What is your approach to putting away Christmas decorations?

[listentotheman]

I don't know where to start! Advice welcome.

Me and my little boy did big tree and smaller tree earlier and I was dreading it. It turned out it didn't take as long as I was imagining. We do it by decoration type so I got him to do the gold Baubles then the red and then other bits. We have boxes for each of these as it feels nice getting them out each year if they are put away nicely. I think it's a lot easier with a bit of help. I still have wreath to take of the door and a few other bits about but the rest is now done. Feels quite nice to have it away.

Um, put in the same box everything came out of..? (Is there some complication I'm missing? Am I doing it wrong??)

Shove them back into box marked "decorations" (took 5 mins)
Manhandle tree out of front door. Ignore bits of green everywhere and marvel that I have a sitting room again
Shove lights in same box
Cut twine holding up cards, recycle.
Job done!

must be just me that waits till Jan 6th then - Jan to March is such a miserable time of year that things always look bare once the decorations are down.

still, good riddance to retailmas otherwise!

Set a 30 minute deadline, ask who wants to do what and get on with it. We did ours yesterday, it's sad that we're all missing the decorations but I secretly quite like how clean and minimalist everything is.

We usually wait til 12th night but this year the trees are coming down tomorrow. I'll really miss the lovely glow they give the room - I put the lights on as soon as I get up but as it's going to chuck it down tomorrow I'll steel myself to pack it all up as DS home on Sunday and I need as much space as I can get!

I keep the tree up until Twelfth Night (or the date closest to that which fits with the council collecting trees with the recycling)

I like having the lights and sparkle right through the whole of Christmas. And agree with specialsubject that it does seem a very grey long haul now until it's properly spring.

When it comes to taking things down, they all get stuffed in a box or two and get shoved in the loft until a few days before the next Christmas. Tree goes out front for collection (after being obsessively checked and rechecked that we're not accidentally chucking any baubles of sentimental value with it).

Pine needles are swept up. And then again, and again, and again. What is it about the little spiky brutes that mean they still appear even weeks after you thought you'd got them all?

Take all the decorations off the tree and put into similar style groups on the dining room table. Collect other decorations from around the house. Then put in their similar groups into a drawstring bags (I got various sizes in Christmas fabric off eBay a few years ago - I used them to 'wrap' some of the DC presents too). Breakable ones (I don't have many) go back in the original packing or are wrapped in bubble wrap. I mend/throw away/declutter at this stage.

Take off the lights, check they work and neatly roll - put into a drawstring bag (each set separately).

Pack everything away into two tuff crates and take up to the loft.

Take the tree into the garden to store until garden waste day. Put the tree holder in the shed. Vacuum.

Put baubles etc in egg boxes.

My house looks like Narnia for Christmas, so I do it in bits. Started with the trees in the bedrooms on the 29th, then dismantled the tree in the dining room and the stair wreath yesterday and took the big tree down today.
I the replace everything with shooting bulbs (paperwhites, hyacinth, amaryllis) because yes, the haul to spring is a long one. I'm also burning the last of the Christmassy candles today, they'll be replaced with fresh Spring scents tomorrow. (I am such a nerd )
We take them down when one of us goes back to work. DH started today, so he has come home to a nonChristmas house.
(Secretly I would keep them up all year!)

Thank you all for these tips! TheGonnagle you home sounds amazing!

I am a massive festive nerd! All seasons are an excuse for tat in this house

A win win win for me. Went to buy some cheese, saw some boots £40 off one pair, £60 off the other, so.........got some cheese, got two pairs of boots and got two big boxes for the Xmas decs.