Reader suggestion: Weeding out unused holiday decorations

Reader John sent us the following tip:

Every year, when we get out all of our Christmas decor, there are always some items that don’t get put out, and just stay in the boxes. Last year, we realized that if it’s not worth setting out, it’s not worth storing either, so it got pitched or donated. This year, we did the same as we decorated.

A terrific idea, John! Thank you for sharing it with us.

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Posted by Erin on Dec 5, 2007 | Comments |

10 comments posted

  1. Posted by baribefe - 12/05/2007

    i want to knowmhow to decorate

  2. Posted by purlyshell - 12/05/2007

    That’s what I did this year, too. I donated some of my decorations. Great idea!

  3. Posted by Jacquelyn - 12/05/2007

    I also started doing this a few years back and have found it has made decorating for christmas and storage much easier.

  4. Posted by brooke - 12/05/2007

    where can i donate unused decorations? not going to lie, i pulled out two christmas candles(new and unwraped and still in perf cond) and put them into my gift pile. they will be perfect little add on filler gifts for…you know…my husbands aunts..ha.

  5. Posted by Kris - 12/05/2007

    I regift ornaments that are in good shape and I know we won’t use. I use them as little additions to the tags or bag several of them for a gift for a teacher or babysitter. This year, thanks to this post, I’m going to go through and give all the extra ’stuff’ to a young friend who’s doing Christmas by herself for the first time this year and has her first tree .. and nothing to put on it. Thanks!

  6. Posted by Andamom - 12/05/2007

    Personally — I view most of these decorations as junk. It is fun to create some decor as a family each year to decorate though — We created a turkey for our window for Thanksgiving, flowers to celebrate the Spring, etc. If you create projects, you can photograph them to ensure you have captured the moment and discard them after the season is over.

  7. Posted by Gail Luther - 12/05/2007

    I got rid of an old artificial tree and a bunch of ornaments/stuff that I now longer used thru freecycle. The lady said her kids were estatic to get the new stuff.

  8. Posted by STL Mom - 12/05/2007

    A thrift store near my house has an entire window display of Christmas decorations. My favorite is an entire set of dishes - plates, bowls, tea cups, saucers, etc. - that can only be used at Christmas. Bravo to the person who uncluttered that!
    Now I need to hurry up and decorate before it is too late to donate my extras.

  9. Posted by Monica Ricci - 12/06/2007

    Last Christmas, we had a decor swap with a bunch of our friends. It’s a great way to cull out what you’re tired of in your own decor, and freshen your collection. What doesn’t get a new home gets donated. It’s a win-win-win!
    ~Monica

  10. Posted by Jude - 12/06/2007

    There’s no such thing as “dishes that can only be used at Christmas.” If I buy a dish, I use it year-round. Instead of “throwing away” old ornaments, one year we bought artificial wreaths and my sons and I created ornament-decorated wreaths which we gave to their day care ladies. The wreaths are interesting, beautiful, and used every year.

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