The holidays are basically here and Christmas is on the way and this year, more than any other year, I’ve found myself feeling the time pressure. I don’t know if it’s a result of being slightly overwhelmed and indicative of what’s on my plate and what’s cluttering my mind these days, or if it’s the result of all the talk of unprecedented delays in logistics. But, prep mode in the Lopez household is well underway! I’ll be sharing the gift guides I’ve been working on over the past few weeks this coming weekend and plan to share our annual Christmas home tour in mid-November (see last year’s holiday home HERE). We’ve had family photos taken (our first ever!), and I’ve been avidly working my way through my Christmas list. Meanwhile, we’re still in full-on fall celebration mode and this past weekend, we decorated a gingerbread haunted house, watched Halloween shows, Dave and I visited a resort vineyard for our anniversary, and we went on pumpkin hunting-style walks through the neighborhood. The temps this week in north Georgia are beyond perfect and our Georgia Bulldogs are ranked #1 — this fall has been fantastic to us. But, behind the scenes, we’re still doing all the prep and looking toward all those Christmas things that seem to creep up on us. (I wrote a post a couple years ago, detailing a prep timeline, you can find HERE.) And today, I’m sharing the busy season planning, prep and storage ideas for the holidays… not just typical storage or organization ideas you may think of for decor, but ideas for things you may have not thought of and simple systems to put into place.
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9 Christmas Prep, Storage & Organization Ideas
Having a plan of attack with all the holiday things — from Christmas cards to decor to gifts — is key. But, no matter how prepared you feel, it can all be a little overwhelming, especially at the start of the season when it seems like there’s just so much to do. With a little prep and list making, it can start to feel a little more manageable. The stress of the holidays shouldn’t rob you of your joy and if that feeling starts to take over, it may be time to look at removing things from your plate. Don’t overdo it, take the time to enjoy these moments, but also don’t procrastinate on tackling those things that are important to you. Read on for nine ideas, systems, organization methods and storage solutions you can start planning for now.
1. Christmas Card Prep Caddy
This system — while perfect for drafting Christmas cards — also works beyond the holidays (think wedding invites, shower thank-you’s, graduation announcements and more!) For just over $5 (HERE), THIS caddy makes the perfect transport and organizer for my card process, corralling all the holiday send-out necessities and accompaniments.
From your desk to the sofa to working on them in bed or at the kitchen counter, having an organizer that can travel with you while maintaining order is a simple solution to pre-prep for when you’re ready to start stamping and addressing.
2. Christmas Household & Decor Tool Kit
A few years ago. I wrote a lengthy post on different tools to have on hand before you start decorating so you aren’t having to pause or halt before even getting started in your decorating. How many times have you gone to hang garland or a wreath, only to realize you aren’t able to because you don’t have the proper hooks or ties? Or you need to repair one of those Christmas ornaments that ultimately gets left behind because you aren’t exactly sure where you put the glue or it’s all dried up from the previous year? By prepping a tool kit of essentials before you start decorating, you’ll be able to much more seamlessly get through those decking of the holidays without breaking/stopping/making concurrent runs to the store.
Here are a few ideas of things to keep in your prepped tool kit:
- Command Hooks
- Wire
- Zip Ties
- Tape Measure
- Ornament Hooks
- Glue Gun & Hot Glue Sticks
- Super Glue
- Scissors
- Batteries
- Fishing Line
- Twine
- Spare Light Bulbs
- Remote Outlets
- Extension Cord
I used THIS Caboodles tote (intended for hair care) that had an open top and padding with a substantial carrying handle, making it the ideal organizer and kit to stash in a closet/the garage as you prep your holiday home. And while you can shop your entire list of tools and holiday prep items at Walmart, I also found everything I needed for my systems, too. From baskets and caddies to organizers, tins and trunks, they have everything you could think of to ready your holiday home.
3. Battery Storage
And speaking of keeping batteries on hand, I’ve used THIS battery organizer for a couple years now and not only does it hold a ton, but it also keeps batteries visible and we can see what we need to re-stock at a glance. It holds 93 batteries and also has a tester so you can toss any batteries that have lost their juice. We keep it in a kitchen drawer year-round but it’s especially helpful during the holidays since all the lights, wreaths, toys, etc. always require so many batteries!
4. Christmas Book Storage & Display
Keeping your collection of Christmas books in the main living areas isn’t just an accessible approach to make sure they are picked up and enjoyed throughout the season, it also doubles as decor. I’ve situated them on display in a shallow bowl-style tray on the coffee table but THIS simple magazine holder sidles up perfectly next to a chair or the sofa.
Again, not only is this a great way to highlight books for the Christmas season, but it works well for any season/approaching holiday, like Halloween!
5. Convenient Grab & Stash Gift Wrap Tote & Organizer
Throughout the year, I primarily rely on my gift wrap station in my closet (see the post HERE), but during Christmas, I’m wrapping so many more gifts, I like to have a go-to station to set up and prefer to have my rolls of holiday wrap portable and corralled conveniently together. With THIS gift wrap carry-all and organizer, I can easily tote it downstairs, stash it under the guest bed to access throughout the season, migrate to our bedroom/stash in a closet, etc. When I first started loading my holiday gift wrap inside, I was surprised — it holds a TON of rolls.
Even better, if you store your holiday gift wrap away with your decor after the season, it will already be packaged up and ready to go.
6. Precious Ornament Protection & Organizer
I have amassed such a large collection of ornaments, my usual method of storage is using large bins like THIS, having each bin dedicated to a single color, and praying nothing gets broken. But, for our special ornaments — the ones we collect over the years that represent memories on the nostalgia tree — well, those have to be taken care of just a little more. I know I’ve been pushing my luck, wrapping them in paper and tossing them all together, so I decided to take it a step further and get THIS ornament organizer with dividers.
Each bin has a 64-ornament capacity and can fold down when not in use. You can find a larger version with a 128 ornament capacity HERE. When it comes to Christmas storage, it’s best to go ahead and secure anything you may need NOW, rather than when the season ends and you resort back to haphazard storage because it seems easier in the moment.
7. Customizable Store & Gift Cookie Tins
Whether you holiday bake for your family exclusively, or bake to give as gifts, THESE black tins act as chalkboards and provide the cutest customization opportunities! From a neighbor’s name to “Cookies for Santa”, you can switch it up over and over.
Black Cookie Tins | Chalk Markers
I use THESE chalk markers — as an FYI, if you need to wipe up the ink shortly after applying, you only need water. If it’s been a while, a little dishwashing soap with water does the trick to remove all the residue.
8. Display & Stash Throw Baskets
One can never have too many baskets, but fall and winter are the seasons you can really show them all off! Throw blankets and spare pillows are mounded in abundance for warmth and upping the cozy factor and I keep them scattered all over our living spaces, acting as storage and doubling as decor. These affordable sets are easy to coordinate across rooms and seasons.
Set of Seagrass White-Dipped Baskets | Resin Storage Basket | Round Handle Seagrass Basket (similar)
Some of my favorite baskets and storage containers around our home were found from Walmart Home and their versatility-meets-value is hard to beat. As always, their returns are simple and no-risk! While I shared this setup for our fall entry, THESE crates from Walmart also make great daily storage for disbursement for those incoming holiday packages that will likely be mounding up. They were in and out of stock when I shared them before, but as of posting, both the small and large sizes are back in stock and available.
Handle Basket (set of two — one large, one medium) | Rattan Cane Crate (large) | Wood Bead Garland | Neutral Tufted Pillow | Caramel Fringed Pillow
9. Hiding in Plain Sight Lidded Trunks/Ottomans for Decor Rotating Out
When the Christmas decor goes up, a lot of time, you have to make room and clear out some of your everyday pieces. I love lidded baskets, ottomans and trunks for their hiding-in-plain-sight functionality, but they’re especially helpful during the holidays. Instead of figuring out which closet to stash your everyday decor in or making trips to the basement/attic, you can keep them around, just hidden.
THIS woven ottoman can act as a plant stand, a basket, or even a side table, nestled up to a chair…
And THIS trunk is a big-time space saver that has the ability to hold a lot!
Have you started your holiday prep just yet? Have any go-to systems/prep solutions? I’d love to hear about them in the comment section below!
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Other Posts You May Be Interested In
- *NEW* Favorite Christmas Decor for 2021
- Two Months Prep Guide for the Holidays
- How to Decorate a Christmas Tree with Ribbon
- 2020 Christmas Home Tour
- Basic to Beautiful — How to Add Garland to Your Mantel
- 2019 Christmas Home Tour
- How to Flock a Christmas Tree
- Christmas Tree Themes
- Elf on the Shelf Ideas for Adults
Post Sources
More Christmas Storage & Tools for Planning & Prep
So many great ideas here – thank you!
I’ve never thought of a tool kit and appreciate the detailed list. I may put one together this weekend 🙂
Hi Jennibell, Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and to leave a note! Having all the things consolidated in a kit has been so helpful to me and I hope it is for you, too!
Love the card tote idea! Much better than pens and boxes all over the countertop. And the tool storage tote makes so much sense. My junk drawer just got less junky and no more running back and forth for that one tool you forget to get.
Hi Marti, Thank you so much for taking the time to visit! I am so determined to be organized for the holidays this year and just had to share. I love that you were able to take care of that junk drawer. Yay, you!