We're all getting more collectibles and decorations yet we love what we already have.What to do? I have found a way to keep all of these items well-behaved and in place so your home doesn't look cluttered and out-of-control. 

Here's how:

1)  Understand that you don't need to have all of your decorations on display at the same time.  I know this may seem rather simple but it's astounding how many people don't get this simple concept.  When they get a new Christmas candle or bird house, they simply add it to the shelf.  I have a friend who collects Irish Wedgwood basket pottery, but it's all so cluttered on her bookcase that they are lined up like the On Sale shelf in a Dublin souvenir store. The problem is that you don't notice her pretty items because  you can't see them!  I don't think she enjoys them either.

2) Decide that your decorations will have a "season." Sort through your decorations and decide when they will be most appropriate for display.  Ask them what they think too. I bet the bonsai rabbit would rather be on display around Easter, rather than July as well. I came to this belief that more is not better when I noticed my candle collection. I love candles and I buy them in all different colors and scents but when they were all together, the scents and the colors simply didn't match.  So here's how I assigned my candles:

January -- blue and white candles (representing the cold of an Upstate New York winter. Now I'm just waiting for Yankee Candle to come out with a little shovel candle.)

February -- red and white

March -  May -- spring pastels

June - August -- a token "shell" candle, Citronella and cheap candles for outdoors

September through November -- harvest golds, browns, pumpkin candles

December -- guess!

Once I organized my candles, my candle clutter was gone. I bought some candles at a candle store that offered some nice plastic votive holder containers and I've reused those plastic containers.

3) Buy color-coordinated containers for your decorations. Check on eBay for these!  By having containers in different colors, you can find them easily in your attic or other storage areas.  For January, for example, I have a clear container with a blue top.  In it, I've placed a windsock for my porch, winter snowflake tablecloths, placemats, snowmen sculptures and candle holders.  In July's lilac container, I have summer tablecloths, my seashell and white wicker miniature chair collection, my sunflower windsock and my coffeetable gardening book.

4) At the start of each new season, lovingly put away your out-of-season items and bring out your new decorations.  This will help you appreciate them so much more because now you are looking at them consciously.

5) What about Christmas? Many people have so many holiday decorations that all those things become a reason to despair. No one has the time to put up everything they have, so decide early on that each year you will have a "theme." Maybe one year, it will be Victorian Christmas scenes, maybe another year you can have a "natural" theme with just white lights and a simple tree and pinecone decorations. Yet another year you can display all of your Santa Clauses.

By doing these few simple steps, you can enjoy your home and your decorations so much more!