10 Things to Declutter Before You Decorate for Christmas

Decorating is a lot harder when you’re trying to hang garland over everyday clutter. If you clear a few categories first, the same decorations you’ve had for years suddenly look more “intentional” and less like you just added more stuff to an already crowded space.

These are the things worth dealing with before you pull out the tubs.

Extra throw pillows and blankets you don’t really use

If your couch is already covered in pillows and throws, adding Christmas ones will just make it look crowded. Pull every pillow and blanket into one spot and be honest: which ones do you actually grab, and which ones are always in the way?

Keep the workhorses and seasonal favorites. Move the rest to a linen closet, donate them, or toss the ones that are stained and flat. Once you pare back, those Christmas pillows and throws look like they belong instead of like you’re drowning in fabric.

Everyday knickknacks on shelves and tabletops

Holiday décor doesn’t pop if it’s fighting with every everyday piece you own. Before you put out any seasonal items, clear off shelves, mantels, side tables, and the top of the TV stand.

Pack away a chunk of your regular decor in a labeled bin—vases, signs, small frames, little figurines. You’re not getting rid of them forever, just giving your Christmas things breathing room. When surfaces are simpler, even a small wreath or candle suddenly feels pulled together instead of lost in the clutter.

Old candles, half-used wax melts, and random scent jars

Most of us have a stash of half-burned candles and wax melts that smell like five different seasons. Dig them out before you add holiday scents. Toss anything that’s lost its scent, tunneled badly, or doesn’t smell good anymore.

Keep one or two year-round scents you love, then your Christmas scents. The rest can go. That way, when you light a holiday candle, the whole house smells like one clear thing—not a mix of pumpkin spice, laundry, and “mystery vanilla” from 2020.

Outgrown or broken toys in main living areas

If you’ve got kids, their stuff spreads. Before you bring in more (and before more arrives as gifts), do a quick sweep of toys, games, and books in the living room and play areas.

Pull anything broken, missing major pieces, or truly outgrown. Toss what’s trash and donate what’s still good. You don’t have to do every closet—just lighten the load where you actually decorate. It makes it easier to keep the room picked up when new Christmas toys show up.

Extra kitchen gadgets crowding the counters

Holiday baking is more fun if you have actual counter space. Clear your counters of small appliances and gadgets you’re not using daily—extra crock pots, the never-used juicer, the blender base that only comes out once a month.

Store them in a cabinet, pantry, or even a labeled bin in the garage for the season. Then choose one or two things to leave out: maybe a stand mixer or coffee maker. When counters are clearer, your cute holiday soap, dish towel, or cookie jar actually shows up.

Junk mail, paperwork, and “I’ll file it later” piles

Paper piles are sneaky. They sit on counters, desks, and the edge of the dining table and instantly make the whole house feel messy. Before you decorate, gather all paper into one stack—mail, school papers, random printouts.

Sort quickly: throw away obvious junk, deal with anything urgent, and put the rest in a clearly labeled folder or bin. Even if you don’t fully “organize” it yet, getting it out of sight stops it from competing with your décor and gives you a place to put new holiday mail and cards.

Worn-out doormats and extra shoes at the door

The entry sets the tone for the whole house. If your doormat is falling apart and there are shoes spilling out everywhere, even cute holiday décor has to work twice as hard. Toss cracked, curling mats and replace with one good sturdy mat if you can.

Then limit how many shoes live at the door. Keep one pair per person out and move extras to closets or bedrooms. A smaller, tidy shoe area and a fresh mat instantly make the front door feel more welcoming, even before you hang a wreath.

Mismatched, chipped, or unused mugs and dishes

Holiday mugs and dishes are fun, but they add to kitchen chaos if you’re already overflowing. Open your mug and everyday dish cabinets and pull out anything chipped, stained, or that you never reach for.

Decide what to donate and what to toss. Then make room for a few seasonal mugs or plates you actually love. It’s so much nicer to open a cabinet and see pieces you enjoy using instead of playing dish Tetris every time someone wants coffee.

Random décor you don’t even like anymore

We all have pieces we keep out of habit: signs that don’t feel like us, art we’ve stopped noticing, or frames with generic prints. Take a hard look at your everyday décor and ask, “If I saw this in a store today, would I buy it?”

If the answer is no, put it in a donate box. Decluttering a few “meh” items makes room for holiday things that do feel like you right now. It also simplifies the reset when you put Christmas away and bring your normal decor back.

Old or broken holiday décor you keep repacking

If you’ve been dragging the same broken wreath, tangled lights, or glittery picks out of the tub year after year without using them, this is your sign. Go through your holiday bins before you decorate and pull anything broken, worn, or that you actively dislike now.

Toss what can’t be fixed and donate what still has life. You’ll have fewer decisions to make while you decorate, and you’ll stop wasting time packing and unpacking things that never actually see the light of day.