11 Jan Safely Store Your Holiday Decorations: Tips For Making Them Easy To Access Next Year
It’s that time once again, time to focus on a brand new year and put away the holiday decorations. Tempting though it may be to pop everything into bags and boxes quickly and worry about the tangled lights next year, there truly is a better way. It takes no extra time to employ these tips and carefully stow your precious heirloom decorations, garlands, and even an artificial tree.
Read on for storage suggestions that will have seasonal decor put away quickly, neatly, and ready for accessing next year. The time you invest in doing this task properly this year will make next year’s decorating a breeze, and you won’t find a broken ball at the bottom of a box!
1. If your tree is artificial, wrap it in plastic.
Using a plastic wrap (like Saran Wrap) to encircle the tree and pull it snugly from bottom to top is a great way to keep it safe from dust and debris, if you store it in the garage or basement. Start at the bottom, and work your way up. Once the plastic wrap has enveloped it, pull gently so the branches tighten a little. Put a piece of masking tape on the final strip of wrap, and your tree is ready for storage.
2. Collect boxes and cardboard tubes throughout the year.
Shoe boxes and cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls are handy helpers for storing garlands, lights and prized Christmas tree balls. Take the length of garland, wrap it around the cardboard tube and secure it with a piece of tape. Get some tissue paper and wrap each ball, then put them in the shoe box. Keep similar decorations together; for example, if your family has been collecting a particular type of decoration since your first child was born (decorations they make at preschool, perhaps, or balls painted with animals at the manger?) put them all together in one place. Knowing which decorations are in what box will make next year’s retrieval much easier.
3. Store wreaths in a closet or under your bed.
If closet space is at a premium in your home, wrap your wreaths in plastic (like the plastic from dry cleaning establishments) and tuck them under your bed. As long as they are out of reach of family pets, they will be secure and clean until next year.
4. Store baubles and balls in clear plastic bags.
Buy a few packages of the largest size of plastic bags you can find, like those made for wrapping leftovers and placing in the fridge. Put balls of similar color and size together within each one. Gently store them in layers, with a sheet of cardboard between the layers, in a large box or chest, and make sure you label it. If you’re careful, you can leave the decoration’s hook in place so next year it’s ready to hang from the tree straight from the box.
5. Buy a storage chest just for holiday decor.Buy a storage chest just for holiday decor.
If you have the room, having all your decorations in one place, carefully and safely stored together, makes sense and actually saves space. Consider buying an extra large rubber storage container and keep everything neatly together. Lights can be hung from hangers on a clothes rack nearby, making them truly easy to get at next year.
6. Did you keep the boxes your table decorations came in?
If you have, for example, a menorah that you put on an accent table in the living room each Hanukkah season, simply put it back in the box it came in. If you didn’t keep that box for some reason, ask your local grocery store for a few cardboard boxes in varying sizes to serve as replacements. And from now on, whenever you purchase something online, save the box! Having some close at hand is useful for storing all kinds of things, not just holiday decorations.
7. Put away wrapping paper, tape and bows in one box.
Although this is not, strictly speaking, a decor storage suggestion, it is related to the season, right? Keeping all the festive-themed paper together in one bag or box means it won’t get torn or wrinkled when stored.
With a little planning and forethought, getting the holiday decorations down and stored away doesn’t have to be an onerous task. Make sure the lights for the tree aren’t tangled before you put them away, and have boxes, tape, and a felt tip marker close at hand so you’re ready to put tree balls and baubles away, and get the boxes labeled. Make it a chore the whole family participates in, and the time you devote to this will fly by.
Once you’ve got your festive decorations stored away for another year, you can straighten up the house, tidy up the living room, and get the family thinking about your next holiday. Easter? Ramadan? Whatever holiday season comes next for your family, it is bound to be a joyful time complete with social events, great food, and yes – maybe even its own very special decor!