Don't Get Your Tinsel In A Tangle - Top Tips To Avoid The Christmas Clutter

Let’s not get our tinsel in a tangle this festive season. With the holidays officially in sight, we need to start thinking about getting rid of that Christmas clutter.

How can we avoid the chaos and enjoy the holidays? Jo Carmichael, Professional Organiser & Decluttering Specialist from all sorted out, has perfected the art of tidying. Jo shares her tips, to avoid Christmas clutter.

1. Get organised

Before extra guests descend on your house for Christmas, it is important to have your space prepared in advance. Have a pre-Christmas declutter. The kitchen bench is the epicentre of entertaining so give it a clearing. Remove items that don’t relate to cooking and entertaining – ie move the bills, school notes & mail to a desk or computer nook. Go thru the pantry and toss any expired items or half eaten biscuit packets. Ditto with the fridge – jars & cans of food that are no longer fresh could be tossed – give the shelves a wipe clean ready for fresh produce.

2. Dedicate an area

Choose a room and go wild. This is your Christmas area, to be used as storage for food and gifts in the lead up to the big day. On Christmas Day or Boxing Day, encourage your guests to leave their extra stuff in this room – keeping the rest of your house safe from holiday madness!

3. Have a bin ready to go

On the big day, have a basket in the area where your gifts will be unwrapped. Encourage guests to toss their paper into it soon after unwrapping gifts. This helps keep your space tidy and avoids the post-gift-opening craziness. The gift wrap and packaging is then ready to recycle.

4. Stay calm

When relatives march through the door bearing gifts and the kitchen gets buried in extra groceries – it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Remember to Breathe in & Breathe out, to stay calm and enjoy the family excitement.

5. Gather opened gifts

Encourage family and guests to place their opened gifts, back under the nearly naked foot of your tree, in a pile or gift bag. This prevents every chair or bench becoming a leaning post for their gifts while you’re in entertaining mode.

There are plenty of practical steps we can take, to fill our homes with laughter and good times instead of Christmas clutter.

What are your tips to avoid Christmas clutter in your home? Tell us in the comments below.

34 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 03 Jan 2024
    12:20 pm
I guess we are super organised. Christmas clutter has never been an issue here

- - BellaB said
  - 30 Sep 2021
    6:52 pm
I’m reminding myself of all these things for this year!

- - Lovesthecuddles said
  - 29 Jan 2021
    8:39 am
I think these tips can be helpful for birthday parties also

- - Mom7534689 said
  - 24 Jan 2021
    9:46 am
Great tips, bookmarked for next year to remind me haha

- - mom461384 said
  - 09 Dec 2020
    10:14 pm
Great tips! Have always had a bag for wrapping paper rubbish on the go! It always helps tokeep the place a little cleaner!
- mom473862 replied
  
  22 Dec 2020 , 5:54 pm
  Glad you like these tips. Jo
- - Sotomumof3 said
  - 09 Dec 2020
    5:50 am
After a few glasses of champagne and oj at breakfast time, I am definitely calm! Clean as you go is my tip! Removing the paper makes a huge difference and having your dedicated gift piles
- mom473862 replied
  
  22 Dec 2020 , 5:56 pm
  Totally agree, champagne, remove the paper & gifts restocked in piles – under the tree keeps it pretty. Jo
- - Lovesthecuddles said
  - 07 Dec 2020
    2:22 pm
We try and clean as you go

- - Ellen said
  - 07 Dec 2020
    8:46 am
Thanx for sharing, some good tips here
- mom473862 replied
  
  22 Dec 2020 , 5:59 pm
  Thanks, glad you enjoyed. Jo
- - tessie said
  - 06 Dec 2020
    11:28 am
We have a very small home so it’s very easy to get cluttered. I always make sure the kitchen bench is clear and a rubbish bag or bin is close by so all the wrapping paper etc. can be removed immediately. These are definitely some great tips to make Christmas more enjoyable for everyone including the hosts.
- mom473862 replied
  
  22 Dec 2020 , 6:01 pm
  Yep keeping the kitchen bench clear & clean really helps when you’re the hosts. Enjoy. Jo
- - shanika said
  - 03 Dec 2020
    4:15 pm
Organizing is really important for a big day.
- mom473862 replied
  
  22 Dec 2020 , 6:03 pm
  couldnt agree more, keeping organised is calming. Jo
- - rovermum said
  - 03 Dec 2020
    9:33 am
Create spaces for Christmas decoration/planning. This also makes it easier when packing up.

- - mom101628 said
  - 03 Dec 2020
    8:48 am
Great tips for Christmas Day – thanks for sharing.

- - mom261683 said
  - 03 Dec 2020
    5:44 am
I love number 4 stay calm. That’s my favourite tip.
- mom473862 replied
  
  22 Dec 2020 , 6:05 pm
  Staying calm is key – decluttring is like yoga for our home, so breathing in & out slowly is the key. Jo
- - mummaJo said
  - 02 Dec 2020
    11:44 pm
We open pressents on Christmas day with my hubby’s family and on boxing day with my family. To keep everything together, we take an empty large tub to put all our things in. It keeps all our pressies together so they aren’t spread all over the place.

- - Kasey said
  - 02 Dec 2020
    10:07 pm
Have lists and tick them off when done, like food items so you don’t double buy.

- - SPerry37 said
  - 02 Dec 2020
    9:29 pm
I do this and we do this when opening the kids presents keep them separate and pack them up as soon as all the presents are opened

- - mom176887 said
  - 02 Dec 2020
    8:12 pm
Yes I like number 5 too.. gathering the opened gifts…. perhaps putting in a nice christmas bag/ pillowcase or whatever to keep them all together.. easy for kids to take to their rooms. All too often they are just left about where opened for hours and days amid a pile of wrapping!

- - mom265671 said
  - 02 Dec 2020
    12:52 am
It’s always the hardest part trying to get everything organised and not looking like a chaos

- - BellaB said
  - 01 Dec 2020
    11:26 pm
Having a recycling bin to hand is very important. Also saves things getting “lost” under paper and possibly stepped on.

- - ashna9 said
  - 01 Dec 2020
    9:14 pm
Bin it or recycle it.