Christmas comes down on Kings Day - January 6, 2024 - pack a tub eat a piece of King Cake - pack another tub have another piece - Have to love living in New Orleans!!!
Hi, I use pool noodles to store my lights. I cut the noodle into pieces. Then cut a slit either end. One end I put the end of the lights, then wrap the wire around the noodle, then end by putting the plug wire through the opposite end. I also use a Dyno labeller to label each plug. I hope this helps 👍🏻
That is a great idea. Mine’s all put away already but I’ll keep that in mind for next year. I was looking for pool noodles over the holiday season to make bulb wreaths as a craft and they were non where to be found. Guess I’ll have to stock up over summer!😊
Rebecca, in the last 71 years, i have stumbled upon some of your hints already, but i still learned a lot from you today! Thank you!! In my experience what works well for me is to, as much as possible, store items by the room i use it in, so i have bins labeled "kitchen," "entry," "dining room," "patio," "front bathroom," etc. Within the bins, i store each strand of lights in a separate labeled zip lock baggie: "candle hutch," "coffee table," "fireplace," "bar," etc. This also works well for garlands. I also keep a running list of things i want to be sure to replace for next year: silver ribbons, red tapers, paper napkins, scented bathroom soaps, etc. Then, come October, I'll have my first list ready to complete! And your suggestion for removing all batteries from lights before storing them is crucial. I learned the hard way of the value of that practice. And i always order new AA's, AAA's and the disc batteries. However, here's what separates the Queen of Christmas (you) from the plebeians (me): i can honestly say that i have never, nor will i ever, iron a poinsettia leaf. 😂 Just sayin'... Thank you for all the inspiration! Happy New Year ! 🎉
We always observe the twelve days of Christmas which ends on Jan. 5 so the decorations stay up until then. The outdoor lights are turned off on the 6th and we take our time taking down the trees. Love your tips!
I’m 65 and always considered myself a Christmas queen too- accumulating more every year. Crazy how over all these years you’re forced to become organized. Yes, I will even go so far as saying “anal” about my decorations!😂It just makes it so much easier to find things year after year- when you decide to change themes or bring out the old standards as I like to call them. I’m watching you disassemble everything like a kindred spirit. I started taking everything down after NewYears day. All my entertaining was over so the process began. As of yesterday-January 5th it was all toted away and stored. I’m bulging at the seams this year. My husband said I have to stop, but upon putting things away, I too checked my lights and a lighted tree topper and they were shot! So….. ya know I’m going to get more!Us queens have expectations we have to preserve after all!❤
@@elizabethwhite196 So true!! Standards must be maintained!! Like you, all of our Holly Jolly decor was stowed away (yesterday for me) on January 6th. As I sip my morning coffee, I am missing my beautiful tree and gynormous wall wreath!!. :( BUT the good part is, like you, I'm compiling a list for this coming Christmas!! Doing so helps 'soften the blow' a bit from the initial letdown of 'no more Christmas decor for awhile', and goes a long way to keep everything organized/prepared for next time. I love not having to go scrambling for things in November/early December!
@@karenokeane6461 Yep, ya gotta plan ahead! I have an older sister who is obsessed with Christmas too and she’s my enabler! She called me and told me the deals she got at Hobby Lobby for 90 percent off! I like to take advantage of those deals too but thus far, it’s been really picked over.
Just in time for the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th which is the last day of Christmas. (Remember the 12 days of Christmas?) I can’t understand people who rush from one holiday to the next, especially the Christmas holiday. We start Christmas after Thanksgiving dinner and don’t finish until January 6 when the Three Wise Men are on the scene. Your videos are great, and we appreciate your thoughtfulness in how to organize and store these Christmas decorations in a way to reuse them in subsequent years. With costs soaring, it’s helpful knowing how to preserve these things so that the bank is not broken every year to decorate for the holidays. Great video, once again!!!
Regardless of when we put the tree up, it stays up until my birthday, January 12th. When my parents were alive, it was a day of taking down the tree, packing up the Christmas decor, and finishing the day with a birthday celebration. This was our first Christmas with an artificial tree! We had some fun purchasing new ornaments, + finding a star and garlands to go with it. Looks like we're going to have a lot more packing to do next Friday! Happy New Year! 🎄🎁✴
What a fun tradition! I love it! And it extends the Christmas season, which is never a bad thing. 😁 Wishing you a wonderful New Year, and a very Happy Birthday!🥳🎉💥🎈🎂🎁❤🕺✨
Happy New Year 🎉 Lol, I didn’t put my tree up until just before Christmas so it’s staying up for awhile 😊 Living in Canada in the winter makes the lights and warmth of a tree a little more welcome throughout the next few months 😂
We take it down after the Epiphany when the 3 wisemen made it to baby Jesus. The Christmas season does last until February 2nd when Mary presented Jesus in the temple. So~ I leave up the nativity and I usually redecorate it… more wintery and maybe change lights and move it a different place in my home. : ) love the tips! 🎄❤️
Thank you for all these great tips! Here's a tip from me: please be careful when storing batteries! Do not just put them in a box or bag all randomly as the opposing ends may touch and can create a spark that starts a fire. Do not store batteries with the opposing ends touching one another. Your best bet is to get a case or storage container specifically for batteries that keeps them all separated from each other and prevents the ends from coming into contact with each other. Store all the positive ends facing the same direction. Have a happy and SAFE new year!
Rebecca, I have done many of your tips in the past very faithfully. There are some specific packing ideas that you shared that I will be incorporating into my take-downs from now on. I would also add that if there is something that is broken and can be fixed, do it NOW. This is the time to fix anything because it won't happen next year. I broke a gingerbread man's arm as I was moving him to wrap, so I got my E6000 and he is back to one whole piece. Otherwise that piece will be lost or more broken by next year. Thanks for this video, ever since you told us it was coming, I've been waiting.
Good advice. We have a Mr. and Mrs. Snowman my mother gave us, and his carrot nose broke, so my husband fixed it right away - and he did a perfect job - can't even see where it was broken and it was small and hard to fix - My husband name is Lance! You reminded me of a little thing that was very special and I seen the name Lance in your handle. Devine coincidence - special like alot of things at Christmas time. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. Dawn
@@cleartruth101 When I first met my husband, 47 years ago, everyone called him Lance. Once I was talking to him and asked what his last name was. “Lance,” he replied. I said, “Your parents named you Lance Lance?!?” No, his first name was Les. I always called him that and not any of the nicknames he had. It’s cool to know your husband’s first name is Lance.
I agree! Repair right away. Hurts my soul when something breaks so I tend to it right away…. Providing it has sentimental value.Otherwise- treat yourself to something new!😊
Great storage tips! I already follow most of what you shared. But because I don’t have quite the extensive collection of Christmas decorations, it’s not as imperative that I go to the same lengths as you do... but the concepts are still applicable! I’m a Twelfth Day of Christmas kind of gal and wouldn’t dream of taking down my decorations until after Epiphany, January 6th. And when family can’t get together until well after Christmas Day, I’ve been known to have my tree up until Christmas has been properly celebrated with my family... mid-January and even as late as President’s Day! Not everyone (my sister and her husband) can take off to travel over Christmas and must wait for those Monday bank holidays to fit in an extra day of celebrations with their newly available vacation days at work. One thing I do a bit differently is I don’t deconstruct my beautiful bows I’ve made with my gorgeous wired ribbons. I stuff each loop with tissue paper, gently arrange them in beds of fluffy tissue and they keep their shape for the next year! Because I don’t buy a bunch of new each year, I don’t accumulate so many different varieties of decorations. If I want to make things feel fresh and different the next year I may use things in a different way or in different rooms or forego using them at all, just to make it feel like a whole new look. However, once I’ve made a gorgeous bow... that baby is going to have years of being gorgeous, even if my bow storage boxes aren’t as compressed and space-saving as others! To me, my time and efforts creating these little works of art are worth a little extra storage space! I’m incredibly thankful I don’t have to come up with new decor each year, like you. But I can see how having things deconstructed down to a beginning point may make coming up with your new creations easier. Your great tips can be used and adapted to fit most everyone’s needs or desires! Thanks for sharing your years of experience with us! Oh, another tip, depending on how fastidious you may be! I have found those Federal Express plastic sleeves you stick on their envelopes where you put the printed addresses inside and seal them up, work absolutely brilliantly on the side of storage bins. If you are a bit “extra” 🙋🏻♀️ you can print out the CLASSIFICATION and also list the general contents. For example: SANTAS then list... White traditional ceramic - 3; Gold resin - 4; White contemporary ceramic - 1; etc... or TABLE TOP TREES... Hammered silver - 1; Wire silver - 1 large - 1 small, Wire gold - 1 large, - 1 small; etc. Printing classifications in large bold letters are easy to find at a glance for the general items and the list allows you to read the exact contents, depending on how detailed you wish to be. I do admit that when accumulating new pieces over the years, I don’t always print out a new sheet but have some write-ins easily added to the paper in the plastic sleeve (just don’t seal them up once you’ve adhered the plastic sleeve to the storage container to allow for revisions or reuse for different items due to editing!)! Definitely not as neat and tidy with the write-ins as I would prefer, but sometimes I’m too lazy or just too darn tired to bother. Do you however it works best! Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉
I use the really pretty ornament hooks and generally leave them on or beside the ornament as I pack them away. I don't have different ornaments each year, my tree is a history of my family (I also only use one tree but maybe some baby trees with just lights). As for batteries, I bought a battery organizer case a year ago which was a Godsend! It came with a power gage so I can check the strength of each battery and store them according to size (Home Depot). We generally use these up over the year and I restock before the holidays when I can catch them on sale. That way I know they are strong enough to get through the season. I keep things simple, I don't keep an abundance of decorations. The most I change up is random greenery, garland, and ribbons from time to time. I have also changed out the little knick knacks/figurines over the years as my tastes change and donate the old. I don't have a "traditional" time I take things down, but over the years I have started leaving them up through Epiphany "Kings Day" before I begin to take things down. I also go in reverse of how I decorated so that the house isn't naked all in one day!! Tree comes down first, then mantle, foyer, knick knacks/linens, and lastly outdoors. This way, all my bins are in the order I will need them next year!!
great tips. i haven’t started yet. i’ll start Jan 7 or so. as i got older i moved to smaller containers and a smaller tree, i use clear bins, for balls one for each color. as i change my theme year to year i only bring down what i’ll be using. the florals are so expensive, i use the flatter bins for picks and separate green, gold, silver. i’ve learned just throw out bad light strings and i don’t buy prelit anything. hooks i don’t use, i either use fishing line, heavy thread, or thin wire depending on the ornament. my tip to others would be not to buy what you don’t have storage room for, and once the bins are stored they are in a place where they will not have to be moved at all. lol amazing you know your theme already! i did woodland this year and i loved it, so calm.
Happy 2024! Thank you and the team for all your hard work, inspo, and task tips! I have used many of your tips and tricks and it has helped tremendously. I REALLY appreciate the idea of labels on the tubs whether or not they are see-through. At 11:00 minutes in the video you wrap one ornament on the outside of a bundle of icicles - as a former picture framer, I can share that sometimes finishes can be removed or damaged by the packing tape if used on the outside sample ornament. What do you think about using a small snack bag around it and then taping or better yet, taking an instant photo of each collection and taping the pic to the inside of the tub so it is easier to visualize before digging inside and undoing the whole wrap job...? A lot of folks have the new Polaroids and instant cams or you can print them easily even if it's just on regular printer paper. Just wanted to offer some additional ideas to see if you've tried them and how it worked out! Blessings! 🌟
I so appreciate watching you “un decorate” for the Holidays. My husband and I always have a “discussion” when taking down the decorations…how to do it, how to store it, blah, blah. I pretty much do what you are doing, likes, colors, etc. sWe moved last year and saved all the different bubble wrap and many of the cardboard boxes. We have cut the large sides of the boxes to use as support between layers and , if necessary, on the top for extra support. ALSO, I love your upbeat personality and positive approach. So many online designers have a tendency to talk down to us. I don’t think they mean to. GENIUS tip on the poinsettias.
I store everything per room. so much easier for me to put thing up the next year. I celebrate Thanksgiving at our house and don't want to take down my Thanksgiving decor before Thanksgiving, so I decorate the rooms we don't eat in first, then after Thanksgiving I pull down the kitchen decor boxes, the entry way and staircase decor and the outdoor decorations. I also keep the hooks on my ornaments for ease of hanging next year. It is easy for me this way to shift things around if I want a different look or if I get new items. love your tips and love your storage room!!!
*All of this is highly informative and Rebecca’s home looked spectacular for Christmas, but I am so happy that none of this is relevant to me because I have substantially scaled back material items in my life, and I could not be more happier and relieved. The less things you have, the less stress and work you have to contend with, and the simpler your life is.*
Would you share how you scaled back, please? Did you donate, gift, or just toss?? Sometimes the purging is less about the minimalism and more about the destination of loved treasures. Blessings for a wonderful 2024
@@pamelairvin3164 *One day, 5 years ago, I looked about and said, “This is just too much, and do I really need all of this?” The answer was no, and I began boxing and labelling everything that I decided I could live without, and donated it directly to two families, a youth home for boys, and an orphanage. The items I kept are very sentimental/valuable to me and my family, so now when we put them out, they mean so much more and shine all the brighter. Blessings to you, too, and I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and happy.* 💕
I live in the UK so storage isn't great in our homes lol. I normally store all of my decorations in our loft, which involves many, many trips up and down loft ladders and stairs. I decided this year, I'm going to use my (unused) summer house, (it's a posh shed really) and store everything, in stackable boxes, apart from soft things like my many father Christmas ornaments, they will still go in the loft. I'm genuinely looking forward to doing it because it will be so much easier next year. I'm 60 and I either have to cut down on my decorations or find an easier space to store them. I have my own little seasonal business in wreaths, garlands and lanterns etc and I really love to get my own decorations up before my busy period or my energy flags. I've watched you for many years and absolutely love every style that you do. I've seen your storage in both houses but this is the first time (I think) that you've done a take down video and I loved all the tips and tricks, so, Thank you and Happy New Year to you and yours ❤️
When it comes to wrinkled leaves and scrunched flowers, there's no way I'd iron them - but - I do hold them over a boiling kettle of water to let the steam reshape them. They come out like new! Every. Single. Time. So much easier, and faster. Just another idea being shared.
I took my stuff down the day after Christmas. I couldn’t talk all the mess from the glitter and flock. I’m so attracted to shiny, sparkly things but oh, the mess. 🤦🏻♀️. Clear storage is the best and the next best thing is to take a photo of what’s in the bin and tape it to several sides. Also, with lights, I keep all my old lights in a plastic bag and when one burns out, I just remove the actual light bulb from its holder and put in a new bulb that way, it always fits whatever string of lights that need replaced bulb. It’s tedious sometimes but it works.
Wow Rebecca is there anything you can’t do ? From being a fantastic Interior Designer to a great organizer! Thanks for such awesome tips. Can’t wait to try them. Now I just need a storage place like you to put all my bins! 😂😂
Hi Rebecca! Happy New Year! I have been doing many of these tips for years. Last year I took it one stop further and documented what was in each bin on a slip of paper, tucked that into a ziploc bag and taped it to the inside lid. That way when whichever one of my family is helping me take down, they have a reference. This actually came about when my husband COMPLAINED that it was to hard to help. "Why don't you label which bin they go in???"....Ok Sir. hahaha ALSO, I have a bin marked Christmas Tool kit. It works wonders!!
I absolutely do these! Because I essentially live in a submarine (no basement, no garage, two bedrooms), I have to be careful with storage. I even purchased a shelving unit to put in an unused bathtub so I could store Christmas stuff there. Just close the curtain and voila! So these are valuable tips for we who are “storage area deprived.”
I thought this video would never be released! I'm one of those who starts to take it down the day after Christmas. Thank you SO MUCH for giving me permission to throw away the Christmas ball boxes (that I've saved for 20 years, that are all mangled, that I tape the corners of, and that cellophane that comes undone off the lid in the first year, and that take up too much room in my storage bins. It was kind of fun this year tho (especially with crazy inflation) to look at a box of 18 beautiful glass ball ornaments from Michael's with the price tag still on: $2.99! I love that you use blue tape and label and it's not all Cricut label perfect, but it does the job perfectly! Happy New Year! I'll be re-watching this next Dec 26 for motivation.
My decorations come down on the 12th night of Christmas, the 6th Jan - it's also my late mother's birthday so it holds many wonderful memories and is time for reflection & reminiscing. Thanks for all the tips, use a few of them myself, but appreciated the idea with your icicles, brilliant 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I love what you do every year. I'm disabled and need some help with the holidays, but decorating the way I'd love to would push them beyond their patience. So, I live vicariously through yours!! But I have a couple of traditions for what I do manage to get put up. First, my tree always goes up the Sunday after Thanksgiving when I still have help from my visiting step-sons. Most of my theme is winter (like the penguins that go above my kitchen cabinets every year), so I leave my decorations until sometime in February. I suffer from depression, so the festivity of the decorations helps to lift me up when things seem too much. People are also more willing to help me take them down by then since they're no longer overwhelmed by the holidays and they're more than ready for spring decor to start going up!
I decorate my house for every season. Hanukkah, Winter, Valentine’s, Spring, summer, fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. I don’t have a basement, so, I purchased 200 gallon plastic see-through bins that have wheels on one end by Hart; sold at Walmart. 48.99 each. They really have made my life much easier because I have all of my holiday and seasonal decor so much more organized by putting each season and holiday per plastic bin. I also purchased quite a few plastic wreath storages For all the different wreaths that go with all of the different seasons.
Thank you for your wonderful tips Rebecca. I love my Christmas decorations and they usually stay up for a while after Christmas. I have four sons and one of them is a merchant mariner who seems to be away every year at Christmas. I leave them up until he is back home so he can enjoy a few days of the season. Last year it was March. That was stretching it even for me but I loved that he had a Christmas at home. He should be back home earlier this year.
As I dismantle the tree, I always have a duster in hand, and give each bauble a quick rub over. Maybe because we don’t have air conditioning here in the UK our houses do get dusty, and so do the Christmas ornaments. Giving them a quick dust saves getting them out the next Christmas all dull. I spend hours with my sister decorating for Christmas, but not this year. We were away up until early December this year, so we only bought down our souvenir metal tree, it’s only 5 foot. We buy a bauble every time we go to a different country (yes you can buy them year round), and put them on the souvenir tree. It makes for a great conversation starter, then we wrap it in a huge bag with all the souvenirs on it, and put it away for next year. To De~Christmas our home this year took about 5 minutes.
Thank you Rebecca. All your tips have been super helpful to me. I was one who never decorated before Thanksgiving. Well, last November I started decorating a little bit here one weekend and a little there the next. Made so much sense when you stated “Why are you waiting to do ALL decorating in December”. Worked out beautifully. Took decors down in the same way starting New Years Day. Little here, little there…Thanks for the fun and the inspiration.
Our decorations stay up until AFTER the New Year! The goal is to down on the weekend after 🥂 BUT if it goes a few days past that I'm ok with that ☺ I never get to start early because I host Thanksgiving and Santa doesn't enter until Tom exits! A lot of your tips for me, are old hat, lights ribbons, bubble wrap...CLEAR is a must! I normally store totes by "room". Well, guess what?! I have been thinking dividing COLOR and here you are! I might switch up rooms next year 🤔 LOVE that you have already started 2024! I just had THREE new mini trees delivered today and have more new ornaments 😀 LOVE your channel/videos. Looking forward to what you do this year!
I adore your videos. I don’t have the quantities of different decor, but I still have 14 trees of varying sizes. I do try to use clear tubs of the same brand, but I find that if you don’t get them all at the same time, they differ. But… while I will put categories together, I now pack by room, because I don’t change the design each year. I also keep “winter” decor up until March.. so I do have separate tubs of just greens and trees. All your instructions are so helpful! I learn so much! Thank you!
The saddest time of year for me is when I have to take my Christmas decorations down:( The song Anticipation was written and performed by the very talented artist Carly Simon. Happy New Year!
In Sweden the tradition is to take the decorations down on Saint Knut's day which is on January 13th. Maybe it is because we all enjoy the lights the christmas and advent decorations bring to us in the dark winter months.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!! I have to say this video is much needed and long-awaited; every year I purge a bit more, organize a bit more, and breathe a sigh of relief that we got to enjoy one more year with family favorites. We generally leave up our Christmas-related decorations through Jan 1 and I begin undoing it all the day regular work schedules resume. This year we're going to enjoy winter greens with white lights as ambient lighting indoors through the winter months and change over to spring and summer greens in March. Blessings!!
I've been handling my Christmas takedown like this for years, and it's absolutely a lifesaver. With dozens of smaller totes and a couple dozen tree-sized totes, labeling and organization is paramount! Thank you for taking the time to share these wonderful tips. As for when I take down Christmas, it's broken down into 2 segments: Christmas decor and Christmas Village. Each task is highly detailed, so I do it in parts.
I have a cheap battery tester. As I take the batteries out I test them. I throw away some and then I put the others in a zip lock bag labeled used. You need to get yourself a battery tester. My 7 yo grandson loves testing the batteries. I roll my ribbon like you, but put them in zip locks. You gave us so many good tips. Thanks Rebecca.
Europe side, we would say the 12th day of Christmas is the 6th of January. Many on this side of the pond leave their decorations up until that night. It has many names, The Feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or 'Little Christmas' . It's the night we remember the visit of the Magi to the Christ child. It's very important for the Greek & Eastern Orthodox churches In Ireland, traditionally, it's called 'Women's Christmas' in Irish 'Nolliag na mBan' (pronounced Nullig na mawn). It's when the men take Children & responsibility for the home, and the women get a break & have a wee party/meet up with friends as a reward for doing everything at Christmas. We polish off the last of the Christmas goodies & have a good time.
I typically take it down after Christmas Day, unless I’m ill. One year I had complications from pancreatic surgery so it was January and this year I had skin cancer on my arm so that surgery set me back. I finally got it put away last Friday. I do most tips you have on here but everything is on a smaller scale since we downsized.
We finally got smart Rebecca! I numbered each tote & wrote in a notebook the number & what was in each tote! No more digging through none see through totes! Clear ones r best, but did not want to waste the dark ones! Good tip!
My birthday is January 6th (Epiphany, when the wiseman traveled to see the new baby Jesus 😁, some call it Three Kings Day)…so my family has ALWAYS kept the tree and other decorations up til after my bday has passed - it usually ends up being around mid-January when they come down. So, I’ll be taking them down this week. …and i am SO glad i learned of you now, just in time to adopt all of your awesome tips!! And…I am TOTALLY going to do your theme of “A Frosty Forest Christmas” in 2024 - OMG!! So beautiful!!i can hardly wait til next Christmas! Also, i’m a new, first time homeowner, so it it makes it that much MORE special and fun to decorate for the holidays! I just “met” u tonight, but i am definitely a convert, and a subscriber! Thanks for sharing your beautiful talent and “gift” of creativity with the world… i am grateful… Reminds me of my wonderful Mother (she passed in 2017 and was my best friend). She was also extremely talented and uber creative…Everything she touched turned into something beautiful…
Your house looks fabulous!!! I loved the frosty forest. This yr I had to move right before Christmas so only a few decorations on our kitchen island and no tree. I gave our white tree to a young couple who needed one. I sold lots and my daughter and me are getting things as we can. We lived there for 7 yrs. Just couldn't pay $1900 for 1bdrm! So here we are in another place. Will be looking for a tree next yr!
My decorations are still up until the feast of the epiphany. A catholic tradition. Thanks for the organizing and storing ideas Rebecca! Sending love from Malaysia ❤️
I always wrapping everything in Plastic Wrap. Inside, for fabric-related items like the tree and Garland, I place pinecones scented with cinnamon or cinnamon sticks. Then, I wrap everything to ensure that when I unpack it later, there's no musty odor. It's a 100% effective method to keep things fresh.
Actually, I needed this last week. This year I had to get all my decorations down in a couple of days and put them them in storage. Leaving early for Florida and have a very busy week before we leave.
Love the video! Very helpful tips! No traditions for taking Christmas down, but generally a couple of weeks to a month after Christmas until or unless it starts driving me crazy to look at. I love the beauty of it, but then it starts to look busy and it’s gotta come down. 😂
Rebecca I put my tree up after Thanksgiving and leave it up sometimes till middle of January! It helps with my seasonal depression!!! I had a 7ft. Silver tree this year ❤ it!!! I usually have a white tree. I wonder if you would ever have a rotating tree? I love my rotating tree spiners are nice but once you watch the tree go round it's fantastic! Can't wait to see what you choose for 2024😊
I never thought I would have artificial trees much less white or silver! BUT got a white one a number of years ago and LOVE it!! Decorated primarily with red, SO pretty! Then last year I got a silver one for another room. ANOTHER big hit! LOVE it! My BF has a rotating tree, it's VERY cool!
I watched the whole video because it was just enjoyable. My whole Christmas decor setup takes 3 small bins and I love the tradition of all the same items from year to year. I love seeing your elaborate decorations even though I don't do that in my house.
Happy New Year Rebecca. On January 6th it is the Three Kings Day. That's the end of the Christmas season for me. The next day I take down all the Christmas decorations inside and outside. Except the Christmas tree. It will remain in place for another week. Otherwise I would miss the lights all at once, which I find unpleasant. Thanks for your tips, although I saw a few that I have been using for years. Already looking forward to your new videos this year. Greetings Rick 🎇🥂🎆
Took my decor down on 12/30. So glad to start New Year without decor. My decor has been up since mid. November. You get us all so excited to decorate early! I added red decor and colored lights to my designer tree a week before Christmas and it looked so vintage traditional. Loved Sharrah's vintage style this year!
I loved Sharrah's theme this year as well. It was fantastic. Beautifully curated, yet bursting with Vintage 'warm and fuzzy'-ness. For me, her decor this time stands as the benchmark to those going for a vintage vibe, whether or not there are small children around to behold it. Just outstanding. :)
Great Video, Rebecca...you truly are The Queen!! Our home has just ONE storage area...a spare bedroom, which must accommodate EVERYTHING, year round. We don't have a garage, usable attic, shed or basement...so anything one would normally allocate to those spaces must be condensed in this one room It is accessed constantly throughout any given day for cleaning supplies, canned goods, (yes, it's a kitchen pantry too!) etc., as well as housing items which are treasured but only used occasionally. You get the picture. Organization is paramount. Utilizing every square inch as though one were living on a submarine is key, to keep the area from quickly morphing into "Grandma's Attic", which would be the bane of my 'neat-freak' existence, and trigger the dreaded "Mommy Meltdown" which everyone wants to avoid. LOL Our storage bins are heavy duty Rubbermaid that are nestled/ stacked from floor to ceiling with ease. Of course we remain mindful about properly cushioning fragile items and keeping the heaviest bins close to the bottom, but doing so provides maximum space usage. Those shelving units like what Rebecca shows would actually TAKE AWAY valuable 'real estate' in our case. All are SOLID color (as opposed to clear or opaque) to protect the contents from possible fading during storage, since the room is not perpetually dark like a basement or shed would be. Those bins allocated for Christmas are red and green (original, right? LOL) to distinguish them from the rest, and I follow Rebecca's directive of labeling the fronts with painters tape written in black sharpie. Bullet-list of contents plus a notation if that container is especially heavy. My last tweak before closing the bins for their hibernation period of New Years thru Thanksgiving is enclosing one or two of those cinnamon scented mini pine cone potpourri mesh bags sourced from Michaels (they're sold elsewhere too, but Michaels is closest to me) I try to pick up a few each Season to sprinkle on the guest bathroom counter and display in a pretty bowl on the coffee table. Understated accent decor AND wonderful, long lasting scent. For storage inside sealed containers after the Holidays, they keep the contents, especially textiles like throw blankets, stockings, pillow covers, etc., free from the 'stale-ness' or faint plastic smell they often absorb when locked away in an airtight environment. It's such a pleasure getting that first whiff of lovely warm cinnamon when they're reopened again. :) In truth, ANY kind of bagged potpourri can be used, in whichever scent one finds pleasing. A little touch for those special items while they're waiting to come out again. :) One of my sisters puts Vanilla potpourri pouches in her Holiday bins, and loves them...I can vouch for the cinnamon mesh bags from Michaels as being high quality, and safe around fabrics, etc. In fact some purchased three or more years ago continue scenting my bins, since they've never been taken out for display around the house, and their aroma hasn't dissipated.. :) Happy New Year to Rebecca and all the other Christmas Queens out there!! Time to get that list started for what we want in Christmas 2024!!! :) :)
When I was a child and when my kiddos were young we left it all up past Jan 6th, the epiphany . Nowadays, I take it down usually a few days after Christmas.
Happy New Year, Rebecca. I have two tips for two of your tips. First, I, too, remove my batteries yearly. I, however, keep the batteries with the object they have been removed from. Batteries won't be as efficient if you mix used battieries together. Say that one battery was used for something that was lit for four hours a day, and another was used for six or eight hours a day. When the more used battery is dead, the object you have it in will go dead, regardless of how much juice is in the other batteries and you end up thowing all of them away. A battery tester helps a lot. Obviously, it doesn't matter if only one battery is used. My second tip is that I have been ironing my wired ribbons for years. It works very well. I hadn't actually thought about ironing my misshapened picks as well, though. That was a real "duh" moment for me! 😂 Thanks for all the inspiration!
You’re so funny, to watch you tell someone how and what to do then you do it yourself. You’re to funny. I do the same exact thing. Love your icicle collection and those foam bags are terrific.
OUCH!!! I started taking down my Christmas decorations on New Year’s Day. They’ve been up since early November. I always gather everything bit by bit on the dining room table and then move them bit by bit to the basement floor and then to their respective containers. I was halfway through the process when I wiped out tripping on the decorations in the basement and have been stuck in bed with a badly bruised and swollen foot elevated on pillows since then. I don’t know when I’ll get it done now. Fingers crossed that I didn’t break any decorations when I fell. 😩
I’m swapping out my Christmas ornaments for Mardi Gras ornaments and buying myself another month before I have to take down my tree. Happy King’s Day! Welcome Mardi Gras season!! 🎭📿⚜️📿🎉☂️🎺
Great video !! Today is January 6 , and I am taking down my Christmas decorations.. I live in a little apartment but I go all in, bedroom , curtains, towels, tree, decor , balcony , pillows … going well so far 😎
Suggestion on what I use to store my Christmas ornaments in is Easter grass. I use decorative stackable boxes fill it with Easter grass and put the Christmas balls in to protect them. I leave the decorative boxes out for display.
I don't have a Xmas take-down tradition, I always leave Xmas decor up until after New Years. I find that b/c I work Xmas Retail, I need extra time with my home Xmas decor to just enjoy it....working in Xmas retail is exhausting so when I get home I don't really get time to enjoy my decorated home, thus I leave it up a bit longer most people would to about 2 wks./mid-January. I live alone so there is no help, but no one to object either. Thank you Rebecca for being a design/decor guiding light! Happy New YEAR, have a magnificent 2024!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I do a way to pack up my mantel every year. I miss my mantel decorations and decorate for many occasions. (Like you are the Christmas Queen, I am the Mardi Gras Queen...LOL!) I keep my decorated garland lights, ornaments, jesters, etc. all together and just pull it out of my been ready to hang on my mantel. It saves me a lot of time to do it that way. (Chirstmas, Mardi Gras, and Easter mantel garland) Since I have RA, I do not do the 4th of July anymore. I don't have a crew to help me. My kids are grown, and my husband passed away. It's harder for me to go overboard decorating like they used to tell me. I used float decorations in the tubs in my bathrooms, too. I love to decorate!
I usually leave it up another 2 weeks.. It's just so nice to have the lights on the tree still.. what I do is turn the main lights on the tree off but leave the twinkle lights on in the middle of the tree, very romantic! Happy New Year!
When taking down for my clients, we bubble wrap each ball and then put in a plastic bag. This way they are well protected and the bubble wrap is re usable as we use the bag to hold it together instead of scotch tape. Both bag and bubble wrap are re used. we also put each pick or flower into individual bags this separates them and when taking out next xmas they don't hook up on each other. our lights we also individual bag. We use black and yellow crates and label everything.
Thank you! I get just as excited to take stuff down and organize it as I do to put up the decorations 😅 I do nearly everything you do but next year, I plan to use qr code stickers to photograph what's in each bin, put the qr code sticker on the box and sync them with an app. Not only do you know what's in the box, you can see pictures of the contents from your phone.... Thank you too for reminding us to take out the batteries! I box my green garlands but hang up all the others on a rolling clothes rack and hang them from shower curtain hooks. It can be covered and rolled out of the way. I also use wire coat hangers to wrap my mini lights and paper towel /toilet paper rolls to wrap my fairy lights. Thanks again,,,,can't wait to see next year's design!❤
I take mine down by Candlemas Day, February 2nd. I use library pockets in the outside of every container and list EVERYTHING that is in that container.
🌸🖤🫂✝️ In here praying she kept up the mirrors on the stairs definitely all year around statement for this beautiful home! When i seen that video i thought she redid the staircase fully! ❤❤❤❤❤❤LOVE THE MIRRORS PLEASE KEEP THEM UP ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🫂
Walmart closes at 11:00 here. I stopped your video and ran to Walmart at 10:00 to get storage bins, lol. I always used boxes and it was so much hassle finding what I wanted to use for Christmas each year. I got home with my storage bins and finished watching the video! Thanks so much for all of your videos, Rebecca! This Christmas was so much fun for me. I used some of your ideas and techniques to decorate for Christmas 2023 and my house was the most beautiful it has ever been, even my husband was impressed, lol. Thanks again and have a wonderful new year! By the way, I have been watching and have been subscribed for several years now and I just love you, your home, and all of your videos! xo
Rebecca, I loved your color scheme this year and watching all your decorating videos. Several times. Your home was gorgeous. Thanks for the tips for putting decorations away. I tossed out some poinsettias that were in bad shape but will remember your iron tip for picks and ribbon next year. I put Christmas away after New Year’s, but like to bring fresh greens in the house during winter and fill a pitcher with greens and Christmas picks. Lifts my spirits through a dark and cold winter. Best wishes to everyone!
My Christmas decor comes down around New Year's. You are smart to shop when things are on sale and it sort of extends the Christmas fun. I wrap our lights around a piece of cardboard and write on the cardboard where they belong, whether tree or outside. My Christmas mugs stay out for another month or so however while we are still enjoying the cocoa. You've got me curious about what your next theme will be. Changing the colors up a bit is part of the Christmas fun for me.
I love Christmas sooo much I decorate the day after Thanksgiving. I don't take it down till about president s day.My husband is fine with this and even tells me to keep it up longer if I want. Love all your videos especially the Christmas ones.😊
We take down Christmas a week or so after New Years. I learn something new every year and wanted to share it which saved me money on lights. There are videos showing how to do this as well step by step. If your lights go out don't throw them away as I have. On the plug there is a "grip" area. I don't know the official name of it. Look closely and it's a slide. With your thumb or with the help of a flat head screw driver slide the area toward the prongs and a little compartment is exposed. In it are fuses. You should get a fuse or two with the spare bulb in the lights package when you buy them. Replace the burnt fuse..it will look cloudy like a burnt light bulb. Close the compartment and plug it in, the lights should come on again. I wish I learned this simple trick years ago.
I follow my family tradition and take down all my decorations on January 6th, The Epiphany. I put a lot of decorations up both indoors and outdoors and now, at 76 I have mostly worked out the best method for packing everything away 😂 I did however pick up some hints from you. I have watched your videos for many years now, Rebecca, and want to thank you for all the sound advice, wonderful inspiration and lots of fun. Happy New Year!
We take Christmas down after January 6th, the Epiphany! I loved all the tips, already do most of these, it makes for an easy put away and put back up! Thanks and Happy New Year. Cannot wait to see this year’s Christmas theme. 🙋🏼♀️🇨🇦🎅🏼🎄🥰
Rebecca you are absolutely my favorite holiday lady , and moreover! hurleriously funny that, makes even more sense to watch you! Thank you for sharing your love for all you do! So inspiring, because of your decorating ideas , my house is so beautiful and bright! My Bible says let the others praise you! exactly right! I just wanted bring our Lord and savior’s room bright! Blessings Miss Rebecca! keep decorating!
I need the beauty and warmth of my decorated Christmas tree to get me through January, the darkest month of the year here in Dallas. I remove most all other decor from my home on Jan 2 or soon after. This year I removed the glittered greenery stems (great Target find @$5 per stem) from my mantle and left the five Luminara 8" slim pillar candles (Amazon) in their clear glass arched candlabra. I enjoy the dancing light from those candles and the tree lights, dimmed to a soft glow, in the mornings and evenings. I use these times relax and recover and to reflect on the years passed and plan for the future. Around the end of January or first week of February, I reach a point where I can't get all that stuff out of the way fast enough. 😅
The actual replacement BULB can work in any other light. Remove the male part, which has the bulb in it. There are two wires that have been fed through holes on the bottom. Straighten them and lift out the broken or burned out bulb. Now do the same with the light you are using to replace it. Feed those two wires into the two holes (one wire in each separate hole) in the male part. Fold the wires up as they were in the first place. Now put that back into the female part, which is attached to the light cord. Voila! You have replaced a light bulb with one from any other strand of lights.
Summer time in Australia. Festive tree and decorations go up at the beach house (where the family gathers for Christmas) a week before Christmas then taken down on New Year’s Day. Time is spent outside, at the beach, finding a cool spot to sit and relax. Like you, I have our decorations stored in plastic tubs. I have 2 of them 😂 Thank you for your Christmas videos 🌟 Your home looks amazing 🌟
If it was up to me I'd take him down the day after Christmas but after January 1st is usual. But now I'm handicapped so my reluctant husband that puts them up. Reluctantly takes them down for me. He's a great guy and I have learned patience. Happy New Year!🎉
This is amazing, I was already doing it the same way but learned more ideas from you today! ❤ , one thing I’ve learned is that if the batteries touch each other in the box they will drain. I use Saran wrap to wrap them before storing them. 😉. Love you always❤! God bless.
Your 2023 was gorgeous …I keep Christmas up until at least the 9th of January, my Moms birthday. Ive done that ever since I had my own home…and in 2021 she passed away…I miss her so very much, she and my Dad loved Christmas, so keeping it up for a while longer is comforting for me ! Hope you have a happy and healthy 2024 !
Generally we take our decorations down the first Saturday of January. Thanks to you, this was our most gorgeous Christmas/Hanukkah ever! The holiday-themed design sessions were SO HELPFUL! Thank you! I loved the "cardboard under the Christmas tree" tip. Can't tell you how easy it was to move our very full 9 foot tree when needed for vacuuming, etc. Happy New Year to you and your family and thanks for all the decorating training!
Girlfriend those were great tips! I’ve been collecting Christmas since I was a teenager. Now, at 52 YRO it’s about storing my treasures. I especially love the tip for storing glass and crystal icicles and snowflakes. Also, ironing silk, faux foliage-now, that’s genius. I remove my Christmas decor the day after 3 Kings Day, and end the celebrations with a glass of champagne and a sweet treat.😉 P.S. It kills me to see beautiful ribbons trashed-what are they thinking!🤷♀️
Between Christmas and New Year's, I take down any Santa-related decor. Anything religious can be packed away after the Epiphany. I don't do ornaments on the trees. They are scattered about where my grandson can see them - so those can be tucked away next. I only used two tabletop trees this year, so the trees, snowflakes, and small animal vignettes can remain through January as seasonal decor. Maybe into February - if the house needs cheering up. I like to dangle snowflakes from the arms of my (very pedestrian) chandelier, and I'll keep those up for most of the season. I used very little this year, as there was so much else going on, and others needed my help. Every year, I swear I'm going to get a handle on it and simplify. I'm 65, and it hasn't happened yet, so don't anybody hold your breath!
We try to keep our tree up until Epiphany, but we have real trees & some years they don’t last. I also take down Santa decor after Christmas & keep religious & lights longer. Outdoor lights are the last to put away…different every year! Happy New Year to all!
Christmas comes down on Kings Day - January 6, 2024 - pack a tub eat a piece of King Cake - pack another tub have another piece - Have to love living in New Orleans!!!
Yes, but now I have to look up kings cake? 🎂? But as Catholic and Latina…3 kings day is MY HEART!♥️ so YES! ❤️❤️❤️
Same! Louisiana girl too!
King Cake, oh yeah! 👑🎂❤
Kings cake is equivalent to Rosca de Reyes
Yes same! We call it old.chrostmas day here on east coast of Canada. Mine never come down before Jan 7th at the earliest.
Hi, I use pool noodles to store my lights. I cut the noodle into pieces. Then cut a slit either end. One end I put the end of the lights, then wrap the wire around the noodle, then end by putting the plug wire through the opposite end. I also use a Dyno labeller to label each plug. I hope this helps 👍🏻
Awesome tip!!!
That is a great idea. Mine’s all put away already but I’ll keep that in mind for next year. I was looking for pool noodles over the holiday season to make bulb wreaths as a craft and they were non where to be found. Guess I’ll have to stock up over summer!😊
Omg im absolutely doing this! Thank you!
I’m doing it, thanks
Genius idea! 😊
Rebecca, in the last 71 years, i have stumbled upon some of your hints already, but i still learned a lot from you today! Thank you!! In my experience what works well for me is to, as much as possible, store items by the room i use it in, so i have bins labeled "kitchen," "entry," "dining room," "patio," "front bathroom," etc. Within the bins, i store each strand of lights in a separate labeled zip lock baggie: "candle hutch," "coffee table," "fireplace," "bar," etc. This also works well for garlands. I also keep a running list of things i want to be sure to replace for next year: silver ribbons, red tapers, paper napkins, scented bathroom soaps, etc. Then, come October, I'll have my first list ready to complete! And your suggestion for removing all batteries from lights before storing them is crucial. I learned the hard way of the value of that practice. And i always order new AA's, AAA's and the disc batteries. However, here's what separates the Queen of Christmas (you) from the plebeians (me): i can honestly say that i have never, nor will i ever, iron a poinsettia leaf. 😂 Just sayin'... Thank you for all the inspiration! Happy New Year ! 🎉
Yes!!There ya go!😉
I do this, too!
You made me chuckle, Lori. I love your list idea!
We always observe the twelve days of Christmas which ends on Jan. 5 so the decorations stay up until then. The outdoor lights are turned off on the 6th and we take our time taking down the trees. Love your tips!
We wait thru the twelve days of Christmas before dismantling our decor as well. :)
Me, too!
I’m 65 and always considered myself a Christmas queen too- accumulating more every year. Crazy how over all these years you’re forced to become organized. Yes, I will even go so far as saying “anal” about my decorations!😂It just makes it so much easier to find things year after year- when you decide to change themes or bring out the old standards as I like to call them. I’m watching you disassemble everything like a kindred spirit. I started taking everything down after NewYears day. All my entertaining was over so the process began. As of yesterday-January 5th it was all toted away and stored. I’m bulging at the seams this year. My husband said I have to stop, but upon putting things away, I too checked my lights and a lighted tree topper and they were shot! So….. ya know I’m going to get more!Us queens have expectations we have to preserve after all!❤
@@elizabethwhite196 So true!! Standards must be maintained!! Like you, all of our Holly Jolly decor was stowed away (yesterday for me) on January 6th. As I sip my morning coffee, I am missing my beautiful tree and gynormous wall wreath!!. :( BUT the good part is, like you, I'm compiling a list for this coming Christmas!! Doing so helps 'soften the blow' a bit from the initial letdown of 'no more Christmas decor for awhile', and goes a long way to keep everything organized/prepared for next time. I love not having to go scrambling for things in November/early December!
@@karenokeane6461 Yep, ya gotta plan ahead! I have an older sister who is obsessed with Christmas too and she’s my enabler! She called me and told me the deals she got at Hobby Lobby for 90 percent off! I like to take advantage of those deals too but thus far, it’s been really picked over.
Just in time for the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th which is the last day of Christmas. (Remember the 12 days of Christmas?) I can’t understand people who rush from one holiday to the next, especially the Christmas holiday. We start Christmas after Thanksgiving dinner and don’t finish until January 6 when the Three Wise Men are on the scene. Your videos are great, and we appreciate your thoughtfulness in how to organize and store these Christmas decorations in a way to reuse them in subsequent years. With costs soaring, it’s helpful knowing how to preserve these things so that the bank is not broken every year to decorate for the holidays. Great video, once again!!!
Regardless of when we put the tree up, it stays up until my birthday, January 12th. When my parents were alive, it was a day of taking down the tree, packing up the Christmas decor, and finishing the day with a birthday celebration. This was our first Christmas with an artificial tree! We had some fun purchasing new ornaments, + finding a star and garlands to go with it. Looks like we're going to have a lot more packing to do next Friday! Happy New Year! 🎄🎁✴
That’s a great way to separate the holiday from your birthday with it being so close. Happy Birthday 🎊🎂
Appreciate your well-wishes. Thank you and have a wonderful New Year!@@RavenNicole89
@@designlady1732 Hey twin! That's my birthday too! And you love design as well, that's so awesome. Wishing you a wonderful birthday this year❤
Hi ThereTwin❤👯❤!! Have a wonderful b'Day + every blessing to you in 2024! Happy Designing!!@@lisaisaprincess23
What a fun tradition! I love it! And it extends the Christmas season, which is never a bad thing. 😁 Wishing you a wonderful New Year, and a very Happy Birthday!🥳🎉💥🎈🎂🎁❤🕺✨
Happy New Year 🎉 Lol, I didn’t put my tree up until just before Christmas so it’s staying up for awhile 😊 Living in Canada in the winter makes the lights and warmth of a tree a little more welcome throughout the next few months 😂
We take it down after the Epiphany when the 3 wisemen made it to baby Jesus. The Christmas season does last until February 2nd when Mary presented Jesus in the temple. So~ I leave up the nativity and I usually redecorate it… more wintery and maybe change lights and move it a different place in my home. : ) love the tips! 🎄❤️
Thank you for all these great tips! Here's a tip from me: please be careful when storing batteries! Do not just put them in a box or bag all randomly as the opposing ends may touch and can create a spark that starts a fire. Do not store batteries with the opposing ends touching one another. Your best bet is to get a case or storage container specifically for batteries that keeps them all separated from each other and prevents the ends from coming into contact with each other. Store all the positive ends facing the same direction. Have a happy and SAFE new year!
Rebecca, I have done many of your tips in the past very faithfully. There are some specific packing ideas that you shared that I will be incorporating into my take-downs from now on. I would also add that if there is something that is broken and can be fixed, do it NOW. This is the time to fix anything because it won't happen next year. I broke a gingerbread man's arm as I was moving him to wrap, so I got my E6000 and he is back to one whole piece. Otherwise that piece will be lost or more broken by next year. Thanks for this video, ever since you told us it was coming, I've been waiting.
That’s a great tip. Fix it now !!
Good advice. We have a Mr. and Mrs. Snowman my mother gave us, and his carrot nose broke, so my husband fixed it right away - and he did a perfect job - can't even see where it was broken and it was small and hard to fix - My husband name is Lance! You reminded me of a little thing that was very special and I seen the name Lance in your handle. Devine coincidence - special like alot of things at Christmas time. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. Dawn
@@cleartruth101
When I first met my husband, 47 years ago, everyone called him Lance. Once I was talking to him and asked what his last name was. “Lance,” he replied.
I said, “Your parents named you Lance Lance?!?”
No, his first name was Les. I always called him that and not any of the nicknames he had.
It’s cool to know your husband’s first name is Lance.
I agree! I unfortunately have a collection of repairs to do. Never got to last year's collection yet either.
I agree! Repair right away. Hurts my soul when something breaks so I tend to it right away…. Providing it has sentimental value.Otherwise- treat yourself to something new!😊
Great storage tips! I already follow most of what you shared. But because I don’t have quite the extensive collection of Christmas decorations, it’s not as imperative that I go to the same lengths as you do... but the concepts are still applicable! I’m a Twelfth Day of Christmas kind of gal and wouldn’t dream of taking down my decorations until after Epiphany, January 6th. And when family can’t get together until well after Christmas Day, I’ve been known to have my tree up until Christmas has been properly celebrated with my family... mid-January and even as late as President’s Day! Not everyone (my sister and her husband) can take off to travel over Christmas and must wait for those Monday bank holidays to fit in an extra day of celebrations with their newly available vacation days at work.
One thing I do a bit differently is I don’t deconstruct my beautiful bows I’ve made with my gorgeous wired ribbons. I stuff each loop with tissue paper, gently arrange them in beds of fluffy tissue and they keep their shape for the next year! Because I don’t buy a bunch of new each year, I don’t accumulate so many different varieties of decorations. If I want to make things feel fresh and different the next year I may use things in a different way or in different rooms or forego using them at all, just to make it feel like a whole new look.
However, once I’ve made a gorgeous bow... that baby is going to have years of being gorgeous, even if my bow storage boxes aren’t as compressed and space-saving as others! To me, my time and efforts creating these little works of art are worth a little extra storage space! I’m incredibly thankful I don’t have to come up with new decor each year, like you. But I can see how having things deconstructed down to a beginning point may make coming up with your new creations easier.
Your great tips can be used and adapted to fit most everyone’s needs or desires! Thanks for sharing your years of experience with us!
Oh, another tip, depending on how fastidious you may be! I have found those Federal Express plastic sleeves you stick on their envelopes where you put the printed addresses inside and seal them up, work absolutely brilliantly on the side of storage bins. If you are a bit “extra” 🙋🏻♀️ you can print out the CLASSIFICATION and also list the general contents. For example: SANTAS then list... White traditional ceramic - 3; Gold resin - 4; White contemporary ceramic - 1; etc... or TABLE TOP TREES... Hammered silver - 1; Wire silver - 1 large - 1 small, Wire gold - 1 large, - 1 small; etc.
Printing classifications in large bold letters are easy to find at a glance for the general items and the list allows you to read the exact contents, depending on how detailed you wish to be. I do admit that when accumulating new pieces over the years, I don’t always print out a new sheet but have some write-ins easily added to the paper in the plastic sleeve (just don’t seal them up once you’ve adhered the plastic sleeve to the storage container to allow for revisions or reuse for different items due to editing!)! Definitely not as neat and tidy with the write-ins as I would prefer, but sometimes I’m too lazy or just too darn tired to bother. Do you however it works best!
Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉
Great tip on the Fed Ex label pockets! For ALL storage boxes in addition to Christmas. 👍🏼
I use the really pretty ornament hooks and generally leave them on or beside the ornament as I pack them away. I don't have different ornaments each year, my tree is a history of my family (I also only use one tree but maybe some baby trees with just lights). As for batteries, I bought a battery organizer case a year ago which was a Godsend! It came with a power gage so I can check the strength of each battery and store them according to size (Home Depot). We generally use these up over the year and I restock before the holidays when I can catch them on sale. That way I know they are strong enough to get through the season. I keep things simple, I don't keep an abundance of decorations. The most I change up is random greenery, garland, and ribbons from time to time. I have also changed out the little knick knacks/figurines over the years as my tastes change and donate the old. I don't have a "traditional" time I take things down, but over the years I have started leaving them up through Epiphany "Kings Day" before I begin to take things down. I also go in reverse of how I decorated so that the house isn't naked all in one day!! Tree comes down first, then mantle, foyer, knick knacks/linens, and lastly outdoors. This way, all my bins are in the order I will need them next year!!
great tips. i haven’t started yet. i’ll start Jan 7 or so. as i got older i moved to smaller containers and a smaller tree, i use clear bins, for balls one for each color. as i change my theme year to year i only bring down what i’ll be using. the florals are so expensive, i use the flatter bins for picks and separate green, gold, silver. i’ve learned just throw out bad light strings and i don’t buy prelit anything. hooks i don’t use, i either use fishing line, heavy thread, or thin wire depending on the ornament. my tip
to others would be not to buy what you don’t have storage room for, and once the bins are stored they are in a place where they will not have to be moved at all. lol amazing you know your theme already! i did woodland this year and i loved it, so calm.
Happy 2024! Thank you and the team for all your hard work, inspo, and task tips! I have used many of your tips and tricks and it has helped tremendously. I REALLY appreciate the idea of labels on the tubs whether or not they are see-through. At 11:00 minutes in the video you wrap one ornament on the outside of a bundle of icicles - as a former picture framer, I can share that sometimes finishes can be removed or damaged by the packing tape if used on the outside sample ornament. What do you think about using a small snack bag around it and then taping or better yet, taking an instant photo of each collection and taping the pic to the inside of the tub so it is easier to visualize before digging inside and undoing the whole wrap job...? A lot of folks have the new Polaroids and instant cams or you can print them easily even if it's just on regular printer paper. Just wanted to offer some additional ideas to see if you've tried them and how it worked out! Blessings! 🌟
I so appreciate watching you “un decorate” for the Holidays. My husband and I always have a “discussion” when taking down the decorations…how to do it, how to store it, blah, blah. I pretty much do what you are doing, likes, colors, etc. sWe moved last year and saved all the different bubble wrap and many of the cardboard boxes. We have cut the large sides of the boxes to use as support between layers and , if necessary, on the top for extra support. ALSO, I love your upbeat personality and positive approach. So many online designers have a tendency to talk down to us. I don’t think they mean to. GENIUS tip on the poinsettias.
I store everything per room. so much easier for me to put thing up the next year. I celebrate Thanksgiving at our house and don't want to take down my Thanksgiving decor before Thanksgiving, so I decorate the rooms we don't eat in first, then after Thanksgiving I pull down the kitchen decor boxes, the entry way and staircase decor and the outdoor decorations. I also keep the hooks on my ornaments for ease of hanging next year. It is easy for me this way to shift things around if I want a different look or if I get new items. love your tips and love your storage room!!!
*All of this is highly informative and Rebecca’s home looked spectacular for Christmas, but I am so happy that none of this is relevant to me because I have substantially scaled back material items in my life, and I could not be more happier and relieved. The less things you have, the less stress and work you have to contend with, and the simpler your life is.*
Would you share how you scaled back, please? Did you donate, gift, or just toss?? Sometimes the purging is less about the minimalism and more about the destination of loved treasures. Blessings for a wonderful 2024
@@pamelairvin3164 *One day, 5 years ago, I looked about and said, “This is just too much, and do I really need all of this?” The answer was no, and I began boxing and labelling everything that I decided I could live without, and donated it directly to two families, a youth home for boys, and an orphanage. The items I kept are very sentimental/valuable to me and my family, so now when we put them out, they mean so much more and shine all the brighter. Blessings to you, too, and I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and happy.* 💕
I live in the UK so storage isn't great in our homes lol. I normally store all of my decorations in our loft, which involves many, many trips up and down loft ladders and stairs. I decided this year, I'm going to use my (unused) summer house, (it's a posh shed really) and store everything, in stackable boxes, apart from soft things like my many father Christmas ornaments, they will still go in the loft. I'm genuinely looking forward to doing it because it will be so much easier next year. I'm 60 and I either have to cut down on my decorations or find an easier space to store them. I have my own little seasonal business in wreaths, garlands and lanterns etc and I really love to get my own decorations up before my busy period or my energy flags. I've watched you for many years and absolutely love every style that you do. I've seen your storage in both houses but this is the first time (I think) that you've done a take down video and I loved all the tips and tricks, so, Thank you and Happy New Year to you and yours ❤️
When it comes to wrinkled leaves and scrunched flowers, there's no way I'd iron them - but - I do hold them over a boiling kettle of water to let the steam reshape them. They come out like new! Every. Single. Time. So much easier, and faster. Just another idea being shared.
I am Ukrainian and we are lucky enough to have two Christmases!! I take my Christmas decorations down the week after the January 7th celebrations.
I took my stuff down the day after Christmas. I couldn’t talk all the mess from the glitter and flock. I’m so attracted to shiny, sparkly things but oh, the mess. 🤦🏻♀️. Clear storage is the best and the next best thing is to take a photo of what’s in the bin and tape it to several sides. Also, with lights, I keep all my old lights in a plastic bag and when one burns out, I just remove the actual light bulb from its holder and put in a new bulb that way, it always fits whatever string of lights that need replaced bulb. It’s tedious sometimes but it works.
Wow Rebecca is there anything you can’t do ? From being a fantastic Interior Designer to a great organizer! Thanks for such awesome tips. Can’t wait to try them.
Now I just need a storage place like you to put all my bins! 😂😂
Hi Rebecca! Happy New Year! I have been doing many of these tips for years. Last year I took it one stop further and documented what was in each bin on a slip of paper, tucked that into a ziploc bag and taped it to the inside lid. That way when whichever one of my family is helping me take down, they have a reference. This actually came about when my husband COMPLAINED that it was to hard to help. "Why don't you label which bin they go in???"....Ok Sir. hahaha ALSO, I have a bin marked Christmas Tool kit. It works wonders!!
Too hard to help? What a cop out. Then again, my husband doesn't help put it up OR take it away. However, he will take the boxes to where I need them.
@@2atthemill190 Haha! Does he also say, "When are WE going to put up the decorations?"
I absolutely do these! Because I essentially live in a submarine (no basement, no garage, two bedrooms), I have to be careful with storage. I even purchased a shelving unit to put in an unused bathtub so I could store Christmas stuff there. Just close the curtain and voila! So these are valuable tips for we who are “storage area deprived.”
I thought this video would never be released! I'm one of those who starts to take it down the day after Christmas. Thank you SO MUCH for giving me permission to throw away the Christmas ball boxes (that I've saved for 20 years, that are all mangled, that I tape the corners of, and that cellophane that comes undone off the lid in the first year, and that take up too much room in my storage bins. It was kind of fun this year tho (especially with crazy inflation) to look at a box of 18 beautiful glass ball ornaments from Michael's with the price tag still on: $2.99! I love that you use blue tape and label and it's not all Cricut label perfect, but it does the job perfectly! Happy New Year! I'll be re-watching this next Dec 26 for motivation.
Usually take decorations down, the first weekend after the new year.
My decorations come down on the 12th night of Christmas, the 6th Jan - it's also my late mother's birthday so it holds many wonderful memories and is time for reflection & reminiscing. Thanks for all the tips, use a few of them myself, but appreciated the idea with your icicles, brilliant 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I love what you do every year. I'm disabled and need some help with the holidays, but decorating the way I'd love to would push them beyond their patience. So, I live vicariously through yours!! But I have a couple of traditions for what I do manage to get put up. First, my tree always goes up the Sunday after Thanksgiving when I still have help from my visiting step-sons. Most of my theme is winter (like the penguins that go above my kitchen cabinets every year), so I leave my decorations until sometime in February. I suffer from depression, so the festivity of the decorations helps to lift me up when things seem too much. People are also more willing to help me take them down by then since they're no longer overwhelmed by the holidays and they're more than ready for spring decor to start going up!
I decorate my house for every season. Hanukkah, Winter, Valentine’s, Spring, summer, fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.
I don’t have a basement, so, I purchased 200 gallon plastic see-through bins that have wheels on one end by Hart; sold at Walmart. 48.99 each.
They really have made my life much easier because I have all of my holiday and seasonal decor so much more organized by putting each season and holiday per plastic bin.
I also purchased quite a few plastic wreath storages For all the different wreaths that go with all of the different seasons.
I wrap each of my ornaments in tissue paper and store all in one bin dividing each layer with cardboard. Saves me so much room.
Thank you for your wonderful tips Rebecca. I love my Christmas decorations and they usually stay up for a while after Christmas. I have four sons and one of them is a merchant mariner who seems to be away every year at Christmas. I leave them up until he is back home so he can enjoy a few days of the season. Last year it was March. That was stretching it even for me but I loved that he had a Christmas at home. He should be back home earlier this year.
I love that you want for your son’s return.😊
As I dismantle the tree, I always have a duster in hand, and give each bauble a quick rub over. Maybe because we don’t have air conditioning here in the UK our houses do get dusty, and so do the Christmas ornaments. Giving them a quick dust saves getting them out the next Christmas all dull. I spend hours with my sister decorating for Christmas, but not this year. We were away up until early December this year, so we only bought down our souvenir metal tree, it’s only 5 foot. We buy a bauble every time we go to a different country (yes you can buy them year round), and put them on the souvenir tree. It makes for a great conversation starter, then we wrap it in a huge bag with all the souvenirs on it, and put it away for next year. To De~Christmas our home this year took about 5 minutes.
Rebeca, I use my hair blower to flatten/straighten the poinsettias. It really works!
Thank you Rebecca. All your tips have been super helpful to me. I was one who never decorated before Thanksgiving. Well, last November I started decorating a little bit here one weekend and a little there the next. Made so much sense when you stated “Why are you waiting to do ALL decorating in December”. Worked out beautifully. Took decors down in the same way starting New Years Day. Little here, little there…Thanks for the fun and the inspiration.
I now start on November 1st. That way by thanksgiving my house is fully decorated and I can enjoy the decor for over a month
Our decorations stay up until AFTER the New Year! The goal is to down on the weekend after 🥂 BUT if it goes a few days past that I'm ok with that ☺ I never get to start early because I host Thanksgiving and Santa doesn't enter until Tom exits! A lot of your tips for me, are old hat, lights ribbons, bubble wrap...CLEAR is a must! I normally store totes by "room". Well, guess what?! I have been thinking dividing COLOR and here you are! I might switch up rooms next year 🤔 LOVE that you have already started 2024! I just had THREE new mini trees delivered today and have more new ornaments 😀 LOVE your channel/videos. Looking forward to what you do this year!
I adore your videos. I don’t have the quantities of different decor, but I still have 14 trees of varying sizes. I do try to use clear tubs of the same brand, but I find that if you don’t get them all at the same time, they differ. But… while I will put categories together, I now pack by room, because I don’t change the design each year. I also keep “winter” decor up until March.. so I do have separate tubs of just greens and trees.
All your instructions are so helpful! I learn so much! Thank you!
The saddest time of year for me is when I have to take my Christmas decorations down:(
The song Anticipation was written and performed by the very talented artist Carly Simon. Happy New Year!
In Sweden the tradition is to take the decorations down on Saint Knut's day which is on January 13th. Maybe it is because we all enjoy the lights the christmas and advent decorations bring to us in the dark winter months.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!! I have to say this video is much needed and long-awaited; every year I purge a bit more, organize a bit more, and breathe a sigh of relief that we got to enjoy one more year with family favorites. We generally leave up our Christmas-related decorations through Jan 1 and I begin undoing it all the day regular work schedules resume. This year we're going to enjoy winter greens with white lights as ambient lighting indoors through the winter months and change over to spring and summer greens in March. Blessings!!
I've been handling my Christmas takedown like this for years, and it's absolutely a lifesaver. With dozens of smaller totes and a couple dozen tree-sized totes, labeling and organization is paramount! Thank you for taking the time to share these wonderful tips.
As for when I take down Christmas, it's broken down into 2 segments: Christmas decor and Christmas Village. Each task is highly detailed, so I do it in parts.
I have a cheap battery tester. As I take the batteries out I test them. I throw away some and then I put the others in a zip lock bag labeled used. You need to get yourself a battery tester. My 7 yo grandson loves testing the batteries.
I roll my ribbon like you, but put them in zip locks.
You gave us so many good tips. Thanks Rebecca.
Europe side, we would say the 12th day of Christmas is the 6th of January. Many on this side of the pond leave their decorations up until that night. It has many names, The Feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or 'Little Christmas' . It's the night we remember the visit of the Magi to the Christ child. It's very important for the Greek & Eastern Orthodox churches
In Ireland, traditionally, it's called 'Women's Christmas' in Irish 'Nolliag na mBan' (pronounced Nullig na mawn). It's when the men take Children & responsibility for the home, and the women get a break & have a wee party/meet up with friends as a reward for doing everything at Christmas. We polish off the last of the Christmas goodies & have a good time.
I typically take it down after Christmas Day, unless I’m ill. One year I had complications from pancreatic surgery so it was January and this year I had skin cancer on my arm so that surgery set me back. I finally got it put away last Friday. I do most tips you have on here but everything is on a smaller scale since we downsized.
Thank you. I wish this video was shown earlier. My decorations are already down.
We finally got smart Rebecca! I numbered each tote & wrote in a notebook the number & what was in each tote! No more digging through none see through totes! Clear ones r best, but did not want to waste the dark ones! Good tip!
My birthday is January 6th (Epiphany, when the wiseman traveled to see the new baby Jesus 😁, some call it Three Kings Day)…so my family has ALWAYS kept the tree and other decorations up til after my bday has passed - it usually ends up being around mid-January when they come down. So, I’ll be taking them down this week.
…and i am SO glad i learned of you now, just in time to adopt all of your awesome tips!! And…I am TOTALLY going to do your theme of “A Frosty Forest Christmas” in 2024 - OMG!! So beautiful!!i can hardly wait til next Christmas! Also, i’m a new, first time homeowner, so it it makes it that much MORE special and fun to decorate for the holidays!
I just “met” u tonight, but i am definitely a convert, and a subscriber!
Thanks for sharing your beautiful talent and “gift” of creativity with the world… i am grateful… Reminds me of my wonderful Mother (she passed in 2017 and was my best friend). She was also extremely talented and uber creative…Everything she touched turned into something beautiful…
Your house looks fabulous!!! I loved the frosty forest. This yr I had to move right before Christmas so only a few decorations on our kitchen island and no tree. I gave our white tree to a young couple who needed one. I sold lots and my daughter and me are getting things as we can. We lived there for 7 yrs. Just couldn't pay $1900 for 1bdrm! So here we are in another place. Will be looking for a tree next yr!
My decorations are still up until the feast of the epiphany. A catholic tradition. Thanks for the organizing and storing ideas Rebecca! Sending love from Malaysia ❤️
I always wrapping everything in Plastic Wrap. Inside, for fabric-related items like the tree and Garland, I place pinecones scented with cinnamon or cinnamon sticks. Then, I wrap everything to ensure that when I unpack it later, there's no musty odor. It's a 100% effective method to keep things fresh.
Actually, I needed this last week. This year I had to get all my decorations down in a couple of days and put them them in storage. Leaving early for Florida and have a very busy week before we leave.
Love the video! Very helpful tips! No traditions for taking Christmas down, but generally a couple of weeks to a month after Christmas until or unless it starts driving me crazy to look at. I love the beauty of it, but then it starts to look busy and it’s gotta come down. 😂
Yay!!! She is back! Happy New Year!!
Rebecca I put my tree up after Thanksgiving and leave it up sometimes till middle of January! It helps with my seasonal depression!!! I had a 7ft. Silver tree this year ❤ it!!! I usually have a white tree. I wonder if you would ever have a rotating tree? I love my rotating tree spiners are nice but once you watch the tree go round it's fantastic! Can't wait to see what you choose for 2024😊
I never thought I would have artificial trees much less white or silver! BUT got a white one a number of years ago and LOVE it!! Decorated primarily with red, SO pretty! Then last year I got a silver one for another room. ANOTHER big hit! LOVE it! My BF has a rotating tree, it's VERY cool!
I watched the whole video because it was just enjoyable. My whole Christmas decor setup takes 3 small bins and I love the tradition of all the same items from year to year. I love seeing your elaborate decorations even though I don't do that in my house.
Happy New Year Rebecca. On January 6th it is the Three Kings Day. That's the end of the Christmas season for me. The next day I take down all the Christmas decorations inside and outside. Except the Christmas tree. It will remain in place for another week. Otherwise I would miss the lights all at once, which I find unpleasant. Thanks for your tips, although I saw a few that I have been using for years. Already looking forward to your new videos this year. Greetings Rick 🎇🥂🎆
Took my decor down on 12/30. So glad to start New Year without decor. My decor has been up since mid. November. You get us all so excited to decorate early! I added red decor and colored lights to my designer tree a week before Christmas and it looked so vintage traditional. Loved Sharrah's vintage style this year!
I loved Sharrah's theme this year as well. It was fantastic. Beautifully curated, yet bursting with Vintage 'warm and fuzzy'-ness. For me, her decor this time stands as the benchmark to those going for a vintage vibe, whether or not there are small children around to behold it. Just outstanding. :)
Great Video, Rebecca...you truly are The Queen!! Our home has just ONE storage area...a spare bedroom, which must accommodate EVERYTHING, year round. We don't have a garage, usable attic, shed or basement...so anything one would normally allocate to those spaces must be condensed in this one room It is accessed constantly throughout any given day for cleaning supplies, canned goods, (yes, it's a kitchen pantry too!) etc., as well as housing items which are treasured but only used occasionally. You get the picture. Organization is paramount. Utilizing every square inch as though one were living on a submarine is key, to keep the area from quickly morphing into "Grandma's Attic", which would be the bane of my 'neat-freak' existence, and trigger the dreaded "Mommy Meltdown" which everyone wants to avoid. LOL Our storage bins are heavy duty Rubbermaid that are nestled/ stacked from floor to ceiling with ease. Of course we remain mindful about properly cushioning fragile items and keeping the heaviest bins close to the bottom, but doing so provides maximum space usage. Those shelving units like what Rebecca shows would actually TAKE AWAY valuable 'real estate' in our case. All are SOLID color (as opposed to clear or opaque) to protect the contents from possible fading during storage, since the room is not perpetually dark like a basement or shed would be. Those bins allocated for Christmas are red and green (original, right? LOL) to distinguish them from the rest, and I follow Rebecca's directive of labeling the fronts with painters tape written in black sharpie. Bullet-list of contents plus a notation if that container is especially heavy. My last tweak before closing the bins for their hibernation period of New Years thru Thanksgiving is enclosing one or two of those cinnamon scented mini pine cone potpourri mesh bags sourced from Michaels (they're sold elsewhere too, but Michaels is closest to me) I try to pick up a few each Season to sprinkle on the guest bathroom counter and display in a pretty bowl on the coffee table. Understated accent decor AND wonderful, long lasting scent. For storage inside sealed containers after the Holidays, they keep the contents, especially textiles like throw blankets, stockings, pillow covers, etc., free from the 'stale-ness' or faint plastic smell they often absorb when locked away in an airtight environment. It's such a pleasure getting that first whiff of lovely warm cinnamon when they're reopened again. :) In truth, ANY kind of bagged potpourri can be used, in whichever scent one finds pleasing. A little touch for those special items while they're waiting to come out again. :) One of my sisters puts Vanilla potpourri pouches in her Holiday bins, and loves them...I can vouch for the cinnamon mesh bags from Michaels as being high quality, and safe around fabrics, etc. In fact some purchased three or more years ago continue scenting my bins, since they've never been taken out for display around the house, and their aroma hasn't dissipated.. :) Happy New Year to Rebecca and all the other Christmas Queens out there!! Time to get that list started for what we want in Christmas 2024!!! :) :)
When I was a child and when my kiddos were young we left it all up past Jan 6th, the epiphany . Nowadays, I take it down usually a few days after Christmas.
Happy New Year, Rebecca. I have two tips for two of your tips. First, I, too, remove my batteries yearly. I, however, keep the batteries with the object they have been removed from. Batteries won't be as efficient if you mix used battieries together. Say that one battery was used for something that was lit for four hours a day, and another was used for six or eight hours a day. When the more used battery is dead, the object you have it in will go dead, regardless of how much juice is in the other batteries and you end up thowing all of them away. A battery tester helps a lot. Obviously, it doesn't matter if only one battery is used. My second tip is that I have been ironing my wired ribbons for years. It works very well. I hadn't actually thought about ironing my misshapened picks as well, though. That was a real "duh" moment for me! 😂 Thanks for all the inspiration!
You’re so funny, to watch you tell someone how and what to do then you do it yourself. You’re to funny. I do the same exact thing. Love your icicle collection and those foam bags are terrific.
OUCH!!!
I started taking down my Christmas decorations on New Year’s Day. They’ve been up since early November. I always gather everything bit by bit on the dining room table and then move them bit by bit to the basement floor and then to their respective containers.
I was halfway through the process when I wiped out tripping on the decorations in the basement and have been stuck in bed with a badly bruised and swollen foot elevated on pillows since then. I don’t know when I’ll get it done now. Fingers crossed that I didn’t break any decorations when I fell. 😩
I’m swapping out my Christmas ornaments for Mardi Gras ornaments and buying myself another month before I have to take down my tree.
Happy King’s Day! Welcome Mardi Gras season!! 🎭📿⚜️📿🎉☂️🎺
For artificial leaves and ribbon, I use a hair straightener to press them. I keep one straightener just for this purpose.
We have a small unit, but I still slightly dread taking all the decor down. Not just because I will miss the glitter and fun, but because, it's WORK😅
I love you vaule and cherish your decorations. The ornaments my daughters made as little girls are priceless to me.
Great video !! Today is January 6 , and I am taking down my Christmas decorations.. I live in a little apartment but I go all in, bedroom , curtains, towels, tree, decor , balcony , pillows … going well so far 😎
Suggestion on what I use to store my Christmas ornaments in is Easter grass. I use decorative stackable boxes fill it with Easter grass and put the Christmas balls in to protect them. I leave the decorative boxes out for display.
I don't have a Xmas take-down tradition, I always leave Xmas decor up until after New Years. I find that b/c I work Xmas Retail, I need extra time with my home Xmas decor to just enjoy it....working in Xmas retail is exhausting so when I get home I don't really get time to enjoy my decorated home, thus I leave it up a bit longer most people would to about 2 wks./mid-January. I live alone so there is no help, but no one to object either.
Thank you Rebecca for being a design/decor guiding light! Happy New YEAR, have a magnificent 2024!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I do a way to pack up my mantel every year. I miss my mantel decorations and decorate for many occasions. (Like you are the Christmas Queen, I am the Mardi Gras Queen...LOL!)
I keep my decorated garland lights, ornaments, jesters, etc. all together and just pull it out of my been ready to hang on my mantel. It saves me a lot of time to do it that way. (Chirstmas, Mardi Gras, and Easter mantel garland)
Since I have RA, I do not do the 4th of July anymore. I don't have a crew to help me. My kids are grown, and my husband passed away. It's harder for me to go overboard decorating like they used to tell me. I used float decorations in the tubs in my bathrooms, too.
I love to decorate!
I usually leave it up another 2 weeks.. It's just so nice to have the lights on the tree still.. what I do is turn the main lights on the tree off but leave the twinkle lights on in the middle of the tree,
very romantic! Happy New Year!
When taking down for my clients, we bubble wrap each ball and then put in a plastic bag. This way they are well protected and the bubble wrap is re usable as we use the bag to hold it together instead of scotch tape. Both bag and bubble wrap are re used. we also put each pick or flower into individual bags this separates them and when taking out next xmas they don't hook up on each other. our lights we also individual bag. We use black and yellow crates and label everything.
tradition here, we take down our decorations after three kings
i always enjoy your decorations and tips
Thank you! I get just as excited to take stuff down and organize it as I do to put up the decorations 😅
I do nearly everything you do but next year, I plan to use qr code stickers to photograph what's in each bin, put the qr code sticker on the box and sync them with an app. Not only do you know what's in the box, you can see pictures of the contents from your phone....
Thank you too for reminding us to take out the batteries! I box my green garlands but hang up all the others on a rolling clothes rack and hang them from shower curtain hooks. It can be covered and rolled out of the way. I also use wire coat hangers to wrap my mini lights and paper towel /toilet paper rolls to wrap my fairy lights.
Thanks again,,,,can't wait to see next year's design!❤
I take mine down by Candlemas Day, February 2nd. I use library pockets in the outside of every container and list EVERYTHING that is in that container.
I watched your video before Christmas,I was blown away with that video,so when took my tree organized everything as put I away .thank you
🌸🖤🫂✝️ In here praying she kept up the mirrors on the stairs definitely all year around statement for this beautiful home! When i seen that video i thought she redid the staircase fully! ❤❤❤❤❤❤LOVE THE MIRRORS PLEASE KEEP THEM UP ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🫂
Walmart closes at 11:00 here. I stopped your video and ran to Walmart at 10:00 to get storage bins, lol. I always used boxes and it was so much hassle finding what I wanted to use for Christmas each year. I got home with my storage bins and finished watching the video! Thanks so much for all of your videos, Rebecca! This Christmas was so much fun for me. I used some of your ideas and techniques to decorate for Christmas 2023 and my house was the most beautiful it has ever been, even my husband was impressed, lol. Thanks again and have a wonderful new year! By the way, I have been watching and have been subscribed for several years now and I just love you, your home, and all of your videos! xo
👍By the way, I am from East Texas.
Rebecca, I loved your color scheme this year and watching all your decorating videos. Several times. Your home was gorgeous. Thanks for the tips for putting decorations away. I tossed out some poinsettias that were in bad shape but will remember your iron tip for picks and ribbon next year. I put Christmas away after New Year’s, but like to bring fresh greens in the house during winter and fill a pitcher with greens and Christmas picks. Lifts my spirits through a dark and cold winter. Best wishes to everyone!
Happy New Year happy New Year again watch this 2 or 3 times already and enjoy every moment. Peace and blessings to you and your family 🙏💜🕯️
My Christmas decor comes down around New Year's. You are smart to shop when things are on sale and it sort of extends the Christmas fun. I wrap our lights around a piece of cardboard and write on the cardboard where they belong, whether tree or outside. My Christmas mugs stay out for another month or so however while we are still enjoying the cocoa. You've got me curious about what your next theme will be. Changing the colors up a bit is part of the Christmas fun for me.
Fantastic tips. Thank you so much. I straighten out the wire hooks you use for the baubles etc!! So no tangled mess for me. Happy New Year to all xx
I love Christmas sooo much I decorate the day after Thanksgiving. I don't take it down till about president s day.My husband is fine with this and even tells me to keep it up longer if I want. Love all your videos especially the Christmas ones.😊
We take down Christmas a week or so after New Years. I learn something new every year and wanted to share it which saved me money on lights. There are videos showing how to do this as well step by step. If your lights go out don't throw them away as I have. On the plug there is a "grip" area. I don't know the official name of it. Look closely and it's a slide. With your thumb or with the help of a flat head screw driver slide the area toward the prongs and a little compartment is exposed. In it are fuses. You should get a fuse or two with the spare bulb in the lights package when you buy them. Replace the burnt fuse..it will look cloudy like a burnt light bulb. Close the compartment and plug it in, the lights should come on again. I wish I learned this simple trick years ago.
I follow my family tradition and take down all my decorations on January 6th, The Epiphany.
I put a lot of decorations up both indoors and outdoors and now, at 76 I have mostly worked out the best method for packing everything away 😂 I did however pick up some hints from you.
I have watched your videos for many years now, Rebecca, and want to thank you for all the sound advice, wonderful inspiration and lots of fun.
Happy New Year!
That’s a lot of bins! Awesome that you have enough room for all of those.
We take Christmas down after January 6th, the Epiphany! I loved all the tips, already do most of these, it makes for an easy put away and put back up! Thanks and Happy New Year. Cannot wait to see this year’s Christmas theme. 🙋🏼♀️🇨🇦🎅🏼🎄🥰
This video is just the information I need! So timely.
Rebecca you are absolutely my favorite holiday lady , and moreover!
hurleriously funny that, makes even more sense to watch you!
Thank you for sharing your love for all you do! So inspiring, because of your decorating ideas , my house is so beautiful and bright!
My Bible says let the others praise you! exactly right! I just wanted bring our Lord and savior’s room bright! Blessings Miss Rebecca!
keep decorating!
I need the beauty and warmth of my decorated Christmas tree to get me through January, the darkest month of the year here in Dallas. I remove most all other decor from my home on Jan 2 or soon after. This year I removed the glittered greenery stems (great Target find @$5 per stem) from my mantle and left the five Luminara 8" slim pillar candles (Amazon) in their clear glass arched candlabra. I enjoy the dancing light from those candles and the tree lights, dimmed to a soft glow, in the mornings and evenings. I use these times relax and recover and to reflect on the years passed and plan for the future. Around the end of January or first week of February, I reach a point where I can't get all that stuff out of the way fast enough. 😅
The actual replacement BULB can work in any other light. Remove the male part, which has the bulb in it. There are two wires that have been fed through holes on the bottom. Straighten them and lift out the broken or burned out bulb. Now do the same with the light you are using to replace it.
Feed those two wires into the two holes (one wire in each separate hole) in the male part. Fold the wires up as they were in the first place. Now put that back into the female part, which is attached to the light cord. Voila! You have replaced a light bulb with one from any other strand of lights.
Summer time in Australia. Festive tree and decorations go up at the beach house (where the family gathers for Christmas) a week before Christmas then taken down on New Year’s Day. Time is spent outside, at the beach, finding a cool spot to sit and relax. Like you, I have our decorations stored in plastic tubs. I have 2 of them 😂
Thank you for your Christmas videos 🌟 Your home looks amazing 🌟
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🎉
If it was up to me I'd take him down the day after Christmas but after January 1st is usual. But now I'm handicapped so my reluctant husband that puts them up. Reluctantly takes them down for me. He's a great guy and I have learned patience. Happy New Year!🎉
This is amazing, I was already doing it the same way but learned more ideas from you today! ❤ , one thing I’ve learned is that if the batteries touch each other in the box they will drain. I use Saran wrap to wrap them before storing them. 😉. Love you always❤! God bless.
14:55: Love Rebecca, but Im not ironing faux foliage. I dread ironing my clothes. But, this is why she is fabulous😀
Your 2023 was gorgeous …I keep Christmas up until at least the 9th of January, my Moms birthday. Ive done that ever since I had my own home…and in 2021 she passed away…I miss her so very much, she and my Dad loved Christmas, so keeping it up for a while longer is comforting for me ! Hope you have a happy and healthy 2024 !
Same here. After Mom's birthday, she passed in 2012.
So proud of myself, I love to keep my Christmas decor organized for the next year.
Generally we take our decorations down the first Saturday of January. Thanks to you, this was our most gorgeous Christmas/Hanukkah ever! The holiday-themed design sessions were SO HELPFUL! Thank you! I loved the "cardboard under the Christmas tree" tip. Can't tell you how easy it was to move our very full 9 foot tree when needed for vacuuming, etc. Happy New Year to you and your family and thanks for all the decorating training!
Girlfriend those were great tips! I’ve been collecting Christmas since I was a teenager. Now, at 52 YRO it’s about storing my treasures. I especially love the tip for storing glass and crystal icicles and snowflakes. Also, ironing silk, faux foliage-now, that’s genius.
I remove my Christmas decor the day after 3 Kings Day, and end the celebrations with a glass of champagne and a sweet treat.😉
P.S. It kills me to see beautiful ribbons trashed-what are they thinking!🤷♀️
Between Christmas and New Year's, I take down any Santa-related decor. Anything religious can be packed away after the Epiphany. I don't do ornaments on the trees. They are scattered about where my grandson can see them - so those can be tucked away next. I only used two tabletop trees this year, so the trees, snowflakes, and small animal vignettes can remain through January as seasonal decor. Maybe into February - if the house needs cheering up.
I like to dangle snowflakes from the arms of my (very pedestrian) chandelier, and I'll keep those up for most of the season.
I used very little this year, as there was so much else going on, and others needed my help.
Every year, I swear I'm going to get a handle on it and simplify. I'm 65, and it hasn't happened yet, so don't anybody hold your breath!
We try to keep our tree up until Epiphany, but we have real trees & some years they don’t last. I also take down Santa decor after Christmas & keep religious & lights longer. Outdoor lights are the last to put away…different every year! Happy New Year to all!
Anticipation
Song by Carly Simon
I love this song arranged in 1971.