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The Holidays are a lot of fun, but the chore of cleaning up afterwards is usually anything but. A lot of clutter comes into your home during the last month of the year. You may have a lot of new items in your house, especially if you have children, and odds are you also have a lot of wrapping materials (new and used) still lying around. On top of that, you probably have a lot of ornaments and seasonal decorations which you will want to pack back up for next year. How can you simplify the cleaning process and make it easier to get organized next year?

One of the best holiday organization tips you will ever receive is to start getting organized for next year right now. Here are some steps to take to de-clutter after Christmas and get your house back into working order for the rest of the year:

1. Donate items you don’t need.

If you have old, worn-out clothing or other items that you no longer need and which have been replaced this year by gifts, this is the perfect time to give the older items to charity. That way you make more room in your house, but don’t waste any useable items you may still possess. If children have outgrown certain toys, donate those to thrift as well. Do not throw anything away which can still be used or enjoyed; there are others in need who will love your old things.

2. Organize gift wrapping supplies.

Hopefully you already have a well-organized gift wrap closet. Throw away old wrapping paper, but save bows and ribbons which can be reused next year, and put them in the appropriate gift wrap organizer in your station. If you have large, undamaged pieces of wrapping paper, you can save those scraps to wrap smaller packages next year s well.

3. Organize holiday decorations.

Come up with a system for organizing your holiday décor for next year. Plastic containers with compartments are great for storing tree ornaments and keeping them from getting tangled or broken. Plastic bins are excellent for storing other Christmas decorations as well. You can even use red and green bins to denote their purpose and make them stand out in your garage or basement. Label all plastic bins carefully to make decorating next year even easier and more enjoyable. You may also want to invest in a holiday light storage reel with a box or a duffle bag. This specialized item is very helpful for stringing and unstringing lights.

For a lot of people, the weeks following the holidays are a bit of a slump, but if you have fun organizing your holiday decorations for next year, you can look forward to the holiday season in 2014. Plastic bins with compartments make excellent organizational spaces for decorations, wrapping paper, and even new gifts. Next year, you can look forward to a more organized holiday season. And that means that next Christmas will be the best Christmas ever!