12 Smart Ways to Declutter After the Holidays
Storing ornaments, untangling jewelry, organizing toys
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Gabrielle Blair | Store ornaments the right way.
I love these heirloom ornament storage boxes from Sterling Pear; they are wonderful &mdash
good-looking, sturdy and functional. The insides are made of compartmentalized trays
that can be customized to fit odd-sized items. These boxes somehow make even my
not-that-special ornaments seem like heirlooms.
Get it from Sterling Pear
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Stephanie Brubaker | If you havent used it, lose it!
To offset the onslaught of gifts, hit your closets and cupboards hard by de-cluttering. I like to abide by the one-year rule &mdash if you haven't used something in the past 12 months, then it goes to charity. Twelve months cover 4 seasons and 4 opportunities to use that item one way or another. This is a particularly helpful mantra when dealing with clothing. When you're done, reward yourself with wooden hangers to pretty things up a bit!
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Sunny Chanel | In with the new, out with the oldto charity
Our 5-year-old daughter is starting to get a handle on the concept of charity. And this year she initiated her own way of de-cluttering. She decided that she wanted to send all her old toys "to Africa," to kids who might need some. It's a sweet gesture, one that we will embrace. The toys may not make it all the way to Africa, but at least we'll get them out of the house!
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Jordan Ferney | No more space? No more toys!
I keep my kids toys on one shelf in clear bins. Anything that doesn't fit on that shelf gets donated.
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Jaime Morrison Curtis | Laundry hampers make great storage bins
I picked up a wire laundry bin from Crate and Barrel and use it to stash the insane stuffed-animal collection my daughter amassed over the holidays. If the plushies and dollies dont fit in the bin, they get pared down; the kid must choose some to donate. No child needs more stuffed animals than can fit in there!
Get it from Crate & Barrel
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Chelsea Fuss | So do baskets.
I like to organize all my clutter into baskets. These French market baskets are great and they come in different sizes.
Get it from Brook Farm General Store
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Liz Stanley | Keep jewelry detangledforever!
My necklaces had gotten so tangled and twisted in my jewelry box that they needed a serious intervention for the new year. I've had this cool thrift-store frame around for a while and added pegboard in the back to make an organizer that could be displayed on the wall.
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Rachelle Wilde | Use clear bins to easily see what you can toss.
I like to throw away things that are broken or aren't worth storing. These bins from Target are see-through so I can what's in them. Now its time for a fresh new look in my home &mdash I like to move things around to change up the décor!
Get it from Target
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Michelle Horton | Nip clutter in the bud, and store the rest.
I think the only real way to manage holiday clutter (besides packing away and donating unused toys), is to simply stop it before it starts. We started a tradition that Santa brings three gifts: something to read, something to wear and something to play with (plus a few stocking stuffers); mom and dad give one special gift. There are many reasons for this, but the lack of "stuff" certainly is a plus. As for the gifts from relatives and friends, we rely on Ikea for affordable storage and we do give away quite a bit. Granted this is only our second Christmas, so the protesting hasn't started yet.
Get it from IKEA
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Rachel Faucett | Label, label, label!
After the holidays are over, I get my Cricut out and label every box. When I go to get it next year, I can see exactly where to find that thing" Im looking for!
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Rachel Jones | Let your children pick and choose.
After the holidays with the influx of new toys and gifts, I like to take a moment with our daughter and have her help decide which older toys she would like to pass on and give to someone in need. These industrial baskets from Restoration Hardware would be an excellent storage option to help set those healthy material possession boundaries.
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Laura Mayes | Try DIY ornament storage.
I found this idea on Martha Stewart a few years ago, and I've loved it. It makes putting up the holiday ornaments so much easier and kind of fun! I put pieces of cut corrugated cardboard in the bottom of a plastic storage bin and used a hot-glue gun to attach paper cups to the cardboard. Then I put wrapped ornaments in each of the cups and stack the cardboard/cup layers inside the container. Easy!
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That’s the best asnewr of all time! JMHO
IMHO you’ve got the right aneswr!
Kewl you suohld come up with that. Excellent!