Marie Kondo's top 3 Christmas decoration tips – for an organized festive season
This is how to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, according to the tidying guru
Christmas is the season of rich hues and indulgent decorations – so how does the master of minimalism celebrate?
Marie Kondo has gained global admiration for her regimented approach to organization. With two Netflix series and a collection of books to her name, she revolutionizes storage ideas across the calendar. But what does this mean when it comes to Christmas?
Sharing her Christmas decor ideas exclusively with H&G, Marie Kondo explained how you can stay organized over the holidays – and what to do when the festivities conclude.
Marie Kondo’s top 3 Christmas decoration tips
1. Pre-plan your festive scheme
According to Marie, the first step to an organized Christmas begins before the decorating process begins.
‘Before you jump right into making the house festive for the holidays, first take some time to imagine how you want your holiday season to look and feel,’ she says. ‘Taking inventory of your decorations will also help keep your home in order before the festivities begin.’
2. Don’t hold onto sentimental decor
Christmas is the time when you may come across a surge in sentimental decorations – whether this includes a festive heirloom or a handmade ornament. However, as Marie suggests, you do not always need to bring these pieces into the forefront of your home.
‘If you feel like the item has already served you but is difficult to part with due to its sentimental value, take a picture of it. That will lessen your guilt to let that item go,’ Marie explains.
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‘Be sure to thank the item for bringing you joy for many years during the holidays. To make room for seasonal decor throughout the house, you may also need to rearrange unneeded furniture or store everyday decor to make additional room for temporary holiday items.’
3. Declutter decor when the season concludes
To set yourself up for an organized future, Marie suggests following a Japanese custom called ōsōji (or ‘big clean'), which is done at the end of each year Marie practices ōsōji at the end of the holidays in her own home – but what does this decorating idea involve?
‘The end of the holiday season really makes for a great time to reassess what is in your home, including your holiday items,’ the organizer explains. ‘It’s best to declutter Christmas or holiday decor at the time you are putting them away so you can free up some space, instead of holding onto them for a whole year and going through them the next time around.’
Alongside this, Marie Kondo recommends labeling your holiday decorations by category so you can find them with ease in the following year.
Thanks to Marie, our future Christmas living room decor ideas begin now.
Marie’s interior design tips don't end with Christmas. For year-round advice from Marie, we're looking towards her recent book Joy at Work. You can order a copy on Amazon US or shop the best deals below.
Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.
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