Which Decorations To Keep, Donate, And Trash After The Holidays

The winter holiday season is a time to deck the halls, light up your tree, and decorate every nook and cranny in the home. Decorating is the best way to get in the spirit of the season, but as you start taking your decorations down after the holidays, there are many decisions to make. Most importantly, you must decide which decorations to save, which ones to donate, and which ones to throw in the trash or recycling.

Some decorations you should keep after the holidays include sentimental ornaments and decor, any artificial wreaths or trees in good condition, tree accessories, and all working lights. Consider donating decorations you haven’t used in several years, any items you have duplicates of, or ornaments you don’t plan on using again. Dispose of living trees, wreaths, and garland, any broken decorations, and any items made with food.

Packing up the holidays can be a long and complicated endeavor. To help streamline the process, start thinking about the items you want to save for next holiday season, and which decorations you are ready to part with. Use the list below of all the decorations you should save, donate, and trash after the holidays to help streamline your post-holiday cleanup.

Decorations To Save After The Holidays

1. Sentimental Ornaments And Decorations

The most important decorations to keep after the holidays are those with sentimental value. If you have ornaments that were passed down to you by parents and other family members, or given as gifts from faraway places, then you should treasure them. If you have decorations that hold a special place in your heart, ensure you save and properly store them so they aren’t damaged.

2. Functional Artificial Trees And Wreaths

One of the best things about a good artificial Christmas tree is that it will last many years. Always save your artificial trees as long as they still look great and function properly.  If you have artificial wreaths, garland, and other fake evergreen decorations, save these as well. As long as they are in good enough condition to still look real, they are usually worth keeping. Always wrap and seal your artificial plant decorations to preserve them for the following year.

3. All Working String Lights

Holiday lights aren’t always cheap, especially if you own specialty lights. To ensure you don’t have to buy new string lights every holiday season, save all working string lights for the following year. One key to saving holiday lights is to wrap and pack them neatly. Instead of balling them up in a tangled mess, which often results in damage, take the time to wrap them properly. Consider using a cardboard tube to carefully wrap your holiday lights for safe storage until you need them again.

4. Tree Skirts And Other Tree Accessories

Both artificial and real Christmas trees have a lot of accessories that you shouldn’t have to buy every year. There is the tree skirt, the stand, the water bowl, and other bells and whistles involved in keeping a tree secure, upright, and looking good. You should save all the tree accessories to help save money on your next winter holiday decorations. Keep all the items together, so it’s easy to locate them when you set up your tree.

5. Battery-Powered Candles And Lights

The winter holidays are a festival of lights, and this usually means a lot of battery-powered twinkling devices. If you have candles and other battery-powered lights, you should save them as long as they are working. When storing battery-operated devices, however, always take the batteries out and store them separately. If you leave batteries in a device, they can leak and corrode, potentially destroying the decoration.

Holiday Items To Donate After The Holidays

1. Duplicate Decorations

As the years pass by, it’s easy to start hoarding Christmas decorations without even noticing it. If, while you are packing away your Christmas decorations, you see you have multiple mangers or more wreaths than you have doors, then it’s time to start a donation pile. When you have more thn one of the same decoration and have no use for the second, then donate whichever one you like less. This will free up room in your storage, and your duplicate can bring holiday cheer to another home.

2. Old Artificial Trees

If you recently purchased a new artificial Christmas tree, you might be tempted to throw away your old one. This, however, should be your last resort. If your old artificial tree is still in good condition, then consider donating it. Several charities will take old trees. You can also ask friends, family members, and even local businesses if they want your old tree. You’ll be surprised how many people want as many artificial trees as they can get their hands on.

3. Ornaments You Won’t Use Again

If you’re someone who switches up your holiday decor every year, then you are likely left with many ornaments each year that you’ll never use again. Whether they will look tacky with next year’s theme or you don’t have space to store them, there are all sorts of reasons why you may want to get rid of old ornaments. Instead of throwing them away, neatly pack them up and find a charity that will take them. Alternatively, you can trade your ornaments with someone else. This allows both parties to have new holiday decor for next year without having to spend money.

4. Decorations You Haven’t Used In More Than Two Years

If you’re putting away holiday decor and see items in your storage totes that you haven’t used in years, then it might be time to donate these unused decorations. As a general rule of thumb, if you haven’t put out a decoration for more than 2 years, it is probably time to donate it. Unless an item is particularly valuable, an unused decoration should be donated after the holidays. This will free up more space in your storage for other things.

5. Holiday Party Essentials You Don’t Plan On Reusing 

If you threw a holiday party and don’t plan on hosting any large gatherings for some time, you may want to donate platters and other party essentials you purchased for the event. Donating these items will prevent clutter from building up in your kitchen and give them new life, as they would otherwise likely collect dust.

Decorations To Throw Away When The Holidays End

1. Broken Ornaments

Many holiday decorations are fragile, which means there’s a strong possibility that at least one ornament or figurine will break each winter. Unless you plan on fixing the item right away, toss it at the end of the holiday season. Failure to do so will result in a collection of broken holiday junk.

2. Live Garland And Trees

Living plants that are cut down for decoration can only last so long. Promptly get rid of your live Christmas tree to avoid a large mess. You should also remove your live holiday wreaths and garland before the needles fall off. Ensure you are aware of the proper and ecological ways to dispose of these decorations so they don’t end up in a landfill.

3. Lights That Don't Work

Holiday lights can last for many years, but they won’t last forever. If, at the end of the season, one or more of your strands of lights have stopped working, trash the ones that no longer work. If you fail to throw away lights that don’t work, you may use them in your elaborate light display next year, only to realize they don’t work after it’s too late. As soon as the lights stop working, get rid of them. Consider replacing them with new holiday lights during the after-Christmas sales events. 

4. Used Candles And Potpourri

Holiday smells go a long way toward conjuring the spirit of the holidays. Once the holidays are over, however, all the used candles and fading potpourri must be disposed of. Consider using your old potpourri instead of kindling to start a fire. Otherwise, recycle these items the best way you know how, as there is no point in storing used candles and potpourri for a full year.

5. Anything Made Of Food

There are many food-based winter holiday decorations. Gingerbread houses, candy cane wreaths, popcorn garlands, and many other DIY holiday decorations involve perishable food. Remember to throw these items away as soon as the holidays end. Failure to do so can attract insects and other pests into the home.

Summing Up Decorations To Save, Donate, Or Trash After The Holidays

As you begin to put away all your decorations after the holidays, you’ll be faced with the decision to keep, donate, or throw away decorations. You should always save ornaments that hold sentimental value, as well as artificial trees, garlands, holiday lights, and other decorations in good condition that you use each year. 

Donate any duplicate decorations, ornaments you won’t use again, and any decorations you haven’t used for several years. Throw away all live trees, wreaths, and garlands, as well as broken ornaments and decorations made with food.

Related Guides:

• How To Tackle The Post-Holiday Declutter
• 14 Creative Ways To Store Your Holiday Decorations
• Smart Storage Ideas For Seasonal Decor