How to Keep Your Home Organized Over the Christmas Period — 6 Tips to Retain a Sense of Visual Calm Amidst the Holiday Hustle

It's not uncommon for the state of your home to become increasingly chaotic as the calendar flips closer and closer to December 25th. You've got presents crowding around the tree, guests visiting, and hosting in full swing — so a little mess is to be expected.

However, as much as it might feel so, it's not impossible to keep a calm space through the holidays and into the new year. All it takes are some easy home organization ideas and a touch of effort to ensure your home remains looking put together.

Don't give up hope on a beautiful mess-free Christmas home yet. Follow these tips, and I'm certain tidiness will prevail.

1. Declutter First, Decorate After

Olivia Parks, lead organizer at My Professional Organizer Northshore, tells me that the key to decluttering and minimalism are the two key principles to keeping your home organized over Christmas.

"The less you have in any space, the easier it is to stay organized during the holidays," she notes. "Before decorating, part with broken ornaments, unusable holiday decor, or holiday items you no longer love that are simply taking up space."

These are some things that cause clutter during Christmas. And of course, it always helps to administer some pre-Christmas decluttering rules to get ahead of the chaos.

2. Designate a Gift Station

According to Cathy Orr, professional organizer and founder of The Unorganized Life, making Christmas zones for things like wrapping and sending gifts will save your home from feeling cluttered and chaotic.

"I recommend designating a room that’s not being used and storing everything in there," she says. "I typically use a spare bedroom. It works well by keeping things organized and out of the way."

Additionally, learning how to store gift wrap and all your festive flourishes will make things so much easier to handle and improve the efficiency of your present wrapping, too.

3. Keep Disposal Bins Near Your Unwrapping Space

Olivia tells me that an easy way to maintain an organized home over Christmas is to introduce disposal bins around your unwrapping area on the morning of the 25th. And I have to say, this is genius!

"Having bagged bins nearby makes it easier to clean up packaging as you unwrap gifts instead of letting it pile up or be tossed in different places," she notes. "I'd also recommend keeping a bin nearby for gift wrap, bags, and any other wrapping supplies you plan to reuse."

And it doesn't have to be boring bins and baskets. You can keep it cute with the viral Dusen Dusen Pedal Trash Can — it's a great excuse to elevate your bin game, too.

4. Organize Greeting Cards as They Come in

One of my favorite things to receive are design-led Christmas cards. And while my friends always send me the best ones, I'm left with a sill dripping in various cards that ends up looking unfortunately unkempt.

"To solve this, when Christmas and holiday cards come in, place them all in one pile instead of scattering them around," says Cathy. "You can also invest in holiday card organizers; they work great at keeping them safely contained."

Plus, a card holder allows you to enjoy your stylish cards and include them in your festive vignette without having them get damaged or crowd your space.

5. Zone Your Pantry and Refrigerator

Your kitchen will end up being one of the hardest-working rooms in your home during Christmas. And so, to keep your home tidy, you'll need to direct some attention to organizing your kitchen.

"First, I recommend keeping your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry cleaned out. Make sure nothing is expired, sticky, has been in there too long, or isn’t going to be eaten. I also tend to buy less more often instead of stocking up to avoid overloading this space," she says.

You can also implement kitchen organizers and figure out trickier ideas like learning how to store pots and pans in a small kitchen, so your cooking space can double as a proper hosting zone if needed.

6. Only Take Out What You'll Use

It might sound obvious, but a crucial (and commonly overlooked) tip to keep your home organized over Christmas is to only bring out exactly what you need for the season.

"Dusting off only the Christmas decorations, mugs, books, dishes, and more that you actually plan to use prevents unnecessary Christmas clutter," says Olivia. "It also makes clean-up faster and easier since you're not putting away items that never needed to be out in the first place."

Especially since most of your themed items will likely sit out for all to admire, it's important to be intentional with what you're putting to display and what you're better off leaving in storage.

Another great tip to have an organized home during this time of year is to abide by the four-gift rule. And bonus, it'll help you save, too.