Holiday decorating is love/dread thing for me. While I delight in rediscovering holiday decorations every year, there’s also a sense of “Sigh, I’ll have to pack it all up again soon.” It can feel a little overwhelming, just when we feel like taking a breather from months of holidaze. So, I thought I’d make things a little easier with some tips for deconstructing your holiday decor. As an added bonus, taking the time to organize the “tear down” this year will make decorating the house that much easier next year.

Step 1: Schedule a “changeover day” to take down holiday decorations.

Personally, I don’t think there is a hard-and-fast rule to take down Christmas; some people leave up the decorations through Valentine’s Day. Purists pack everything away by Epiphany on January 6, but for most of us it’s a matter of having the time to do it. So that’s the first step: setting a day, a series of evenings, or a weekend to put the holidays away and return the house to normal (more about that in a moment). Write out a plan, starting with one room or area and work your way through the house.

Step 2: Revisit the decorations you didn’t use.

Before you take one ornament off the tree or remove one light from the roofline, take some time to go through what you didn’t put up this year. Why didn’t you use those items? Are they broken? Worn out? Has your taste changed? Did you inherit it from a relative, and it’s just not “you”? Do see yourself ever using a particular item?

Perhaps it is time to pass those items on to the next generation, donate them to charity or sell them on eBay or OfferUp and bless someone else’s home next year. Give yourself permission to let it go.

I’m saying this as much to myself as to anyone reading this. I brought home six bins of Christmas decorations from my storage unit this year, and I’m determined to take back only four. I’m noticing that I held onto many items simply because they “were my mom’s” even though she didn’t have any particular attachment to them. Now I feel ready to let those things go!

Step 3: Collect and sort.

One of the guiding principles of organizing is keeping like things together. With this in mind, collect all the decorative items you placed around your home and corral them in one location such as the dining room table. Natural groupings should emerge. For example, put all the kitchen items in one corner, keep all the nutcrackers together, etc.

For example, I use the same ornaments on the tree in my bedroom every year, so the “Bedroom” has its own bin. There’s an “Ornaments” bin, “Silver” bin with mercury glass items, and a “Linens” bin. That makes sense for me; use whatever system works for you and your decorations.

For the ornaments, remove them from the tree and pack directly into bins or boxes. If the ornaments fall into natural categories, such as a specific colors or themes, consider packing them together. Where possible, I like to keep the original packaging—especially for delicate or expensive ornaments—to keep them secure.

Step 4: Assess your storage options.

If your holiday decorations are stored in battered, dusty cardboard boxes, consider gradually replacing them with clear plastic bins as your budget allows. Many stores will put them on sale this time of year, so watch for good deals. The bins are easy to carry, see-through, stackable, wipeable, and last much longer than cardboard, which can harbor little creepy-crawlies.

You don’t need to purchase the fancy season-specific organizers. If you want to create compartments to separate ornaments, repurpose the cardboard dividers from a case of wine or liquor (check with your local market for empty boxes). Use nylon garment bags to store wreaths or garlands.

Step 5: Pack and track.

Pack away items in appropriate containers and store them in the appropriate locations. For example, you may not want to keep Grandma’s porcelain angel in a garage or attic that has extreme temperature swings. Try to find a place in an interior closet for such delicate items.

Remember to wash any holiday linens and towels before storing them. Space-saving, airtight plastic bags are perfect for condensing these items for storage.

While you’re packing, make an index card for each bin or box and detail the contents; mark the box or bin with a corresponding letter or number. This is a real timesaver when you’re looking for one specific item. Next year you won’t have to dig through a dozen bins to find what you’re looking for. Keep the index cards in a desk drawer or in a section of your recipe file box—wherever it makes sense for you. Or, go digital and try a box organizing app! I’m going to try BoxOrganizer and see how it goes. It may be hard to let go of my index cards, but I may love it, too!   

Step 6: Return to your regularly scheduled décor … or not.

Your walls, tables, front door and vanities may look a little bare once all the holiday décor is taken away. It’s time to convert back to your everyday look. However, this is the perfect time to refresh any tired or tattered art and accessories. Look at your towels, rugs, knick knacks and other accessories with a fresh eye. Is it time for an update?

Even if you don’t buy anything new, you need not return the same accessories to the same locations. Mix it up! Rotating items you already have is an easy and economical way to make a room look fresh. Check out these ideas to refresh any room in your home.

Now go turn on some music or stream a marathon of your favorite show and start undecorating. Happy decluttering, packing and storing!