Dixie Somers
Holiday decorations can be beautiful to look at but difficult to pack up. From tangled lights to flattened wreaths, there’s always something that didn’t survive the year in storage. Are you sick of replacing broken decorations each year or are looking to preserve one-of-a-kind decorations made by friends and family? Here are just five tips for storing your holiday decorations in a way that leaves them perfect for next year.
1. Separate Your Ornaments
Ornaments get damaged when they’re carelessly thrown in the same box. They bang together and break; they rub against each other and shed colors and sparkles. You’ll be much better off if you separate and store them in their own containers. An empty egg carton can be used for small ornaments; an empty beverage tray will work for larger ones. If you’re handy with a glue gun, you can even create your own “ornament holder” with coffee filters and a cardboard box. Simply glue down the filters to ensure that nothing gets jostled as you move, carry or stack the box.
2. Wrap Your Lights around Something
Don’t just dump your Christmas lights in a plastic bin! As soon as you unravel them from the tree, ravel them right back up around a coffee can or empty poster tube. Not only will this prevent the cords from tangling, but it will also keep the bulbs from shaking and breaking off. You can even label the cords with bread ties if you want maximum storage points. Knowing in advance that Cord #1 goes around the tree while Cord #2 is used over the fireplace can save you a lot of time next year.
3. Don’t Dismantle the Tree
Speaking of Christmas trees, if you’re one of the many families that uses the plastic variety, you’re probably already aware that putting it together and taking it down can be one of your biggest chores during the holiday season. So why not leave it intact while you store it? There are special bags that you can buy that will hang the entire thing in a closet corner, or if you’d like to DIY it, just wrap it in a blanket and secure it with an old belt. It can be propped up in an attic or basement and left untouched until next year.
4. Re-Purpose Garment Bags
If you have any leftover garment bags from your last trip to the dry cleaners, consider using them for holiday storage. They’ll provide all-over protection for bulky items like wreaths and garlands, and what’s more, they’ll allow the items to be hung upright. Never again will your decorations be squished under the weight of something else! Garment bags can also be used to store things like bells, ribbons and upright wrapping paper tubes, so don’t be afraid to experiment with these versatile organizational tools.
5. Use a Storage Unit
Did you have a hard time tracking down all of the holiday decorations this year? Were they scattered across attics, closets, garages and basements? Were they moved or broken during a long year of disuse? An easier way to store your decorations is with an actual storage unit at a facility like The Storage Center. Not only will they be kept in the same place until you need them again, but if you use some of the packing methods listed here, they’ll be clean, neat and organized when you open their boxes. It’s a gift that you can give to your future self!
These are just a few tips and tricks for storing your holiday decorations. If you’re tired of cracking ornaments and strangling plastic reindeer with tinsel, use these methods for keeping everything safe and secure.
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