The holidays are officially over.
The decorations are coming down.
And suddenly, you want your house back.
January has a way of flipping a switch. What felt cozy in December now feels cluttered, and many moms head into the new year ready for a January reset—clearing surfaces, reclaiming storage, and getting rid of unnecessary items once and for all.
If you’re ready to declutter after the holidays without overthinking it, this practical organizing roadmap will help you reset your home efficiently, and keep it that way.
Step 1:
Start With a Quick Visual Reset
Before organizing, do a fast walk-through of your home.
This isn’t about planning deep cleaning or purging, rather it’s identifying what feels cluttered right now.
Look for:
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Flat surfaces covered in “temporary” items
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Overflowing baskets or bins
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Anything still out simply because no one decided what to do with it
This step helps you prioritize and keeps your January reset focused instead of overwhelming.
Pro Tip: Take a trash bag with you during your walkthrough to quickly clear out obvious throwaways.
Step 2:
Declutter Seasonal Items First
When decluttering after the holidays, the easiest wins come from items that were always meant to be temporary.
Start with:
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Holiday décor
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Gift wrap and packaging
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Holiday cards
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Seasonal crafts and school projects
If it came out for the holidays, it should either be:
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Stored intentionally
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Repurposed
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Or gone
Clearing these items early creates instant visual calm, and motivation to keep going.
Pro Tip: Skip the storage box and turn holiday cards into a Holiday Card Book. A simple way to clear paper clutter, eliminate storage bins, and keep cards organized in one place.
Step 3:
Use the 3-Bin Method to Stay Efficient
Keep decisions simple and fast with three bins or piles:
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Keep – items that stay out or are used regularly
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Store – seasonal or occasional items
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Toss / Donate – items that have served their purpose
Avoid creating a “decide later” pile. Momentum is key when decluttering after the holidays, and quick decisions prevent clutter from creeping back.
Step 4:
Batch Paper Clutter Together
Paper is one of the biggest pain points in a January reset, especially for families.
Instead of tackling each type separately, batch all paper-based items together:
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Kids’ artwork
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Holiday cards
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School papers
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Certificates, programs, and random keepsakes
Lay everything out, then:
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Recycle duplicates or low-effort items
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Choose favorites worth keeping
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Decide how much space you’re willing to give this category moving forward
This is a huge step toward organizing without piles taking over your home.
Pro Tip: Add a Kid “Drop Basket”
To keep counters clear throughout the year, give each child a simple drop basket (or folder) for artwork, school papers, and other forgotten items. When something comes home, it goes straight in the basket, no piles on the counter.
You can sort, keep, or recycle items from the basket during seasonal resets, keeping things tidy between cleanouts. Snagged this idea from @practical_perfection
Step 5:
Reduce Storage Bulk (Not Just Stuff)
Decluttering isn’t always about getting rid of everything, it’s often about how you store what you keep.
Paper items like kids’ artwork and holiday cards tend to live in bulky bins, overstuffed folders, or random drawers. Turning those items into Art Books and Holiday Card Books replaces multiple storage containers with one organized, shelf-friendly solution.
Instead of piles or boxes, you end up with:
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One book per year or category
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Less visual clutter
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Storage that actually fits on a shelf
Same memories. Smarter storage.
Step 6:
Set a “One-In, One-Out” Rule for the Year
To make your January reset last, set simple rules that prevent clutter from building back up.
The easiest one to follow:
One in, one out.
This works especially well for:
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Paper clutter (kids’ artwork, school papers, cards)
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Seasonal décor
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Toys and games
For every new item you decide to keep, choose one item to recycle, donate, or discard. This keeps piles from quietly growing and makes decluttering after the holidays manageable.
To simplify decisions:
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Decide ahead of time how much space each category gets
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Stick to that limit throughout the year
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Revisit paper clutter seasonally, not daily
Step 7:
Finish With a Clean-Slate Reset
Once clutter is cleared, lock in the progress:
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Wipe down cleared surfaces
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Return storage bins to their designated spots
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Enjoy the empty space before filling it again
That calm, uncluttered feeling is exactly what a January reset is meant to deliver.
Bonus Tip: We also love these 5 daily routines from @etwice to help keep your weekly routine calmer in 2026. Small habits really do add up.
A More Organized Year Starts With Smarter Systems
Decluttering after the holidays doesn’t have to be emotional or all-consuming.
A successful January reset is about:
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Clearing what’s done
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Creating better systems
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Preventing clutter from coming back
When you streamline storage, especially for paper-heavy categories like kids’ artwork and holiday cards, you free up space, time, and mental energy to start the new year off right.
