The Great Christmas Tree Take Down VIDEO

Watch me take down my 10 foot Alaskan Pine Christmas tree and I’ll talk you through my process. This tree has seen us through eight Christmas’ so far. I really have a love hate relationship with her. I love her when she is full of decor and looking her best, but when it’s time to put her in the attic, I wonder if it could be the last time. Her lights don’t work and she weighs as much as an elephant, but look at her shine!

How I Take Down and Store My Ornaments

The first thing I take off my tree are my florals. This year I put them all together and made beautiful winter floral arrangements. I have another post and video I am planning on that. After the florals are safely out of the way, I start attacking the tree by section. Since this tree is so tall, and it takes a ladder to get her fully undressed, I didn’t want to try and take ornaments down by category. I got several bins ready and I just threw them in bins according to color.

I was planning another Valentine tree while I was taking this one down, so I had a bin for the ornaments I was planning to use on that tree. To see how that tree turned out, read Another Valentine’s Tree Idea. I also have a plan about what bins I will need to get out when I am ready to take down Valentine’s.

Storing Ribbon and Bows

I have a ton of bows on this tree that I made a couple of years ago. They are all tied with wire and attached to the tree with wire. I put these beauties in my largest bin on top of my white ornaments. I simply flatten them out and fluff them up the next year.

Most of the ribbon got rolled up and stored in a bin by color, but some of it was used in my Valentine’s decor or in my winter decor. To see more Valentine’s Decor, read Valentine’s Decor Ideas. To see how some of this ribbon was used in winter decor, check back for Winter Decorating Ideas.

Organizing With An App

When I get similar items gathered together, especially if I bought anything new, I take a picture. I store these pictures on an app and make notes about how many of each item I have. This way I can refer to my inventory even when everything is put away in the attic. This really helps me when I get ready to shop, but I don’t have everything out yet. To read more about this process and app, read How To Organize Your Christmas Decor With An App.

Taking Down The Lights

Besides having this project fully completed, taking down the lights is my favorite part. It means I am so close to being done. Also, it’s super easy because of the way I put them on the tree.

If you are still making yourself dizzy by going around and around your tree with lights, stop it. Put them on the tree from top to bottom in a zig zag pattern. Watch how easy it is to take them down.

Yes, I add lights to this tree. Remember I told you her lights don’t work. If you want to read more about Christmas tree lights, read When Your Pre-Lit Christmas Tree Lights Don’t Work. This article will tell you more about these awesome lights. I used five strands on this 10 foot full tree and I bought another strand to use next year.

How I Take Down and Store My Tree

Here’s the part I hate. Carrying this girl up the stairs and putting her in the attic. We are lucky enough to have walk out attic space, but you have to get past the giant heater and drainage pipe to get to it. This means you have to lift everything, you can’t just slide it. We have been putting parts of her in a giant tree bag and the rest of her in boxes. Even then it’s almost impossible to get her upstairs and lifted over the drain pipe and in to her hibernation spot.

This year I had a pretty good idea. I carried one piece at a time up the stairs. I left the tree bag in place and put each piece in the bag in the attic. It was easier, but that old girl is still heavy!

I paid so much for her and she looks so pretty when she is decorated. I’m just not sure if it’s worth it to replace her or not. I did really enjoy decorating smaller trees for Valentine’s Day. They are so much easier!

Well, Christmas 2020 is in the books and Valentine’s Day is on its way. I hope you enjoyed watching me take down my tree and stay tuned for Steal My Christmas Mantel Hacks.