Holiday Declutter Challenge: 10 Items to Let Go of Before January
- Lisa Caplet
- Dec 5, 2025
- 5 min read
December is the season of twinkle lights, cozy socks, warm kitchens, and—if we’re being honest—a whole lot of extra stuff. Every year, without fail, something about this month invites both joy and clutter. Gifts begin to gather in hidden corners of the house, holiday baking takes over the kitchen, winter boots form a small mountain by the door, and suddenly every surface seems just a little too full.
And that’s exactly why December is also the perfect month for a holiday declutter challenge. Not a stressful, full-house overhaul. Not the kind of decluttering that makes you pull everything out of every closet and immediately regret your choices. No, this is what I like to call a gentle year-end decluttering list—a simple home reset before January arrives.
Here in New England, we naturally slow down when the temperatures drop. We tuck into our homes earlier in the evening, noticing the small details we brushed past in the bright, busy months. The squeaky drawer. The cluttered counter. The basket that's
overflowing with mismatched gloves. Winter has a way of revealing what no longer belongs in our space.
The good news? It only takes letting go of a few small things to make your home breathe again.
So grab a warm mug of something cozy (hot cocoa, maple coffee, mulled cider—whatever feels most “December” to you) and let’s walk through 10 simple things to release before the new year. These are easy wins, low-effort clutter clears, and deeply satisfying steps toward a peaceful January.
1. Expired Pantry Goods (Holiday baking reveals everything)
There is nothing like rummaging through the pantry for cinnamon or powdered sugar to remind us that we own five half-used bags of chocolate chips, three opened baking sodas, and a container of breadcrumbs that expired… a while ago.
Pantries are sneaky. They swallow old ingredients whole, leaving them tucked behind pasta boxes and soup cans.
This is an effortless starting point for your holiday declutter challenge:
Toss expired spices, baking supplies, and old condiments
Combine duplicates
Reorganize by simple categories (baking, cooking, snacks)
This quick reset will make holiday cooking smoother and welcome January with a tidy, functional pantry.
2. Old Winter Accessories You Never Choose
If you live in New England—or anywhere with real winters—you keep gloves, hats, scarves, and maybe even a collection of ear warmers.
But here’s the thing: you probably only wear the same few every year.
Decluttering winter wear is simple:
Donate the scarves you haven’t touched in years
Let go of stretched-out gloves
Toss anything itchy, mismatched, or uncomfortably tight
Your entryway basket will instantly breathe easier.
3. Random Gift Bags + Crushed Bows
Gift wrap storage is a December classic. Every household has:
Gift bags are missing handles
Crumpled tissue paper someone swore was “still good.”
Ribbons that have been stepped on
Bows that look like they lost a fight
Keep the pretty bags. Recycle the rest. And treat yourself to one new pack of tissue paper to start the season fresh. This is a tiny but mighty item on your year-end decluttering list.
4. Stained Kitchen Towels
If you cooked Thanksgiving dinner, you already know which towels can survive another season…and which need to retire with dignity.
Kitchen towels are inexpensive to replace and extremely satisfying to declutter. You don’t need to keep the ones covered in mystery stains or ragged edges.
Fresh towels give your kitchen a simple reset that feels bigger than it is—perfect for a cozy New England homemaking routine.
5. Single Socks With No Hope
We all try to be optimistic about missing socks.
Maybe it’s the mystery of the dryer.
Maybe it’s hope.
Maybe it’s denial.
But December is the month for acceptance.
If a sock has been partnerless for more than a season, it’s time. Release it with gratitude and move on. Your drawer will thank you.
6. Expired Cold Medicine (’tis the season)
Cold and flu season forces us to buy cough drops, syrups, and all kinds of “just in case” items. Then they sit there. For years.
You don’t want to reach for cold medicine mid-January only to discover it expired last spring. This is a practical and important part of your simple home reset before January.
Declutter:
Expired cold medicines
Old cough syrups
Outdated prescriptions
Stale cough drops
Then restock the essentials with fresh supplies.
7. Extra Mugs (Yes, even the sentimental ones sometimes)
Mugs are like rabbits—they multiply.
A holiday gift here, a cute Etsy find there, a free one from an event… suddenly, your cabinet is overflowing.
Choose your favorites. Keep the ones you actually reach for. Donate or recycle the rest. And yes, sometimes even sentimental mugs need to be let go to make space for ones we genuinely love and use.
This is often one of the most freeing steps in the holiday declutter challenge.
8. Outdated Planners + Notebooks
You don’t need to carry old planners into a new year—especially ones you haven’t opened in months. If the pages are blank, removing them creates mental spaciousness.
Consider:
Recycling old planners
Keeping only the notebooks you’re actively using
Rehoming unused journals to someone who will appreciate them
January feels much lighter when you’re not buried in last year’s paper clutter.
9. Unused Décor That Never Made It Out This Year
We all have holiday decorations that never leave the storage bin. If they didn’t make it out again this year… that’s a clear sign.
Let them go so someone else can enjoy them.
A simple décor reset clears visual clutter, allowing your favorite pieces to truly shine.
10. Junk Drawer Duplicates (Tape, scissors, pens—keep one good set)
Ah, the junk drawer—the universal clutter zone. Every home has one, and every December it fills itself with:
Broken pens
Dried-out markers
Five kinds of tape
Scissors that don’t cut anymore
Three nearly empty rolls of gift wrap tape
For your simple home reset before January, pick the best of each item and let the rest go.
Small drawer. Big relief.
Why This Light Declutter Matters
Decluttering in December isn’t just about clearing physical space. It’s about clearing emotional space, too.
Letting go of small, easy items:
Prevents January overwhelm
Creates calmer corners in your home
Makes room for new things entering your life
Encourages thoughtful, intentional living
Supports a cozy, grounded homemaking routine
Most importantly, it gives your home a deep breath—one you’ll feel every time you step into the new year.
YouTube Alignment Idea
Video Title: Holiday Declutter With Me | 10 Things to Let Go Before the New Year (Cozy New England Edition)
Film small, approachable moments:
Tossing old bows
Sorting mugs
Flipping through planners
Cleaning out winter gear
Doing a gentle pantry reset
Keep the lighting warm and cozy. Add soft music. Make it comforting, not chaotic.
Ready to Begin Your Own December Reset?
Start with just one of the items above. One drawer. One shelf. One small corner. The magic of a holiday declutter challenge is not in doing everything at once—it's in doing something.
Your home doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be yours—peaceful, functional, and full of possibility.
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