benson.

That is so cool, Tradd, what a great idea!!

IL, I toss most out the cards. I keep a few each year.

I am always surprised that I still get Xmas cards, since I have never sent them. (Well I do send one to a friend's autistic little girl who loves to get mail. I send her a card for every card-giving occasion imaginable. This is Rosa's one small act of kindness to a child. I pretty much have nothing to do with the little creatures otherwise).

When we bought our house, I set about amassing a lot of holiday decor for Xmas, Halloween, and Valentine's Day. I got pretty nice stuff from artisans and crafts fairs. I ultimately ended up downsizing the collection, and I think I'm at a pretty good place at this point in time. I prefer the small touches since we have such a small home.

When we moved from the city, I got rid of crap tons of Christmas stuff. I mean, we had three fake trees. And numerous junk. That was one of my gazingus pins even back in the days when I was frugal. But the thing is, I sekdom put all of it up. Sometimes I put up one little thing. It was a giant PITA to haul the stuff from our third floor storage room where it had its own cubbyhole exclusively for Christmas decor down to the first floor.

in my head, I thought in my new country house I would be doing minimal decor and it would all be natural greenery. Ha ha, already I’m hoarding bits and pieces of Christmas decor. I find here and there people are throwing away. Also, I have a container of green and red dinnerware items that is because I decorate a Christmas table every year for a fundraiser. So I had to collect stuff for that, right!??
Our Christmas tables are supposed to be different from year to year.

but I am keeping an eye on my local Goodwill‘s Christmas displays. They do store stuff during the year and bring it out for the Christmas season, so that is a good source of non-natural decor

I have quickly gone through my decor totes (all seasons/holidays) and put four things to the side so far. One every day item, one Christmas item, and two Winter items. I am going to decorate when the time comes and if I don't miss them, they will get decluttered.

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Originally Posted by Klunick

I have quickly gone through my decor totes (all seasons/holidays) and put four things to the side so far. One every day item, one Christmas item, and two Winter items. I am going to decorate when the time comes and if I don't miss them, they will get decluttered.

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Four more things added to the "maybe" pile. Spring/Easter stuff.

I ended up getting rid of all the items I had kept aside. If I thought I could live without them, I probably could so why wait.