It’s that time of year! All of the lights, and decorations, and… constantly hauling boxes and bins of them in and out for the last few months of every year! From Halloween to New Year’s, the average family can accumulate a lot of decorations and other items over time, and given the busyness of the season, they aren’t always the most well packed or organized of your storage containers.
We’ve compiled a few tips to help you not only store your holiday items, but to keep them safe and in good shape so they can be cherished for the years to come!
Ornaments
For delicate glass ornaments, it’s best to keep the original packaging for storage if possible. After all, that’s how they survive in shipping! But, not all ornaments come packaged. In that case, wrapping each individual ornament in tissue paper, or a layer of bubble wrap is your best bet to ensure they are safe from any breakage over the next year.
I like to keep mine in a specific heavy duty box as well, so I know where all the “special” ornaments live.
Artificial trees
We know this won’t apply to everyone, and that the topic of artificial trees can divide households, but if you do have one, I hope you’re ready for the best storage tip! PLASTIC WRAP. Yes! Plastic wrap is an easy and fool proof way to store your artificial tree; and you can choose whether you want to take it apart layer by layer to wrap, or simply keep it together and wrap each layer as you fold the limbs up!
Garland Storage
Any simple plastic container will do, but my trick has been to use plastic water bottles- an easy go to that I don’t have to replace often, and that are somehow always available. There’s no guessing to which strand of garland you’re grabbing, and no chance of them every getting tangled together!
Lighting
You may have lucked out when purchasing your lights, and have kept the spools they come on, but this isn’t always the case, and after a few years they may not be in the best shape. If you no longer have the spools or yours are worn out, a large, long piece of cardboard can be your best bet- ensuring that the lights aren’t overlapping, wrap the lights horizontally, and place them in a protective bin. Of course, when the next year rolls around, be sure to make sure they’re working before you hang! There’s nothing worse than doing all that work to find your strand is out!
Seasonal Linens
Our favorite method for storing any clothing or fabric items is the vacuum sealed storage bags. This not only is huge for space saving, but it keeps your items from any sort of damage or smells when you need them to be stored long term i.e. they are only used once a year.
Taking the time to store your decorations properly, will not only protect them so they can be enjoyed year after year, but also saves you the headache of unpacking them the next year. No one wants to start their holidays out as a Grinch, so pack them well now so you’ll be in a holly jolly mood while decorating with friends and family next year!
