• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Meet the Girl ↡
    • About Abby
    • Contact
  • Projects ↡
    • Organization
      • All Organization
      • Printables Library
      • Productivity
    • Decorating
      • Our Home Tour
        • Current House Home Tour
        • Townhouse Home Tour
      • All Decorating
      • DIY
      • Furniture Makeovers
      • Crafts
      • Holidays
    • Blogging
      • All Blogging
      • Income Reports
    • Happy Thoughts
  • My Products ↡
    • Impactful Habits, Organized Home Organizing Course
    • Browser to Buyer
    • Blogging Binder Printables
    • Home Binder Printables
    • Student Binder Printables
    • Christmas / Holiday Planner
    • Fitness Journal
  • Free Resources ↡
    • ClarityList for Bloggers
    • How to Start a Blog in 2020
    • 100+ Blogging Tips, Tools, and Resources to Grow Your Business
    • My Favorite Organizing Items
  • Income Reports

Abby Lawson logo

November 6, 2017 By Abby Lawson 17 Comments

How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays

Pin344
Share7
Tweet
Email
351 Shares

We recently organized the dining room just in time for the holidays so we'll be prepared for all of the guests that will be joining us in the coming months!

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving

I admit, our dining room is usually far from the most used room in our house. We actually eat most of our meals at the kitchen island, so our dining room is more of a pretty space that no one touches that I can decorate to my heart's content. #truestory 🙂

BUT at this time of year, the dining room gets to have its moment(s) in the spotlight! With Thanksgiving and Christmas and all of the holidays coming up over the next few months, it will quickly become one of the main gathering spaces in our home, so I figured that I should probably get it organized before all of the craziness ensues!

Tour Our Organized Dining Room

Click here to subscribe to our Abby Organizes YouTube channel!

How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

I recently switched some things around in this space to make it more organized. I love that I was able to reorganize using only items I had on hand-- I spent $0 on organization in here-- and I’m excited to show you around!

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, full dining room

We have two storage pieces in the dining room: a hutch that used to be my grandmother’s that I painted a few years ago, and then a sideboard/buffet.

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, decorated sideboard

As I shared last week, this sideboard actually used to be my kids’ dresser, but I recently gave it a makeover to turn it into a cute storage piece for the dining room. I love that it has a little display area that makes it pretty, but also has a section for really functional storage.

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, decorated sideboard detail

I mostly wanted to bring in this piece to hold our table linens because I knew the drawers would be perfect for it. I lined all of the drawers with a pretty drawer liner and then began filling them up!

The top drawer holds our cloth napkins, which are just stacked by type. We don’t use these on a day-to-day basis, so we just have a few basic colors.

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, organized napkin storage

When I go to decorate our table for a special occasion, I like to keep it pretty simple, so I usually use a neutral colored table cloth, and then I use a runner to change up the look for the season or event.  The second drawer in the sideboard holds all of the runners...

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, organized table runners and placemats

Since there are a bunch of them, I used the filing method of folding that I shared here to organize them. I can easily see what I have and pull out the one I want to use. I also have a set of pretty green placemats that I will sometimes use at Christmastime. I used some little wooden boxes that I already had to corral them and again folded them using the filing method, so they all stay neat and tidy.

The next drawer holds my tablecloths, which are just neutral! Since there are only two plus the one that is on the table currently, I didn’t really need to file them-- there is plenty of room in the drawer!

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, organized tablecloths and trivets

I also keep a few hot pads in this drawer that I use to protect the table when we put down a hot casserole dish or something similar.

The bottom drawer of the sideboard holds a few “kid friendly” items...

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, organized kid friendly items

These plates are pretty, but they’re plastic, so they’re perfect for the kiddos to use. And my boys get a kick out of this tablecloth that looks like a football field that I will pull out for games sometimes. It is vinyl-ish material and easy to wipe down, making it perfect for kids.

I also have a few shelves that add some extra storage, but they are mostly there to look pretty!

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, open shelving, open shelf storage

Open shelves are great for storing “collections,” when you have multiples of one item to store, so I have cake stands in a few sizes on the top shelf and white pitchers on the bottom.

That about does it for the sideboard! Let’s take a peek inside the hutch on the other side of the room...

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, open shelving, fall hutch decor, china cabinet

I always like to change up the decor on the shelves for each season, so they are definitely more decorative than organizational. 🙂

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, open shelving, fall hutch decor, china cabinet decorated

In the drawer of the hutch, I store the different types of pads that we put on the bottom of our furniture to keep them from scratching the floor...

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, china cabinet drawer, hutch

I used an extra desk organizer that I had on hand to separate the different types of pads. (It is similar to this one.) My little sideboard wasn’t deep enough to hold these round placemats, so they take up the other half of the drawer.

I really like to decorate shelves and trays and different areas of my house seasonally, so in the bottom of the hutch, I keep the dishware that I use more for decorating than for eating. (Our everyday dishes are housed in the kitchen.)

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, china cabinet drawer, hutch organization

The baskets are Crate & Barrel from about 10 years ago, and I’ve used them all around our home! (They actually still carry similar ones here.) Right now they’re holding my decorative mugs.

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, mug organization

I put a little adhesive bookplate on the front of each basket, and I purchased a new label maker recently that can make labels in cursive and other fun fonts, so I used it + a little piece of scrapbook paper to create my pretty labels.

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, mug organization, adhesive bookplate label

(I may do a full post on the new label maker soon because I've loved it so much! Let me know if that would be helpful...I admit that I kind of nerd out on that sort of thing! 😉 )

The bottom shelf of the hutch holds plates, bowls, and other decorative items I use for my decor...

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, mug organization, adhesive bookplate label, china cabinet storage

The key here was that I only kept the items that we need or use often. I had several things that had sat for years without use, so it was a waste of space to store something I wasn’t going to use. I donate any unwanted items if they’re in good shape or throw them out if they’re broken or unusable.

So that’s our organized dining room! It’s super simple but it makes it easy to find what we need, and now we're ready to welcome our guests for the holidays in the coming months!

Home Organization- How to Organize Your Dining Room Before the Holidays, organized dining room, hutch organization, sideboard organization, organized buffet, dining room storage, free organization, organization on a budget, organized dining room tour video, Christmas, Thanksgiving, fall dining room decor

What types of things do you store in your dining room? Let me know in the comments!

For more ideas for getting organized before the holidays, see these posts:

How to Create an Organized Gift Wrap Station

5 Simple Things You Can Do to Plan Ahead for the Holiday Season

5 Quick Tips for Decluttering Toys Before the Holidays

5 Printables to Help You Get Organized for the Holidays

[Psssttt… Organize every room of your house with our 100 best home organization tips!]

Have a wonderful day!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

Filed Under: Abby Organizes, Organization Tagged With: abby organizes, dining room, organization

Pin344
Share7
Tweet
Email
351 Shares
Free Printables Library at justagirlandherblog.com

Get 200+ pages of free printables!

Become one of our VIP newsletter subscribers and gain access to our exclusive free printables vault!

I want in!
Previous Post: « DIY Dresser to Sideboard Buffet Makeover
Next Post: 10 Best Christmas Gifts for Organization Lovers! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Peggy says

    November 07, 2017 at 4:50 am

    I would love to have a tutorial on your new labeler. You are a girl after my heart!

    Reply
    • justagirlabby says

      November 07, 2017 at 9:13 am

      Lol! I'm glad there is someone else that gets as excited about labeling as I do! 🙂 I will add it to the list! Have a great day, Peggy!

      ~Abby =)

      Reply
  2. Nicole @ Bento Momentos says

    November 07, 2017 at 11:07 am

    Lovely color scheme -- we're hosting our first Thanksgiving in our new home and I'm excited to incorporate your tips!

    Reply
    • justagirlabby says

      November 07, 2017 at 2:49 pm

      Thank you, Nicole! So glad they were helpful for you! Enjoy your first Thanksgiving in your new home! So fun! <3

      ~Abby =)

      Reply
  3. Danielle Renke says

    November 07, 2017 at 4:52 pm

    I wanna see the label maker too! I️ am not a fan of mine at all and I’d love one that can print cursive so I️ don’t have to whip out the Silouette every time!

    Reply
    • justagirlabby says

      November 08, 2017 at 10:12 pm

      I've added it to the list! Thanks so much for watching, Danielle! Hope you're having a wonderful week! <3

      ~Abby =)

      Reply
  4. Janice says

    November 11, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    Hi Abby!

    Thanks for sharing! Wondering where you found the prints that are above your sideboard.

    Thanks!

    Janice

    Reply
    • justagirlabby says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:41 am

      Hi, Janice! I actually made them. I wrote a post on it here: https://justagirlandherblog.com/how-to-make-a-hand-lettered-sign/. I'm sure you could find something similar on Etsy if you're looking to buy!

      ~Abby =)

      Reply
  5. Manisha @ Modlotus says

    November 11, 2017 at 9:46 pm

    Abby
    Excellent post-love your organizational skills. I came across your blog when I was searching for some closet organization ideas 2 years ago.
    Yours was the first blog that I read and thought to myself, maybe I should start a blog after reading your story. You have inspired me greatly and your building a framework was excellent step by step guide. After sitting on my domain name for almost 18 months, I finally launched my blog this week and my first blog post is up on winter travel outfit guide. I will greatly appreciate your time to go and check that out. also, let me know where I can give a testimonial for your building a framework ebook. Thanks
    https://www.modlotus.com/europe-travel-winter-clothes/

    Reply
    • justagirlabby says

      November 13, 2017 at 10:34 am

      Hi, Manisha! Thanks so much for sharing your blog with me. It is looking great so far! I'm in love with that cashmere scarf you are wearing in your pic... so pretty! You can email your testimonial to hello {at} justagirlandherblog {dot} com. We so appreciate it! Congrats on your launch! <3

      ~Abby =)

      Reply
      • Manisha @ Modlotus says

        November 19, 2017 at 11:43 am

        Thanks, Abby. You have a good eye for coveted items. I could not find anything similar to that quality and price point in stores. I always travel with that scarf. I will send my testimonial this week sometime. and I also signed up for affiliate account.

        Reply
  6. Amy says

    November 12, 2017 at 12:45 am

    Hi Abby,

    I love the color scheme! It's such a relaxing space. Where did you get the cute pumpkins? I love the colors. Everything really, but also love the frame art - one of my favorite worship songs! =). Thanks for sharing your tips and pretty space! Glad you're adding the label maker video to the list, too!

    Reply
    • justagirlabby says

      November 30, 2017 at 2:36 pm

      Hi, Amy! So sorry I missed this comment earlier! I get most of our pumpkins at HomeGoods, Hobby Lobby, and Michael's!

      ~Abby =)

      Reply
  7. Amanda says

    November 13, 2017 at 10:12 am

    This is so beautiful!! I love the way you organize and decorate. I so wish I had a dining room to decorate but I may make do with our eat in kitchen! Love it!!

    Reply
    • justagirlabby says

      November 13, 2017 at 10:25 am

      You're too sweet! Thanks so much, Amanda! Have a great week! <3

      ~Abby =)

      Reply
  8. Diego Lopes says

    November 14, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    Thank you for the post! Christmas time is always hectic around here, so these tips will actually be really helpful here. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • justagirlabby says

      November 15, 2017 at 10:35 am

      Oh, good! So glad they were helpful!

      ~Abby =)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Primary Sidebar

Hey there, friend! I'm Abby, and I'm so thrilled you stopped by! I love working to create a beautiful, thriving home, life and business and helping others do the same.

Read my story→

Let's Connect!

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Let's Get Organized!

Impactful Habits, Organized Home Organizing Course | https://www.abbylawson.com/ihoh
Deluxe Home Binder Printables | https://www.abbylawson.com/deluxe-home-binder-printables

Stick to your fitness goals!

Deluxe Fitness Journal | https://www.abbylawson.com/deluxe-fitness-journal-printables

How to Start a Blog

How to Start a Blog: The Definitive Guide

Our Course for Bloggers

Blogging: Organized

Deluxe Blogging Binder Printables | https://www.abbylawson.com/deluxe-blogging-binder-printables

Favorite Posts

Free Printable Library | 50+ Free Organizing Printables

50+ Free Printables to Organize Every Area of Your Life

home- cozy office nook, feminine home office, organized home office, small office, decorating, farmhouse office

A Cozy Office Nook

Ryan Homes Palermo Before and After Home Tour 2.5 Years In

Before and After Home Tour: Two and a Half Year Update

Free Printable Budget Binder Cover

Budget Binder for 2021 (with FREE Printables!)

Home organization- How to Organize Every Space in Your House, declutter, organizing, small space organization

How to Organize Every Space in Your House

Student Binder Printable Organizing Pages

Printable Student Binder

Personal Posts

Breast Cancer Awareness Month My Story by Just a Girl and Her Blog

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: My Story

This girl started out knowing nothing about blogging or online business and made 6 figures last year. Time to start that blog I've been thinking about!

From Hobby Blog to Thriving Business: My Blogging Story

Archives

Post Categories

Copyright

I love it when you share! Please keep in mind that all images and text on this site are property of Just a Girl and Her Blog. Feel free to use one or two photos provided that a link back to my original post is included. Please do not remove any watermarks, crop, or edit any of my images without first obtaining written permission from me. All free printables offered are for personal use only. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated! Thank you!

Privacy Policy & Disclosures

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Read our privacy policy and disclosures →

© 2021 Twenty Three Publishing LLC