Christmas can be a magical time of year, but it can also be quite stressful. Between decorating, deciding on holiday gifts, and last-minute shopping, completing everything on your holiday to-do list can be challenging. And after all of the festive holiday dust has settled, you’re still left with cleaning it all up! Deciding where and how to store all of your holiday stuff can create a new level of post-holiday stress, which can make the most wonderful time of the year a real bummer.
Don’t get down on the holidays just yet. Help is on the way! When the celebrations are over, and you’re faced with figuring out how to store Christmas decorations until next year, we have some suggestions and Christmas storage ideas that can make your life and holiday much more enjoyable.
So, grab your favorite hot beverage, and let’s start figuring out the best ways to store your holiday items so you can do it all again next year.
Undress Your Christmas Tree
If you have an artificial Christmas tree, storing it the right way will ensure it provides many years of enjoyment. First, remove all the lights and any ornaments. If you have a pre-lit tree with lights attached, don’t try to remove them. Next, cover the tree with a bag to protect it from pests and dust. Storing your tree in a Christmas tree bag will make packing it away a lot easier. Another option for storing your tree is to vacuum-seal it. Although this will keep it as compact as possible and give you a little more storage space, don’t overdo it. You don’t want to pull it out next year to discover you now have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Once the tree is packed, place it in a cool area away from radiators or heating vents. Consistently exposing your stored tree to extreme heat will reduce its lifespan.
When it comes to storing Christmas ornaments, you may have some that are more fragile than others. We recommend starting at the top of the tree and working your way down, carefully removing each ornament. As we continue, we’ll provide more details on the best way to store your more delicate ornaments.
Use Stackable Storage Bins
Stackable storage bins are great for keeping your Christmas decorations clean and orderly after the holidays. Clear, labeled containers will make storing and organizing holiday decorations easier. These stackable containers will help you maximize your storage space while keeping everything together. Another great option is installing custom built-ins around your home, which will make storing and retrieving items much easier. Out of sight, out of mind, but still within easy reach!
Wrap Delicate Ornaments
Few things are worse than pulling out your ornaments to decorate and discovering a few of your favorites are broken beyond repair. If you need to store fragile ornaments, wrap them in bubble wrap or cloth to keep them protected during storage. Next, place them in a secure box labeled ‘fragile.’ Store these decorations in a secure location that doesn’t get a lot of traffic or activity. This should keep them safe until it’s time to use them again.
Stack Items According to Weight
Stacking according to weight may seem like a no-brainer, but in your haste to put everything away before spring arrives, you may not be thinking too far ahead. Whether you’re utilizing stackable storage or not, the best way to store Christmas ornaments is to place your heavier ornaments and decoration boxes on the bottom shelves and the more delicate, lighter ones on upper shelves. This method serves two purposes; removing those lighter boxes from higher shelves will be much easier, and you don’t risk damaging items with heavier-weight boxes.
Look After Your Lights
We’ve all experienced the frustration of pulling out and untangling our supply of holiday lights only to discover half of them no longer work; ugh!!! Proper post-holiday care and storage of your holiday lights will keep them in good working order and do wonders for your holiday lighting budget. To store lights properly after the holidays, separate each string and secure them neatly using electrical tape or a zip tie. This will keep each string separated and ready to use next year. Once you have secured each string of lights, placing them in a rigid plastic container that offers some protection should keep them safe until next season. Another great holiday decor storage idea: Buy a storage reel for your lights to keep them neat and organized, which reduces the risk of broken bulbs or frayed wires.
Do Your Part - Recycle
When you unwrap Christmas presents, the paper and boxes are often the first things to go. But instead of throwing away your wrapping and tissue paper, store them in an airtight container. Then reuse the paper to wrap up your various decorations. As for the boxes, break them down and store them in a larger bin until next year. This way, you can reduce excess waste and do your part for the environment.
In addition to wrapping paper and boxes, take good care of any gift bags you receive so you can reuse them. It will reduce the amount of waste you produce and save some money on wrapping paper and gift boxes each year. One handy Christmas storage idea is to hang the gift bags from Command™ hooks. They’re easy to hang on a garage, basement, or attic wall or inside a cabinet door. This will keep the bags from getting crumpled or torn.
Don’t Discard Christmas Cards
Unless you’re feeling particularly Grinchish, there is no need to get rid of your Christmas cards each year. Keeping them can be the start of a nice holiday tradition that you may appreciate in years to come. You can even punch a small hole in the top-left corner of each card and string them up for display. When you do store them, make sure to place them in a labeled box.
Wrapping Up Your Wreaths
Holiday wreaths are one of many decorations that need some extra protection when storing them each year. Due to their shape, and in some cases, size, many people want to know how to store these Christmas decorations to preserve their original beauty. Wrapping your holiday wreaths in paper and placing them in boxes before putting them away. That way, they will be protected from dust and dirt while sitting in storage.
Use boxes wider than your wreaths' diameter, so you don't bend their branches while packing them up. You could also look for circular boxes designed to hold wreaths. You may want to keep your wreaths in a closet for even more protection. Installing pull-out shelves will give you enough space for your wreath boxes.
Make Use of All Your Available Space
When it comes to holiday storage, sometimes you need to think outside of the box! If you live in a small house or apartment, all your available space is fair game when it comes to storing holiday items. In fact, if you have space under your stairs, it can be a great storage place for your Christmas decorations. Take some time to clean and organize the area, and you will be surprised at how much space you have for storage. Consider installing pull-out shelves under your stairs. With a bit of creativity, you can install an under-stairs storage that suits your needs.
Keep Your Christmas Ribbon Tangle-Free
One of the most annoying things about setting up for the festive season is untangling a pile of ribbon after a big box of decorations has been opened. There is a simple solution that will help you avoid frustration and mess. Wrap one piece of ribbon around the other, lay them on the table or floor, and tie them together. It sounds too easy, but it works!
It’s a Wrap
As you figure out how to store Christmas decorations, don’t forget about storing that extra holiday wrapping paper. Using tube-shaped containers or ones specifically designed to hold wrapping paper are an ideal solution because they keep each roll neatly stored and reduce the risk of damage. Also, make sure you use a piece of tape or paper clip to secure each roll so it doesn’t unravel the next time you take it out.
Try Clear Container Storage for Holiday Decorations
When the holiday decorating bug bites each year, quickly finding those ‘go-to’ holiday decorations can save you the time and energy of rummaging through endless boxes to find the items you want. Items like stockings, tree skirts, and holiday linens that are yearly holiday decoration staples will be much easier to find if stored in clear, resealable plastic containers, bins, or bags. Clear plastic storage bags work especially well for soft items or smaller, unbreakable decorations such as garlands and holiday pillows. For less durable items, try clear plastic bins.
Invest in a Clothing Rack
Now that we have most of the holiday decorations accounted for and stored, it’s time to figure out how to store those ugly Christmas sweaters. No need to have them taking up space and cluttering your closet the rest of the year; installing a clothing rack in a storage cabinet creates a place for clothing you only wear during the holidays. Make sure you store your garments in a bag to prevent moths, dirt, and damage.
Keep Christmas Decor Looking Nice Next Year!
There you have it: some simple Christmas decoration storage ideas that will help keep your holiday items protected and looking good each year. The storage pros at your local ShelfGenie appreciate the challenges many homeowners face finding suitable storage for holiday and everyday items. It seems like we never have enough storage, or the space we have isn’t as usable as it could be because it’s difficult to reach too-high shelves or deep corner cabinets. But with help from one of our storage solution designers, you can maximize your space so that there is a place for everything, and you can easily get to it.
Whether you need more space in your kitchen, pantry, bathroom, garage, or closet, we offer a variety of storage solutions that will meet your needs. From pull-out shelves and overhead storage to under-the-sink and custom storage designs, we have a solution to solve your storage problem. So, whether you’re looking to organize your holiday decorations or need to convert those hard-to-reach areas of your home into easily accessible storage spaces, our team of professional storage experts makes the process easy. We’ll make sure you have space to fit your heirloom Advent calendar, your collection of blown-glass ornaments, and all of your other treasured holiday decor.
Learn more about how we work, then book online for a free consultation and free 3D custom design. We can’t wait to help you with organization solutions that make your holiday storage and life merry and bright!
