Winter Organization: Your Complete Guide

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE SEE OUR FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY FOR DETAILS.

Time for some winter organizing! This winter organization guide will help you prepare for all the parties, baking, and time you are going to spend inside.

The busy fall season is wrapping up, but that doesn’t mean your schedule is any freer. Life zooms straight from Halloween and Thanksgiving to Christmas and winter parties. Winter organization is essential. It will keep you sane as you try to keep track of gloves, hats, winter supplies, and holiday parties.

Winter Organization: Your Complete Guide

Wondering where to begin? Get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret, and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!

Winter Organization: Your Complete Guide

Winter organizing has a lot to do with creating systems to prepare for the onslaught of new tools, supplies, and jackets and gloves. It’s also about finding a way to prepare for all of the parties, baking, and food.

Fall organization might have been about changing from summer to autumn – lots of clothes storage and swapping. Winter will involve that and more.

It might feel overwhelming – especially when you think of all the holiday parties and family get-togethers you have to make happen. In this guide, I’m going to break down winter prep into easy steps. Take one thing at a time and you’ll be in control!

Do you want help with prioritizing this season – and a free printable? You need our FREE guide, 3 Easy Ways To Erase Holiday Stress. It includes a free printable that will help you prioritize what is really important in your life.

Planning and organizing tricks for a stress-free winter

Winter Closet Organizing

Before winter even gets here, create a system for storing and organizing all the winter parkas, hats, gloves, scarves, and boots.

The most important thing about organizing your closets for winter is to create more space. Winter items are bulkier and there tends to be more of it. Space is such a precious commodity. Here’s how to make the most of it.

Hats and Gloves Storage

It seems like every year, gloves lose their mate and a few hats go missing too! Follow these winter gear organizing tips to keep track of your (and your family’s) stuff.

  • Use a hanging organizer – This is the perfect size for storing gloves, hats, and even scarves. This will free up space on your shelf and give each thing their own space.
  • Give each family member a basket – If you have shelf or wall space, it can really help to give each person their own basket. Either hang it on the wall above the hooks for the coats or in the closet. This gives the responsibility to the family member and takes the stress off you to keep track of it.
  • Store in labeled bins – Another easy way to store hats and gloves is to create a labeled basket or bin. Dedicate one for hats, one for gloves, and one for scarves.

How to Store Winter Scarves

Whether you enjoy fashion scarves in the winter or just use them for warmth, scarves are something else you have to learn how to store efficiently.

  • Scarf Hanger – If you have lots of scarves, use a scarf hanger. This keeps them flat in the closet and frees up a lot of space.
  • Roll and store in drawers – Another space-saving idea is to roll up your scarves and keep them in a drawer. If you do this, use a drawer divider to keep the scarves easy to find.
  • Dedicate one hook for each family member – If you only need to store one scarf for each person, install a hanger on the wall or use a hanger in the closet.

Winter Jacket Storage

Before you hang up the heavy parkas that you kept in storage, you should dry-clean them. This will eliminate the musty smells they accumulated in the boxes/bins.

Remember, winter coats take up a lot more space, so you’ll have to clean out the closet to make room for the coats. Some people install coat hooks or put a coat and hat hanger in their entryway just for this reason.

Want to learn more? We also have a guide that shows you how to store coats with or without a closet.

How to Organize Winter Boots

There are lots of ways to store winter boots, pick the one that fits your space the best. The most important thing to remember is to find a way to keep the boots vertical and keep them together (and out of the way).

If you don’t have lots of space, try something small like a metal boot rack. This fits perfectly in the corner.

A really popular way to store boots is in a storage bench. This idea takes up a bit more space, but it doubles as a place to sit and take your shoes on and off.

Where to Sell Winter Clothes You Don’t Need

As you bring out your winter coats and clothes from storage and realize they don’t fit anymore, don’t throw them away. Either donate them or sell them.

Selling your gently-used clothes is an excellent way to earn a little extra cash for the holidays. There are a few different ways you can sell these clothes – either in person at a consignment shop or online.

The best places to sell clothes online are:

Take Inventory Before You Store Things

Part of our E.A.S.Y. organizing process is the A – Assess. This means taking a quick inventory of everything you own and making sure you actually use it before you store it.

As a refresher, this is what our E.A.S.Y. organizing process is:

  • Empty – Clean everything out. Before you start organizing, pull all your things out and go through them.
  • Assess – In this step, take inventory. Throw away broken things and donate the nicer things that you don’t use or want.
  • Store – Establish storage systems and evaluate whether they are still effective or if you need to invest in something new.
  • Yearn – Know why you are doing this and keep your goals in your mind. Staying organized is an ongoing process and you need to stay motivated.

Use A Hanging Organizer

Finally, one of the most efficient ways to store your winter accessories is to use a hanging organizer in your closet.

Most hanging organizers come with tons of easy-to-reach pockets of different shapes and sizes. Buy the ones that match what you need to keep in them.

These hanging organizers are perfect for scarves, gloves, and even winter hats and thick socks.

Top seasonal home tasks to tackle in the winter

How To Organize Winter Home Decor

After you organize all the stuff you keep in your closets, focus on your winter and holiday decorations. I don’t know about you, but it seems like my Christmas and winter home decorations collection grows every year.

As you pull out your Christmas or winter decorations, give away anything you don’t want anymore and throw away anything that is broken or doesn’t work.

This is also a really good time to address any storage issues you are having and create a better system if you need one.

Leave Room to Grow

The first thing you need to do is leave plenty of space in your storage area for the new items you will more than likely add to it. If your bins and boxes are full to capacity, invest in more, or go through and decide what you really want to keep.

Create a System That Fits Your Collection

Look at how your winter and holiday decorations are stored. Are they in a big mess in a large box? If so, invest in smaller boxes and things that are made specifically for what you are storing. This will help your things last longer.

For example, this Christmas lights bag comes with a way to store your lights on a spool. Forget about them getting tangled and broken!

Look at what you have to store and buy bins and solutions created specifically for them.

Store Fall Decorations Safely

While you are moving the fall decorations to storage, verify that you are storing them safely. Cardboard boxes will tear and fall apart. Store things in waterproof bins so they stay protected from moisture and dust.

Separate Decorations by Area

Finally, to make the winter decorations easier to find next year, create a different bin for indoor decor and a separate one for outdoor decorations.

It’s also a good idea to separate your decorations by room, too. This way, if you need to split up your decorating by room, you’ll be able to pull out just that room’s decorations.

How to organize your home for the winter months

Prepare Your Home For Winter

Depending on where you live, winter brings a whole bunch of different weather that you need to prepare for. Even if you live somewhere that it doesn’t freeze, now is an excellent time to take care of your house.

Seal Your Deck

It is important that you do this before the temperature drops below 50 degrees. Sealing your deck will protect it from all the extra moisture that is going to hit it this winter.

To seal your deck, pick a weekend when there is absolutely no threat of rain or precipitation. You also need weather that is warmer than 50 degrees.

Clean Your Gutters

Check your rain gutters and clean them out if fall leaves clogged them up. If you don’t keep your gutters cleared of debris, it could make water pool on your roof which could lead to a leak.

Regularly cleaning out your gutters will save you lots of home maintenance fees in the long run.

Turn Off Water to Outside

Finally, if you live somewhere that is susceptible to freezing temperatures, turn the outside water off. This includes outdoor faucets and sprinkler systems.

Turning off the water will prevent pipes from bursting – which is a huge headache.

Everything you need to prep your home for winter: closets, decor, outdoors, and more

Prepare for Winter Parties

If your schedule fills up every winter with holiday parties, then the best way to stay in control is to prepare for them. Here are some of my most-used tips to prevent holiday-burnout.

Avoid Being Double Booked

Set up a calendar of some sort to keep all of your parties and events organized. Choose a system and stick with it. If you try to halfway use your phone’s calendar and sometimes use a paper planner, you run the risk of double-booking yourself.

These are the best paper planners on the market. If you want suggestions on cloud calendars, this guide has lots of helpful ideas. I would also encourage you to check out the calendar and planning tools in our Clutter Keeper Holiday Planner.

Buy Host Gifts Ahead of Time

Winter time – and especially shopping – is really busy. Avoid the hassle of trying to find a last-minute host gift and just buy a bunch ahead of time and store them in your closet.

This principle also works if you have white elephant gift exchanges you need to attend.

Plan For Down-Time and Planning Time

Take care of your sanity and mental health. Schedule breaks, down time, and time with people that refuel your spirit.

If you keep yourself so booked that you can’t think, you will burn out – fast!

Winter organization secrets for Christmas and beyond

Winter Organization: House Cleaning

The final thing you need to do to to get ready for winter weather is to organize a cleaning routine.

With the change in weather comes even more mud, possibly some water from snow, and just lots more work. Don’t forget about making room for all the new stuff you’ll have to store after you open those Christmas presents!

Here’s how to manage all of it.

Declutter and Prepare for Christmas Gifts

Before Christmas or parties get here, make room for all the new stuff you and your family will be receiving. Clear out a space on the shelf or buy a few extra bins.

This might also mean giving away some of the things you no longer want or need.

Add Cold-Weather Blankets and Sheets to the Beds

As the weather gets colder, this is the perfect time to add a cozy throw blanket to the couch and make sure all the beds have flannel sheets and warm comforters.

Adding extra blankets will also save you money on your heating bill!

Wash Walls and Floors

Finally, go around your house and wipe down the walls and baseboards. Give all of your floors a really good cleaning. It’s important to prepare your floors with waterproof rugs by the doors in anticipation of the upcoming weather.

This is also a good time to make sure you have a nice broom and mop handy so you can handle smaller messes during these cold months.

Winter Organization: Keep Important Things First

Above all, remember to prioritize and keep your important things first on your list. Make sure you reserve time for self-care and to be around people that support you. If your plate becomes too full, it’s healthy to admit it and say no.

The best thing about organization is that it shows you when you don’t have room for something – even emotional things.

Essential tasks to do for an organized home this winter

Struggling to get motivated? Sign up to get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret, and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!

More Holiday Organization Tips

Here are some more ways to stay organized during the busy holiday season.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.