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Before you begin flipping your kitchen, make sure you have cleaned out any unwanted or expired food. It would be pointless to rearrange your kitchen area with the food you no longer need or want. It’s best to start fresh and organize only what you need!

The Organized One

The Aesthetic-oriented

You can always show your quirky yet fun side through mini decor and a number of comforting additions.

Accent wall: No need to paint your entire office! Choose an accent wall to paint and change the look of the whole room. To evoke a sense of calm, try using cool toned colors like sky blue, light grey, mint, seafoam, or blush.

Greenery: Set the tone for your Insta-worthy office by adding fresh flowers to a corner of your desk, succulents by the windowsill, or even a standing palm on the floor of your work area. Whether real or faux, plants offer a lively quality to the space around them.

Fun furniture: Include conversational pieces of furniture to brighten up your home office—think standout items like a blue suede sofa, glossy black coffee table, or rich leather chair.

The Multitasker

The truth is, not all of us get to simply work from home with no interruptions. In between wrangling kids for meals, throwing in a few loads of laundry, or taking the dog out for a quick walk, there can often be plenty more to do around the house in a day. Use some of these tips to help make your space more functional.

Soft rug: Finding a plush, machine washable rug can offer a safe space for your children or pets to hang out nearby while you get down to business. Add a baby gate around the area if you worry about wandering feet.

Stationary chair: Avoid little fingers from getting caught in a rolling chair by finding a chair that is comfortable and stationary. Attach chair leg cushions to diminish the chance of injury.

Comfy sofa: Place a comfortable sofa or futon in an area within your office for whenever you need a break. You’ll thank us later!

The Stack-by-Stack Worker

Organization is amazing but sometimes, you just need to spread out and narrow your workload down. For those who find comfort in the chaos, utilize these three things to help make your home office more enjoyable.

Large desk: Use as much desk space as you want when you spread out on a U or L-shaped desk. We recommend finding one with storage cabinets underneath to make finishing projects smooth and simple.

Bins, tubs & trays: Keep pens handy and notebooks stored in extra containers stacked around your office. This tip can help keep your papers and folders organized and eliminate large stacks sitting on top of your desk.

Additional lighting: For those who like to work around the room, adequate lighting is a must. Consider having a bright desk lamp in addition to a floor lamp that illuminates the room even in the nighttime.

At Texas Furniture Hut, we have a ton of gorgeous home office furniture collections to complete your workspace setup. Choose from traditional solid wood, industrial designs, modern styles, and so much more!

Wood furniture is wonderful for so many reasons. Solid wood has a classic look that never goes out of style and it’s extremely durable. Even maintaining wood furniture can be fairly easy to do with simple items found throughout the house! That’s right! Everyday items can create quality homemade furniture polishes to keep your wood furniture clean and moisturized. From homemade furniture polish with vegetable oil to incorporating other fun ingredients like orange peel, you can make your own right at home for a super affordable price tag.

Finished wood polish recipes

Finished wood wax recipes

Using beeswax to seal wood can protect it from being scratched and from water damage. Take a look at these two wax recipes below:

• Two Ingredient Wood Wax

• Glass jar or tin can

• Slow cooker

• 2 beeswax bars

• Jojoba oil

Place your two 1oz beeswax bars in a slow cooker and begin to heat it up on the high setting. Use a rubber spatula to stir the wax as it melts. When the wax has melted, pour half of your oil in and stir. Pour the rest in and stir some more to make sure it mixes evenly. Pour your new wax into the container of your choice and let it cool for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Enjoy your new wax wood polish.

• Conditioning Wax Cream

• Glass Jar

• Beeswax (grated)

• Olive oil

• Essential oil

Heat a half cup of grated beeswax in a ceramic or glass jar until it melts. Set aside and stir in one and a half cups of olive oil gently. Add 2-4 drops of the essential oil of your choice and let the mixture cool. You should be left with a softer wax to use on your wood furniture.

Polish for Unfinished Wood

Unfinished wood can be a bit trickier to treat as it is raw with no finish or sealant on top to protect it. Use this super easy recipe below to help spot treat unfinished wood furniture.

• White Vinegar & Water

• Spray bottle

• White vinegar

• Warm water

In a spray bottle, create a mixture to 50/50 warm water and vinegar. Shake it up and use it to take on tough grime and dried down stains on your unfinished wood. You can place this mixture on a damp cloth to treat tough stains.

7 Tips for Treating Solid Wood

There are a few more things you can do to make sure your wood stays looking like new. Take a look at these 7 tips for keeping solid wood gleaming each and every day.

• Keep it out of direct sunlight. Sun can be harsh on wood and can even change the tone or color of it over time.
• Keep your wood dusted. Dust can build up, cause allergies, and look horrible on a finished or unfinished wood surface.

• Go light on cleaning and polishing products. A little goes a long way and you don’t want to create an unnecessary layer of cleaning solution.

• Keep wood furniture dry. Water can wreak havoc on wood furniture.

• Use a wood wax or wood oil regularly to seal in moisture and lock out damage.

• Use only soft or microfiber cloth to polish and treat wood. Rags, sponges, and tougher fabrics can sometimes be too harsh on wood surfaces.

• Try to keep wood away from sharp objects. Fancy dinnerware might look nice on a proper place setting, but it is best to avoid items like cutlery from scratching or denting beautiful wood pieces.

At Texas Furniture Hut, we have a healthy selection of solid wood furniture for your dining room, living room, bedroom and beyond. Stop by one of our showrooms today and see for yourself! Don’t forget to stop by our blog page so you can continue to get more homemade furniture polish with vegetable oil recipes and tips for your wood furniture, accessories, and so much more.

For many, the kitchen can be the perfect at-home getaway where you get to feel inspired, create, and whip up new and vintage dishes for family, friends, or even yourself. From the sweet sound of a sharp knife chopping away to the rich scent of whatever you happen to be making that day, your kitchen is the perfect place to unwind. But what about when it’s time for cleanup? Not having enough space in the kitchen can discourage the feeling of wanting to cook. Try some of these handy, affordable tricks to turn your kitchen area into a storage oasis.

Before you begin flipping your kitchen, make sure you have cleaned out any unwanted or expired food. It would be pointless to rearrange your kitchen area with food you no longer need or want. It’s best to start fresh and organize only what you need!

The Fridge

Ever half heartedly crumple an open bag of veggies or tater tots? If you plan on cooking the rest of the bag soon, you can simply close each bag with a binder clip and hang the binder clip onto the racks inside your fridge. This saves space and time having to sort and clean each bag and its contents.

Push soon-to-be expired food to one side of your fridge. This way, you’ll know what needs to be used or eaten first before you go diving into other unopened items. Once you’ve cleared those items out, you can move on to fresher ones.

Did you know that you can hang bottles with metal caps inside your fridge using only magnetic strips or individual magnets? Magnetic holders can easily be found online for a super reasonable price. You simply stick the adhesive portion to the top of your fridge and start sticking! Create more fridge space on top of using magnetic holders by installing additional shelving within your fridge to make more space to stack items.

The Pantry

Additional storage items can change the way you see your pantry. Where most pantries have anywhere from four to five levels, you can always create more by installing shelving. For example, if you are someone who loves to use a full spectrum of spices, you can use a carefully installed corner shelf within your pantry to efficiently stack and line up various spices.

Baskets can be a saving grace when it comes to more bulky items that usually end up lost within cabinets. You can always use canisters to display things like sugar, flour, and so on. But when there’s a product overflow, try placing large items like your rice and flour bags into a basket on the floor inside of your pantry. You will not only have an organized space for these items, but you will also have created additional compartments within your pantry. Switch your baskets to bins if you would prefer them to be better sealed.

The Cabinets

Opening the doors of your cabinets can cause your heart to skip a beat. Will all of my cookware fall out? Is my tupperware going to collapse on top of me? By taking some time to set up your cabinets the way that you’d like, you can help save time and space when moving around the kitchen.

Start by adding in extra racks to better stack pots and pans. You can also use these racks to pile together other cookware such as baking dishes, pie pans, and pot lids. Next, incorporate hooks on the inside door panels to hang small kitchen utensils like measuring spoons and spatulas. Finally, consider adding slide out drawers to help you better organize items like plates, bowls, and other dishes.

When you visit our blog page, we offer so much more than advice on furniture. We provide home tips and tricks to help you create a place you love to retreat to every single day. From the living room, bedroom, kitchen, and beyond, we have helpful blogs for every season.

Pet & Kid Friendly Fabric

The longevity of your living room furniture depends heavily on wear and tear and how you plan on taking care of your new item or set. We all love them! Still, pets and kids can wreak havoc on beautiful furniture and leave us wondering, “Why?” Durable and affordable, synthetic fabrics such as microfiber or polyester can be best for stain-prone furniture. Today, these types of materials come in a number of stylish patterns and shades, perfect for adding a touch of decor to your home.

Another fabric you should consider for a tough environment is patio furniture fabric. It’s not just made for the great outdoors! Able to stand up to harsh weather conditions, patio furniture fabric can withstand indoor messes as well like coffee spills, overturned sippy cups, and uh-oh moments from beloved pets.

Quality Leather

Who doesn’t love a luxurious leather couch or power recliner? Leather furniture combines style, function, and a buttery soft feel to fabric that can last a lifetime. However, there are a ton of imitation leather fabrics out there. It should be known that while you can save a ton on pleather or faux leather, true leather lasts longer and is worth the investment. Well made leather should be soft yet have a strong feel to it. Treat your leather furniture well by keeping away moisture and cleaning up messes as quickly as possible with a microfiber cloth and gentle cleaning solution.

Cotton or Linen

Both cotton and linen can be two great sofa fabric types to browse when you’re considering purchasing a new one. Both of these fabrics are affordable and can be easier to clean. Style options are endless when it comes to cotton and linen and they are often prone to withstand soiling and wrinkling. Cotton and linen reflect a divine texture and feel soft to the touch even after a few years of use. Upholstery fabrics made from these materials can be professionally cleaned as well.

Fabrics You Might Want to Avoid

While there are a ton of great options out there, some fabric materials should be avoided as they can be delicate, expensive, and liquid absorbent like silk and velvet.

Clothing made of silk should be dry cleaned as regular washing can shrink or damage the fabric. The rules are similar for silk sofa fabric, so it is best to keep any kind of moisture away from it. You should also limit sunlight exposure as it can alter the color over time.

Velvet is one of today’s latest trends in furniture that hasn’t been seen since the 70s. Velvet offers a wonderful sensation on the skin but can end up feeling uncomfortable when upholstered on a sofa. For starters, velvet can be extremely tough to clean and spills can get stuck within the plush fibers of the fabric. Velvet doesn’t handle spot cleaning well, meaning you can be left with stuck on stains and hard grime over time.

Searching for a new sofa? Take a look at our showroom and shop our wide selection of sofas, loveseats, recliners, power furniture, and so much more! See something you like? Stop by our Design Center so you can customize your furniture and get the exact fabric you want in any style you desire.

Make it Bright

White, off-white or lighter shades of blue, green, and coral will be your go-to colors when you begin designing your home’s new look. Picking furniture that offers fabrics in lighter shades and patterns exudes springtime and looks great in any home setting, often making the space appear larger as well. A great way to find furniture sold for much less than retail is by browsing estate or clearance sales. Estate sales usually offer furniture that is gently used for less as the seller is attempting to get rid of the item quickly. Clearance sales are fantastic because brand new, unused furniture will be shuffled out boasting amazing percentages off to make way for new collections. Go spring sale crazy and achieve a spring look for less money.

Linens & Covers

Don’t want to purchase a whole new furniture set? That’s completely understandable! Not everyone wants to bother with shipping, moving, and scheduling to get new furniture moved in. A great way to get a refreshed furniture look without spending your dollars is by purchasing new sofa or chair covers to match the style you’re going for. Found at some department or online stores at an affordable price, furniture gets new life to it with a simple change of fabric.

Spring Accessories

If the thought of live flowers feels like too much work, visit your local dollar or craft store to make cute spring decorations that don’t look ridiculously cheap. Many stores have quality silk or fabric florals such as peonies, tulips, spray roses, lilacs, and so many more that seamlessly exude spring fever without looking overly fake. Want to add that extra touch? Set your faux floral arrangements with craft water, an artificial decoration that makes your flowers appear as though they are set in a real vase filled with water. Don’t forget to check the clearance and sale sections at your local craft store to get the best deals on decorations such as wreaths, candles, pillows, throws, and other fun items.

Don’t Forget the Lighting

Lighting can dramatically change the way a place looks. For spring, you will want to think light and bright. Illuminate your living room by switching out soft glow bulbs with daylight bulbs. It truly makes all the difference.

At Texas Furniture Hut, we offer a huge selection of modern furniture made by top-name brands you can trust. Cheap materials aside, our furniture is made from quality materials like real wood, foraged iron, and so much more. Visit one of our showrooms today to get an inside look at some of our favorite finds.

1. Declutter for your sanity

Your list should start with clearing out the clutter. Aside from the things that need to be sanitized and cleaned, what about the stuff you have simply lying around the house? No matter how much you might seem to pick up, there’s always a rogue sweater lying on the floor, or a pair of unclaimed tennis shoes strewn about. Now is the time to pick up that clutter and get it out of the way. While you are picking things up and putting them in their proper place, you can utilize this time to throw away or donate what you no longer need.

2. Add dusting to your cleaning checklist

Dust and dander are one of the most common causes of household allergies. If you have found yourself sneezing, coughing, or experiencing itchy, watery eyes lately, it could be that you have dust accumulated throughout your home. For those who are pet owners, maintaining a clean environment is highly encouraged to combat allergies. Start by using a soft microfiber cloth to dust off each surface in your home. Microfiber is the best way to catch dust without spreading it around. Be sure to get in the nooks and crannies, between photo frames, knick knacks, drawer handles, and on each side of your electronics. Dust off the tops of ceiling fans and in between vents as well.

3. Wipe down surfaces

Now you can apply cleaning solvents to tables, cabinets, and other surfaces that need to be wiped down. Using a soft cloth, apply a disinfecting solution to your surfaces before wiping them clean. Don’t worry about crumbs getting on the floor for now, you will want to take care of your floors after your surface areas. Make sure surfaces are dry and then you can move on to taking care of your furniture.

4. Polish & treat furniture

Use only proper polish on real wood furniture so as to not damage the integrity of the wood. Treat your other furniture according to the stain. Removing stains from fabric? Try a mixture of dish detergent, water, and a little bit of vinegar in a spray bottle. Lightly spray the area and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Scrub away the stain and let the fabric dry. For leather, use leather polish to treat the affected area and allow to dry. Try to keep kids and pets away from furniture as it is airing out.

5. Floor duty

You are just about done! Now that your surfaces and furniture are nice and tidy, go ahead and begin cleaning the floors in your home. Start by sweeping up debris on hard floor surfaces and throw the excess dirt away. Mop with a gentle solution and let dry. Sprinkle a touch of baking soda in your carpets to eliminate foul smells and vacuum after 10 minutes or so. Empty the vacuum bag right away and you’ll be ready to go the next time you need to clean the carpets.

6. Take out the trash

You’ve done a ton of house cleaning work today! It’s time to pick up what you’re getting rid of and throw it all away. Don’t forget to take out the trash in every room, disinfect each bin, and replace each trash can with a new bag. This will get rid of any bacteria and leftover stench from your wastebaskets.

7. Pay attention to details

This is the perfect time to get your home to really shine. Cleanliness is no longer an issue and now you can make the perfect tweaks to get it showroom ready, even if you don’t plan on having anyone over. Wipe down mirrors, do a load of laundry, and lay down fresh linens wherever needed. Restock toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and other household items. Pick up some spring-friendly stems like spray roses or tulips and display them in vases around your home. Have kids? No problem! Pick up some affordable plastic vases and place your flowers on higher ground away from little fingers. Once you have ticked all of the items off of your house cleaning checklist, you can light your favorite candle and relax in your freshly clean home.

Thinking new spring looks? Search no further than living room, dining room, bedroom furniture and more from Texas Furniture Hut. On top of monthly cleaning tips and tricks to keeping your home comfortable all year round, we offer gorgeous, quality furniture made to last at discounted prices every day.

Reliable fabrics

The durability of your furniture will rely heavily on the type of fabric you choose. Most pet owners have problems maintaining shedding, stains, and everyday wear and tear. These pet friendly furniture fabrics can help you keep these particular issues at bay without compromising your sense of style.

Upholstered

For those who have their sights set on a beautifully upholstered piece of furniture, try to choose from fabrics that are tightly knit. By doing so, you can avoid having visible puncture marks from it coming in contact with sharp claws. Tweed, polyester, and tight weave patterned fabrics are some great selections to choose from. Available in a wide selection of colors and designs, tightly weaved fabric can be treated with stain resistant solutions to withstand everything from spaghetti spills to a sick pet.

Leather

Treated leather furniture can be a fantastic selection to choose from. Not only can leather last for quite some time, but you also get the beauty that comes from the look of a properly upholstered leather piece. Leather becomes softer over time with use but can maintain a classic look to your living space. Spills and potential stains can be wiped away and treated by using leather-safe cleaners and darker finishes can hide any sign of fine imperfections.

Microfiber

If you have a pet who is longhaired or who simply sheds a lot, you will be thankful for microfiber fabric. It’s easy to clean with just a few simple steps. Since microfiber has a minimal thickness to it, pet hair sticks less to it. When it is time to clean up, you can start by using a lint roller or compact vacuum to remove any loose dirt or hair that is present. Next you can spot treat with a gentle fabric cleaner. After you have let that dry completely, your sofa will look good as new. Some microfiber furniture even has removable covers you can simply throw in the washer and dryer before resecuring to your couch. Microfiber comes in a number of exceptional colors or patterns to match your personal sense of style.

Outdoor material

Outdoor furniture is usually made up of polyester, a man-made polymer performance fabric that is made to survive extreme circumstances like rain or snow. The best part about this type of fabric made for outdoor furniture is that it is able to handle whatever is thrown at it indoors too. Tough stains? No problem! Playful pets? No worries! Look into outdoor furniture fabric and see if you can bring it indoors for your living room furniture. Outdoor fabric is easy to clean and can survive heavy use.

Additional home tips

In some cases, pet proofing is a must. You can preserve the look and feel of your furniture by taking a few preventative measures when your new furniture gets set up.

For cats: There are a ton of products out there that can keep kitty claws from ruining your brand new furniture. Although plastic coverings can work to prevent scratches, scratch pads are specifically made to keep the knife-like claws of your cat away from furniture. Simply place each pad on the spots your feline is most attracted to (corners, edges, bottom) and move forward.

For dogs: Some dogs can get the urge to chew on whatever looks appealing, and sometimes that means your furniture. Wood legs can look great on a modern style couch but might be enticing to your four legged friend. One thing you can do is opt for metal legs on your sofa or chairs. If you love the look of wood, protect your wood legs with bitter sprays or even a clear, adhesive covering.

For both: To better protect your furniture, you should look into making sure you have machine washable furniture covers, pet deterrent sprays, or soft blankets that provide an extra layer of safety. Using essential oil infused sprays—in scents like orange, lemon, and lime—can keep your beloved pet from chewing on and scratching up furniture surfaces. You can easily find premade deterrent sprays for an affordable price online that have a strikingly bitter taste to them that most pets do not like.

If you have concerns about finding pet-friendly furniture, visit us at Texas Furniture Hut and speak to someone in our Design Center about finding the fabric that’s right for you.

Looking for the right way to incorporate natural light into your home? There are a few great options for window treatments when table lamps and established light fixtures just aren’t cutting it. Natural light can not only make your space look great, it can also improve your mood to give you the extra boost you need to get you through your day.

1. Curtains

Curtains are probably the most classic of the window treatment options out there. Available in a number of patterns, colors, fabric finishes—sheer, blackout, satin, etc.—curtains can be an affordable option for your windows that are easy to install yourself.

2. Shades

Does the idea of light shining through with the morning sun make you annoyed? It’s totally understandable! Shades can be the prime choice for a number of reasons. From those who aren’t a huge fan of mornings to those who simply work odd hours and must sleep during the day, shades can block out much of the light that keeps you awake. Since they typically cover the entire window, you can rest easy day or night. Love shades but want to keep it light? Shades also come in some trendy options like bamboo.

3. Blinds

Blinds offer more control when attempting to decide how much light you want to let in your room. This can be great if you happen to be working from home and would like to allow in a little sunshine without also letting the entire neighborhood see what you’re up to. You can simply crack the blinds to your desired setting and work in peace. Blinds are fairly easy to clean and come in a variety of luxurious materials such as wood, vinyl, and metal.

4. Shutters

Although not seen recently in a ton of homes, shutter provide a certain whimsy to places such as beach houses, mountain lodges, and other vacation-type getaways. You can give your own home an oasis feel by placing shutter into your living room. Shutters work better in more spacious living rooms where there is room to open and close the shutter doors. Shutters can potentially let in a ton of light while allowing the fresh air to circulate through the room.

5. Drapes

Drapes are an extravagant alternative to curtains, sold in a wide range of colors and designer patterns. Often made with thicker fabrics, drapes can provide just the amount of sun protection you would need by just having to buy a few panels. They look wonderful in any space and are easy to install and pull back to give your room the right feel to it.

Best treatment for kids’ room

You want the window treatments in your child’s room to be safe, easy-to-clean, and simple enough to use. While special window treatments may let in some extra light, it is probably best that you keep windows locked for rooms with younger children in them.

Avoid hanging cords as they can be a safety hazard for small children and opt instead for blinds with an easy to maneuver hand switch. Choosing a window treatment of this type will make it a snap to open and close and you can simply dust between each blind to keep it free from debris.

Automated window treatments are becoming more popular every day and it’s easy to see why. For starters, they open and closes with the touch of a button. Second, they can easily be set up to block out all light and reduce noise when it’s nap or bedtime. Keep their bedroom light and fun with colorful curtains. Bright hued curtains can diffuse the light coming through to supply a soft glow of color to the whole room. Embellished curtains can also add just a touch of personal flair to their special space.

Be sure to visit our blog page frequently to see the latest in home trends and check us out in store to see brand new furniture lines fit for your home. From how to care for your furniture to seasonal favorites, we have something new going on every month for you to catch up on!

If you’ve heard of the term “fast fashion” then you might know where this blog might be heading. Fast fashion is a big problem of its own with the underpaid workers, excessive amount of material waste, and overuse of scarce resources. Unfortunately, a similar thing is happening with furniture.

People are opting to buy cheap furniture, you know the one, it’s usually a build-it-yourself, it falls apart within a year or two, and then you end up having to replace it almost as soon as you bought it. Quality is being overlooked, and consumers are not thinking about longevity or what issues the constant replacement of furniture is causing the environment.

Cheap Furniture Falls Apart Because it’s Poorly Made

Cheap furniture means cheap materials and cheap materials mean that they’re not going to last. Investing in high quality furniture pays off in more ways than one. For example, if you purchase a well made living room set, you will only need to go to the furniture store to buy the living room set once.

You may not be the type to save money on an entire living room set, but you might be tempted to save money on a coffee table because you think it’s small. You may think that it won’t be that bad of a replacement if it doesn’t last, but think about the long run. Why buy a coffee table 3 times if you can buy it once?

In the end, constantly replacing the cheap coffee table is going to wind up being more expensive than investing in a well made coffee table. As consumers, we must start thinking of furniture the same way we think of houses, as lifetime investments.

Stand Out From the Crowd: Steer Away From Mass Production

If everyone is buying the same items from the same place, isn't it safe to say that everyone’s home decor will look very similar? What ever happened to being unique? We should want to be able to tell a story about our furniture, why we chose that specific kind of wood, color, or style and how long it’s been in the family.

Your kids will come home from college with a smile on their face when they see the same couch they spent time on is still in your living room. Let’s not forget about the landfills that have to take our broken furniture. With everyone doing multiple replacements, it adds up.

How to Choose High Quality Furniture Materials

In the era of Google, it is easy for us to educate ourselves about what materials are long lasting and why. It is recommended to do some research on materials first and then decide on color and style. Here are some examples of long lasting materials:

• Solid wood: It can be expensive but if you ever need to sell it, it has a high resale value that would give you a return on your investment, something a cheaply made piece would not be able to do.
• Glass: Look for tempered glass that is thermally and chemically strengthened to reduce breakage. It will cost more but the elegance it brings to your home and its longevity will be worth it.
• Metal: The material is chip resistant, a good option if you don’t want to get all wood furniture, and won’t be destroyed by your pets.

Of course there are pros and cons to these materials and that is why research is recommended so that you purchase what is right for you, your family, and your home. Fast furniture is a trend that should stop because it brings more harm than good. Consider shopping at a store like Texas Furniture Hut, where you can find high quality furniture that will last you a long time. If you’re struggling with choosing a style, check out our previous blog for inspiration.

Before you look around the house and start feeling overwhelmed about putting away holiday decorations, take a deep breath because we’ve got you covered. Packing up the remnants of holidays can take a toll on you and your family. Not to worry! Here are a few ways you can pack it all up more efficiently without doing major damage to the interior of your home.

Start Strong

Before you start disassembling every bit of holiday cheer in your home, make sure you have all of the tools you need to get going. When packing decor, it is always best to be equipped with things like boxes, scissors, packing tape, scotch tape, storage bins, newspapers, bubble wrap, and a few permanent markers to label items along the way. If you have kept most of your original decor boxes, you’re in great shape! Even if you haven’t, there’s always a way to successfully wrap things up.

Let’s Start with Lights

After you have removed the lights inside of your home, wrap them around a cardboard cutout. This is not only similar to how they usually come when you purchase them, but will keep them untangled until you are ready to bring them back out the next year. Place your wrapped lights in a box with a little room left over. Keep track of all of your spare bulbs and extra fuses by placing them in a plastic bag and placing them inside the box with the rest of the lights. Write the type of lights that the box contains. For example, “Mantle White Lights” or “Tree Snowflake Blue Lights” so that you’ll know exactly what they are.

Paper Arrangements & Cards

Many people like to leave their holiday cards on display. Keep your precious keepsakes from becoming damaged by folding them and placing them back in their envelopes (if you still have them). Stack them gently and use a binder clip to hold them all together. You can do the same for small paper decorations throughout your home. Place your paper decor and cards in another box you can stack and store.

Delicate decor

Ornaments can easily become broken or chipped in the process of packing up. Avoid this by placing them in an egg carton. Wrap the egg carton in bubble wrap and tape it together. For larger ornaments, individually wrap them with bubble wrap. Get a clean, empty storage bin and place them one by one on top of a generous layer of bubble wrap. Do not place anything else in this bin.. Close and properly label your box to avoid confusion in the future. For heavier glass or porcelain items, use more bubble wrap to contain each item before storing them. Place them in a bin or on a shelf for safe keeping.

Tree Storage or Disposal

If you have an artificial tree, do your best to follow the instructions on the box it came in to put it away. If you do not have the original box, you can purchase a tree storage bag for around $30 or less. Be certain that it is free of decorations and debris, fold down each branch carefully, and store it until next year.

Don’t Forget the Outdoors

Try to follow the same packaging rules when it comes to outdoor decorations as well. Keep bulbs in tact and lawn ornaments good to go for the next year by packing them as carefully as possible and storing them away in an area that will not be open to the elements such as water damage or extreme heat.

The task of cleaning up after the holidays can seem daunting. But with this easy-to-follow packaging guide, you can carefully wrap and secure the items you love until you are ready to pull them out again for the next holiday season.