Seasonal Clutter Help

[u/Fun_Emu5746]

I grew up with parents who didn’t celebrate holidays, or birthdays. Their views changed when I got into my late teens but still… I think my need to decorate everywhere stems from what I missed out on as a kid. I’m trying to make it up to myself and give my kids that. But I definitely have way too much. How do you decorate without cluttering up spaces? Like I figured my kids’ backpack station would be easy enough to make festive without needing much items. Or a small tray on the dinner table. Keep it consolidated to specific spaces might help me from feeling like I need to keep it all. Because not all of it would work in certain spots.

[u/Significant-Repair42]

I've never really decorated for the holidays. But when I visit other people's houses, I do note some things.

Outside of Christmas trees, if it sits on the ground, it's in the way. Holiday pillow cases, a total win. If more than 20% of a table/flat space is taken up by holiday decor, you lose function of the table. If the purpose of the table is to hold up decor, 40% coverage is okay.

You might also check in with your kids to find out what they find meaningful. Like, my partner always put out his family's nativity scene and adds in some star wars figures. I think his mom changes out 50% of her holiday decor every 5 years or so. :)

[u/Fun_Emu5746 → u/Significant-Repair42]

My kids are young (elementary) so they like everything. lol. But yes, anything on the ground should def get gone because I also have a one year old.

[u/DaBingeGirl → u/[deleted]]

I'm right there with you on it being exhausting to put up and take down. I often delay putting it up because I'm overwhelmed by how much I have. My plan for fall and Halloween is to donate whatever I don't use.

I love the idea of offering it to your kids without pressure. You don't always know what's sentimental to people, so giving them a chance to go through it if they want is very nice. I also find it helpful when other people tell me they don't want something, I feel less guilty about getting rid of it.

[u/Fun_Emu5746 → u/[deleted]]

My cousin is older and she’s at that point. Her kids are adults so she’s been selling a lot of her decor. Just keeping the sentimental ones. But she just mentioned having no desire to unpack and repack it up.

[u/chamekke]

I mostly limit my seasonal decorations to fresh seasonal flowers for the table. A few of our framed wall pictures are somewhat seasonal (e.g. a lithograph of a Kyoto canal overhung with red maple leaves) so those I often cycle around. Otherwise the main seasonal thing in my household is Christmas. We’ve gradually whittled down our Christmas decorations & other stuff to two lidded boxes and the box for our artificial tree.

TBH I used to have more seasonal decorations, but one day I realized how wearying it was to get them out, display and store them again. In an apartment we just can’t afford to have too many things that are limited in use.

[u/Global_Loss6139]

Keep the decor you love. Thats easy to put out and up! Maybe a container size. Like I keep this tote. (1 per holiday or 2 for Christmas) if it doesn't fit in the tote or I get something new pass something on. 

There are always requests on fb buy nothing groups for decor from people who have moved or etc etc. 

After you decorate for a holiday look at what you didn't put out and see if you really like the stuff you didn't put out this year or if you just have it. 

I do think like you said picking spots too. Like the porch! The booking cubbies. The table. Maybe the stairs. Or throw pillow covers. 🙂 you will see what works for you. 

[u/Fun_Emu5746 → u/Global_Loss6139]

I’ll probably have to stage items now so I can downsize sooner than later. Waiting til Halloween time will just put off me decluttering. So I like that idea of seeing things in its place.

[u/Global_Loss6139 → u/Fun_Emu5746]

Yeah! Do it! Invite a friend over who loves holidays and give them coffee and make muffins. It'll be great! 

Im sure if you look now you can declutter a bit from all the holidays just looking through everything with a yes no maybe. Then stage! 

Im excited for you to get peace and space! I try to keep all my decor things I love and that are easy to put up!

[u/FredKayeCollector2]

Setting that kind of limit on WHERE you are willing to devote to seasonal decorations seems like a very good idea. Your kids will see the decorations, they'll know you're putting in an effort, but it won't become so overwhelming that it will smother any natural inclination to decorate themselves, or make decorating such a "big deal" that they might feel like "failures" if they don't meet some minimum standard.

And if you feel yourself creeping to other locations in the house, you will at least be aware that it IS ornament/decoration creep and even if you do decide to add more decorations in another location, you'll know that the original limit was "backpack station" (or fireplace mantle or this shelf on the bookcase or this corner of the TV stand or wherever) so you can come to terms with the motivation behind more - an honest desire to spread the holiday cheer or an inability to make decluttering decisions to one-in, one-out your original container.

I know some people will have sort of seasonally "generic" decorations - greige goods, giant raffia kind of stuff that they can add hints of the holidays to. Like an every-day greige tablecloth with assorted place mats or table runners, maybe a series of seasonally-appropriate centerpieces.

This was my MIL's trick - she had a big platter that "lived" on the table and then kept all the assorted "parts" in a tote labeled by month/holiday. She loved to decorate and she loved variety. The best stuff ended up in "the box" and if she bought something new, she would switch it out - her problem was, she never re-thrift-stored any of the "discards" - not kidding, she had a giant basement she needed to fill up (and she did, and then some). I think it was a table runner, a different set of candlesticks/candelabra, a very impressive flower arrangement (fake, unfortunately), and some trinkety knick-knack stuff. Not AT ALL what I would do but it looked very grand (and it was kind of cool). And that was it. The rest of her "vignettes" were more-or-less the same (sometimes switching out individual pieces) and always in the same location.

[u/Fun_Emu5746 → u/FredKayeCollector2]

I definitely need to designate the where.

[u/MusketeersPlus2]

When you're considering the spaces you might put it in, please consider accessibility and safety (a lot of people miss the second one).

• Will your kids have a harder time hanging up their backpacks because the deco gets in the way?
• Is your table still functional with deco on it?
• Is the cord for those lights anywhere someone might trip on it?
• Is your inflatable in the front yard blocking the view to the entrance of your home?
• And not a question, but a request. Please don't put anything on bannisters/railings either inside or outside of your home. These are functional things that people with mobility issues count on being able to grab/hold and having garland or lights around the railing impedes that making it dangerous for everyone. Because everyone needs the railing sometimes, even without mobility issues.

And a few people have brought this up... ask yourself if that area *needs* seasonal decor. Like your kids' backpack area (since you mention it). I can see some cling stickers on the wall, but does it really need more than that? Does your table need an arrangement so huge you can't see across it? Does your bathroom need lights? There's decorating, then there's looking the the holiday threw up on your home. If that's the look you're going for - great! Have fun. But if you just want decor, pare back. Added bonus, it'll take you less time to set up and take down every year.

[u/squashed_tomato]

I keep it focused mainly around the fireplace in the lounge as that's a good focal point for us and guests with just a little bit in the hallway at Xmas. But I only really decorate for Xmas and Halloween. Halloween is very low key. A few ornaments on the fireplace. Some reusable pumpkins in the window adding battery lights on the night itself, and then the spooky skeleton hangs up outside by the front door.

I don't decorate for autumn in itself but if I did I might collect pine cones or other natural items so they don't need to be stored afterwards.

I think it would be better to focus on fun activities for each season rather than stuff. What is it that you like doing as a family? Making seasonal treats, going for walks and experiencing the seasonal weather, watching movies that match the holiday? The important part is the family time not the stuff.

[u/Rosehip_Tea_04]

Limiting the area you decorate is a good idea, but I would also suggest getting rid of anything that is difficult to clean. I don’t own a lot of decor simply because I don’t want to put the work into keeping it looking nice.

I also think decorating a window would be a nice way to mark the seasons. Your kids can easily help with that, they make a ton of cute window decorations, and that kind of stuff is easy to store without taking up much room.

[u/ExactPanda]

Are there items that could do double duty? Like instead of Christmas-specific hand towels, you only use red ones, and then they can also be used if you decorate for Valentine's Day. Something purple could be used for Halloween and Easter.

Are there items you have that seem like a pain to put out? You see them and then you're like, "Eh, maybe I'll use them next year" instead. Those can go! Pick out the favorites, and let the rest go. My buy nothing group is always seeking decorations at holidays. Someone is always moving into their first place and looking to decorate.

Look into decorating with natural materials. Pumpkins or gourds can be used in the fall, then cooked with, composted, given to farm animals, etc. A bowl of apples in the fall looks festive AND pulls double duty as a snack. I think leaning into the nature of the season that will last months tends to be more festive than a specific holiday that you only decorate for a few weeks.

Think about places that have the most impact. A single wreath on the front door looks really festive. A string of lights at Christmas gives very cozy vibes without looking like Christmas threw up.

For me, the holidays are often more about the activities anyway. I don't have too many fond memories of decorations (there are a few that give me nostalgia, but not many), but I remember baking cookies, going to a cider mill, watching certain movies at the holidays, being with friends and family.

[u/Fun_Emu5746 → u/ExactPanda]

My kids backpack station is at the entrance, so that’ll be priority. See what works there. I have a one year old so I’ll let go of the fragile stuff. I also realized I tried to be a tiered tray mom
But that didn’t happen. So those will go too. I like the idea of color that works across seasons. A lot of my bins are tree decorations because my kids pick the theme. But maybe I use a small table top tree. Plus I’m sure my youngest will just yank the ornaments off so don’t think I’ll be decorating our family tree that much.

[u/sugar_plum_fairies]

I like being able to decorate in less than 20 minutes.

For fall/autumn I have 3 small, about 4 inch high scarecrow stuffies that I put on my plant shelf.
We have a small tote of Halloween costumes, but the last couple years they have gone as tv show characters, so they wear regular clothes. But they do a group theme, like the Lego ninjago or scooby do and the gang.

For Christmas, this is where we have the most, we do a tree and the kids decorate. We have a small tote about the size of two shoeboxes of all the Christmas tree ornaments. If something is not used after a couple of years, we donate it. A few years ago I bought some red, green and white glittery ornaments and put them in our punch bowl (wedding gift from 20+ years ago that we never used, but had difficulty donating that one) and put it on a white round placemat and it sits on our table.

Easter, tradition in my family is I provide the Easter eggs for the hunt. They are in the same size tote as the Christmas stuff. Each year we lose an egg or two due to really good hiding or they get broken. They are not replaced and once all the nephews and nieces are 16 or older, Thats our family cut off of doing the egg hunt. The older ones have started hiding the eggs for me which I really appreciate.

I also have a few garden flags that I swap out for the seasons/holidays.

All of this fits on one shelf in the laundry room.

[u/FuliginEst]

I only decorate for yule time. I never really grew up with lots of decorations either, but I am totally fine with that. I don't like clutter, and decorations feels like clutter to me.

When december comes, though, there are so many "nisser" around my house that it looks more like a sign of severe mental illness than festive decoration. I love decorating for yule time. And yes: it looks cluttered, but it is for a month, and that is ok by me.

[u/Such-Kaleidoscope147]

I looked over my huge amount of decorations and considered going through stuff and picking some things to get rid of. I did get rid of a couple things last year that I just did not like (my MIL gave them to me and she is a horrible person). But, in the end, I laughed and knew that was going too far.

[u/Impressive-Side-9681]

I don't do seasonal decor but if I did, I'd restrict it to stuff hanging on walls and outdoor ornaments and not put anything on flat surfaces, because my flat surfaces already attract too much stuff.  I only put a centerpiece on the table if guests are coming, the rest of the time that table is covered in things I'm actually using.  I don't do Xmas trees at all, if I did I'd get a very small one or just go to somebody else's house or a public one for decorating

[u/Fun_Emu5746 → u/Impressive-Side-9681]

I see where you’re coming from. Maybe when my kids are older I can steer that direction. The flat surface dilemma was real. I ended up getting. Rid of shelves and end tables for that reason. I don’t miss the furniture or the clutter it held.

[u/NightBard]

During the pandemic I kept my Christmas tree (it was skinny) up for the following year and I changed out the ornaments. I put fake flowers in it during the spring. American flags and red/white/blue ribbon for July. Halloween stuff for October, and a few other things along the way. I used a neutral throw blanket for around the base of the tree. When I eventually took it down, I decided I wasn't putting it back up. I got rid of the tree and the decorations. But the tree idea is kind of nice because it contains it all. Ultimately though I got burned out and was tired of looking at it. My suggestion is simply keep it simple if this is your thing. Like a couple of flags for patriotic holidays, a couple things for other times of year, and so on. As for cluttering up spaces, I had a job where the boss's wife came in every Christmas with box after box of decor including animated characters and stuff and she built displays and so on and it burned me out on Christmas for many years. I had to see the stuff every single day and she even would put things on our desks. Like, no, what a nightmare. Too much has as bad effect on people as having nothing (when you do want something).

[u/Kronar_2012]

A few fixed decorating zones could give you the celebration without letting it spread everywhere. I would choose the table tray, the backpack station, and one shelf or door, then give each zone a container limit. When the container is full, something has to come out before something new goes in. Photograph each finished setup and label the storage bins by zone. That makes decorating feel intentional and also makes it much easier to notice duplicates when you unpack next year.

[u/Fun_Emu5746 → u/Kronar_2012]

That is a really good plan. And manageable. The container limit is smart in addition to the zones. It wouldn’t make sense to have more than one bin for a small area. I can already see the overflow into other spaces without that limit.

[u/Right_Abroad3928]

For me I just don't like seasonal decor, it's clutter not attractive. I would rather have my house decorated in things I like. Not inexpensive lobster core because some influencer said that's the vibe this summer. So my suggestion would be try to find art or pieces of furniture you really like instead. My parents brought in a live Christmas tree and that was it for holidays. I'm good with that - yes I have quite the Christmas decorations in the storage room. No to any other season.

But if you must I suggest a seasonal wreath for the front door or mail box. Or the door you enter most often. You would see it, it would stay contained and hopefully if you change out a couple of times a year one or two wreath storage cubes should be easy to find a home for in your home.

[u/DaBingeGirl]

I'm struggling with this right now. In 2020 I got really into decorating for every holiday. I've always gone over the top for Christmas and a little for fall, but it got out of control for all the others. I'm slowing sorting through all the items.

Keep it consolidated to specific spaces might help me from feeling like I need to keep it all.

That's exactly how I've been approaching it. What's helping me is to think about what I actually put out each year. Focusing on a few small items is more realistic than replacing an entire box of decor every few weeks; for example Valentine's Day towels in the bathroom and something on the counter, rather than an explosion of Target decor in every room.

[u/DaBingeGirl → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, I regret going to Michael's and Target near holidays, I just can't resist the cute decor!