My holiday survival guide has some great tips for managing the stress and chaos of holiday decorating while enjoying the season.
In a few weeks, I’ll be sharing my Christmas home tour filled with dozens of photos of gorgeously decked halls.
But we are so not there yet. The tree is up, but our house is far from picture-perfect and guest-ready.
There are boxes and bins and glitter everywhere.
Our decor is a mishmash of seasons — pumpkins and pinecones, gourds and garlands — as we take down Thanksgiving and transition to Christmas.
Because of blogging and deadlines, we have been in the throes of holiday decorating for a few weeks now. The guest bathroom is the only space that is officially done. One side of my front porch looks like Christmas…
while the other still has pumpkins on display.
Today, I wanted to show you a little glimpse behind the scenes into the chaos that goes into getting our home ready for the holidays. I’m also including a few of my favorite tips for managing the stress and chaos of Christmas decorating in this holiday survival guide.
The tips in this holiday survival guide help me get things done without losing my mind and without forgetting the reason for the season.
Set Up A Staging Area
For several years now, I set up a staging area to corral my various holiday decor and projects as we pull bins out of the attic.
It’s nothing fancy, just a banquet table set up in a hallway off our foyer. This is where I keep ribbon, ornament hooks, scissors, floral picks, garlands, wreaths and everything else I need to do my decorating.
When I’m decorating our Christmas trees, I unwrap all the ornaments and lay them out on the table first to survey what I have. I can fit three storage bins under the table, rather than having them strewn around the house. Once they’re empty, I haul them back to the attic to keep the mess under control.
Stock Up on Essentials
There are a few must-haves in my Christmas decorating toolbox, and I keep them handy at all times.
This little vintage style box holds extra lights, pliers, a light tester, zip ties, wire, ornament hooks, Command hooks, light clips, scissors and tape all season long. It’s the first thing I unpack from the attic every Christmas season.
Enlist Help
I firmly believe that decorating for the holidays should be a family affair.
With a team working together, you can get the decorating done so much quicker. And it’s great family bonding time. Though there might be some grumbling involved at times, my husband and son love helping to deck the halls for Christmas.
They take pride in adding special touches of their own and hanging their favorite ornaments on the tree.
My husband is pretty proud of how these wreaths turned out in the kitchen, especially since he got to watch football while hanging them.
Give Yourself Time
As I mentioned, we have been decorating for Christmas for several weeks now. While I’d love to have things done overnight, it is so much less stressful when we take our time.
I know many people don’t like to start decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but getting an early start means we can take our time.
Come December, while everyone else is busy decorating, we’re able to relax and enjoy our home and invite friends and family over to celebrate the season.
Embrace the Glitter
If you visit my home right now, you’re going to leave with a souvenir coating of glitter.
I try not to freak out over the glitter and the little messes that arise when I’m decorating because they’re unavoidable.
Those pillows won’t be piled on the floor forever. And anyone who visits are friends; they will forgive our little messes and imperfection. Worry about deep cleaning the house after the decorating is done because your merrymaking will create more messes and more work.
Take Breaks for What Matters
I could have probably been done with decorating by now if I’d spent every free moment on it.
I’ve taken plenty of breaks from decorating to do something fun or creative. Like making this meaningful jeweled wreath…
And building this rustic Christmas tree for the birds.
Oh, and lots of goofing off and TV watching and hanging out with friends and family. And I don’t regret a moment of it. I hope you’ll take these tips to heart as you decorate your own home for the holidays.
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