Haven’t taken down your holiday decorations yet? Tackling this task after the season can seem daunting, but you can make it easier on yourself by thinking about how to store everything, neatly and safely, before you dig in. Remember: Different decorations call for different storage techniques. For instance, many ornaments are expensive and need extra padding, while others are filled with memories and require extra care. These easy holiday decoration storage tips will protect your cherished décor.
Smart Storage Solutions
Issue: Delicate ornaments emerge from their boxes chipped, dusty, or broken.
Storage Tip: When possible, try and keep the original packaging these finer ornaments come in, since they are made specifically to protect the ornament. If you do not have the original packaging anymore, wrap the ornament in a sandwich bag, then store it in a padded, sturdy box. Need a box? You can use partitioned liquor or wine boxes and egg cartons, being sure to stack fragile ornaments at the top of the box to decrease the chances of damage.
Issue: The light strings are always tangled, and you don’t know which ones need fixing.
Storage Tip: Wrap your lights around cylindrical items and keep the plugs exposed. For example, you can wrap them around coffee cans, paper towel rolls, and toilet paper rolls, making sure to leave the plugs exposed. When you are ready to use them, the plug is easily accessible to plug in. If the string lights up, you are golden. If it stays dark, you know that you need to get rid of them or replace a bulb.
Issue: You need some of your décor and supplies sooner than others.
Storage Tip: Label one or two boxes as an “Open First” box, then store all of the items you will need immediate access to in them. Be sure to store these boxes on top of your long-term storage boxes so they will be in the front and accessible. You may even find that, next year, you don’t want to decorate as much. If so, then all the important décor is upfront, which reduces the rummaging and looking for all the items you may need.
Issue: You have issues finding décor or items.
Storage Tip: Label each box with the holiday title and a few bullet points about what is contained in the box. This will help you organize the boxes by season. For a more literal depiction, use colored lids for each season: purple for Easter, orange for Halloween, and red for Christmas.
Issue: You forget what you have and re-purchase more.
Storage Tip: Start a decorating notebook with an inventory sheet for each item, such as hooks and wrapping paper. Keep the book taped to one of the storage boxes so you don’t lose it.
Issue: You don’t have enough room to store everything.
Storage Tip: This one can be difficult to face, because it may mean that you will have to toss some of your items. Before you do, take inventory of each item and ask yourself if there is emotional investment in it. If not and it takes up a lot of space, consider letting it go by giving or throwing it away, or donating it to a thrift store. Don’t rationalize keeping an item just because it cost a lot. Think, instead, about how many years you have had the item and the joy it brought you. That may be worth more than the price you paid.
Do you have any ideas for storing your precious memories? Leave a comment below or tell us your story.
