Packing Christmas Away

Sunday was Epiphany, the day that marks the end of Christmas season. Epiphany is the rememberance of the Wise Men who arrive at the house to worship the Child.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Matthew 2

Go to Matthew for this beautiful story of the magi who traveled far to worship the Christ.

Practically, it is a good time to pack up Christmas decorations. Yes, our trees were up much longer last year. That was not typical for us. By the end of the Christmas season, we pack away Christmas decor.

gather up Decorations

So this week, we begin the deconstruction of our Christmas decorated home. I have been bringing pieces to the dining room table. It still has both leaves in. So many memories!

Beginning to put the decorations does require a plan. We will not take down the trees until all other decor is packed away. Pick one spot to gather everything and to pack the bins.

Next, a few bins are brought down from the attic. Once those are filled, Jim will take them back to the attic and brings more down. This helps us keep the items stored so each bin’s content can be easily identified. This year I did not use every color or decoration. I had to peek in many bins to find the ones I wanted.

The last to be packed away are the trees. We have learned after being overwhelmed with too many bins at once it can quickly become chaos.

dining table used for sorting

One room may have white angels; another snowmen. The Santa collection was grwon over the years. If you have read my blog before, you may recall we have lived international. The collections are made up of decortive figures and other breakables from each place we lived and some from our travels. Some are inherited from our folks.

Each piece is put on the dining room table and buffet for easy packing.

One room may have white angels; another snowmen. The Santa collection was grown over the years. If you have read my blog before, you’ll know we have lived internationally. The collections are made up of decortive figures and other breakables from each place we lived and our travels. Some are inherited from our folks.

Each piece is put on the dining room table and buffet for easy packing.

Our collections are mostly Santas, angels, Christmas mice and snowmen. Our light villages were not put out this year. We also have several nativities put only used one this year. We scaled back on decorations.

bottle trees

For a few years I bought bottle trees. Natural ones were for the farmhouse woodland look plus shades of pinks for a look of fantasy. Vintage style decorations are alwys a good look. They actually all fit in a medium small bin.

These simple versatile decorations are so affordable and are easy to store.

crAZY FOR CHRISTMAS DISHES

Jim broke down this task according to commercail during the Sunday football games.

First, he took all the ones we used out of the cabinet on the kitchen peninsula. I do love dishes. Fortunately we have several china cabinets! And shelves in the attic.

Morning coffee is drunk from one set. Afternoon another. The grandkids expect their hot chocolate in another set.

I haven’t bought new Christmas dishes in a few years!

He switched the every day back to its usual space when he put them up. It looks like a big job but it wasn’t. A little at a time!

bins and more bins

No matter how careful we are, bins get broken. This year we replaced wreath storage cases and two medium size one.

There are many styles and sizes. we use all of them. Remember when you shop, make sure the lids all match to avoid another trip to make returns. Order from my shop below to avoid mismatched lids. Note I am an affilate.

winter candles and silver

My winter decor is simple. I use large mercury glass candle stands with large battery operated candles. We also use scented candle and tapers. The natural flame gives off soft light and makes us feel all cozy in the evenings.

Taking our time and making sure we pack Christmas in a way that makes it easy next year to find what I need for the themes planned. One of our trees and rooms are always traditional with many colors that appeals to children and our own memories.

Now to enjoy the promise of the days to come.

~~~~~~~~~~

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Enjoy shopping and thank you for any purchases you make!

~~~~~~~~