1. Buy a Christmas Tree With the Decorations Already On

When you want to save a lot of time, consider investing in one of the many prelit Christmas trees that are available. Not only will you avoid needing to look for the one burnt out bulb, but you also won't have to take the time to physically put the strings of lights on the tree. If you buy a Christmas tree that already has the lights on it, you'll save yourself potentially a couple of hours in Christmas decorating.

2. Have It Organized

When you're putting decorations away this year, make sure that they're organized to save yourself time next year. If you've ever found yourself unable to find your tree topper, or you feel like you're missing half of your ornaments, you'll save yourself a lot of time by packing everything together in a logical way. Keep all totes in the same part of the attic, garage, or wherever you store your Christmas decorations so that you can find them quickly the next year. You can even have a computer file where you catalog where you put everything you pack away. And if you want to ensure that your ornaments will be intact the next year, use felt and other storage techniques.

3. Cut Down

You might be a Christmas decorator who pairs down regularly, but if you're not, take some time every year to cut out the things that are no longer bringing you the same amount of joy. For instance, if you've had Christmas lawn ornaments that are starting to fade or just aren't that much fun to see in the front lawn anymore, get rid of them. If they're in good condition, donate them to someone who will enjoy them. You can cut out hours of unpacking, packing, and setting up every year if you're mindful of what you actually want to keep.

4. Do Outside Decorating Earlier

If you live in a northern climate, you might know what it's like to try to put up lights on the roof of a two-story house. You need to be more careful of slip hazards when ice and snow are present. Plus, your hands are freezing, which slows you even more. If you want to cut out some time, put up your Christmas lights before the weather is frozen.

5. Get the Kids Involved or Send them to the Grandparents' House

If your kids are old enough, don't do it all yourself. Inviting your children to help with Christmas decorating isn't just a great way to build memories; it's also a great way to cut down on the time that it takes to decorate. If you're still worrying that your toddler will stick something into his mouth, take him out of the equation by sending him to his grandparents' house.

There are a lot of ways that you can cut down on the time that you spend decorating the tree and the rest of your house. In fact, there are time-saving hacks for cooking and other holiday activities, too. If you want to have a beautiful home for Christmas in less time, think about which projects will bring you the most happiness, and organize so that next year is even easier than this one.