If you’re anything like me, by the time the holiday season is finished, you’re pretty much over it. I officially turn into the Grinch on December 26th. I love Christmas, but I’m ready for a fresh start when it’s done. Unfortunately, in my eagerness to say goodbye to Christmas, I haphazardly throw all of my decorations into bins as fast as I can.
I unceremoniously stuff everything into the garage and turn my back on the whole situation. I usually regret this decision the following year when it’s time to get everything back out again.
10 Ways to Store Christmas Decorations
This year I’m turning a new leaf. I vow to be more organized with my Christmas decor storage. I’ve gathered 10 genius tips to storing your decorations with ease, check them out below.
1. Store wreaths on a coat rack
Sew Many Ways suggests attaching your wreathes to hangers and hanging them on a coat rack. Cover each wreath with a plastic bag to protect them from dust.
2. Store ornaments by color
If you have non-breakable ornaments, consider storing them in clear bins by color like The Homes I Have Made. This makes it super simple to find the right ornaments for the tree or garland you’re setting up.
3. Use a hanging dividers for Christmas lights
To keep your lights tangle free, try this tip from Lowe’s. Bundle each string of lights with a Velcro fastener or zip tie, then label them according to their use. Store each bundle in a hanging closet organizer to keep them separated.
4. Create a Christmas decorating toolbox
Are you always searching for the right string and tape when putting up your Christmas decor? Another tip from Lowe’s suggests creating a Christmas decorating toolbox. You’ll have all the supplies you need in one container: extra bulbs, batteries, ornament hooks, and whatever else you need.
5. Protect glass ornaments with coffee filters
This is a simple and affordable hack from the DIY Network. Coffee filters are soft, flexible, and cheap. Making them the perfect dividers for your breakable ornaments. Use several layers of filters with each ornament for extra padding.
6. Store ornaments in empty egg cartons
Here’s another free way to store your ornaments – egg cartons! This idea is from Fun in the Making. No need to buy fancy ornament storage boxes when you can just raid your fridge.
7. Store your artificial tree in cardboard tubes
Here’s a simple idea to keep your artificial tree parts from getting smashed and damaged in a bin. The Family Handyman suggests using two or three 8-in.-diameter concrete form tubes, available at a home improvement store. Then, wrap each layer of the tree in twine and shove them down each tube. Mark the layer numbers on each tube so you know which order to put them together when it’s time to set up the tree again.
8. Use detailed labels for your Christmas bins
Attach labels to your bins and write down every item that’s stored in that particular bin. No more rummaging around for that certain snowman figurine, or opening every single bin to locate the Christmas stockings. I Heart Organizing even offers free printables if you want to use her label design.
9. Make your own ornament organizer box
One Good Thing by Jillee made her own ornament organizer box using plastic cups and a storage bin. Cute two pieces of cardboard to size so they fit nicely in the bin. Then, using a hot glue gun, attach the plastic cups to each piece of cardboard. Layer the cup boards in the bin.
10. Wrap christmas lights on pieces of cardboard
There’s nothing worse than tangled Christmas lights. This easy and cheap idea from A Real Life Housewife ensures your lights will be nicely organized and knot free for next year. Wrap each strand around a piece of cardboard, then tuck them in a box side by side. Voilà!
5 Hacks to Organize and Store Holiday Items - The Organized Mom
Thursday 29th of December 2016
[…] when they are breakable. Erica Young recently wrote about storing small round ornaments in egg cartons, which is an idea I love! But I found many of my round ornaments were too large for the egg carton. […]