Interior Design

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

Marie Kondo
(Image credit: KonMari Media, Inc.)

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 

Christmas living room ideas folk

(Image credit: Future)

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 living room ideas Simon Brown

(Image credit: Future)

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. 

‘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 

How to dry orange slices for Christmas decorations

(Image credit: Future)

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. 

Joy at Work| from Amazon

Joy at Work| from Amazon

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. 

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Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens, where she leads the celebrity/ news team. She has a history in interior design, travel, and news journalism, having lived and worked in New York, Paris, and, currently, London. Megan has bylines in Livingetc, The Telegraph, and IRK Magazine, and has interviewed the likes of Drew Barrymore, Ayesha Curry, Michelle Keegan, and Tan France, among others. She lives in a London apartment with her antique typewriter and an eclectic espresso cup collection, and dreams of a Kelly Wearstler-designed home.