10 Simple Ways to Store Holiday Decorations

I must admit, as far as Christmas decorations, I’ve become a but of a minimalist. After years of having to listen to the HH and The Girl complain, last year we got rid of our artificial tree. And I am proud to say, we are officially down to just 4 bins of holiday decorations.

You may remember as part of my 2014 List of Goals, I wanted to de-clutter my house one room at a time.  Christmas decorations were no exception.  I weeded out the stuff we really use, the special ornaments the kids made, etc. and then sorted them into bins.  The rest we donated/sold in a garage sale.  I thought I would feel sad, getting rid of them, but actually, now with just the four carefully chosen bins, I get more joy.  They are a collection of my favorites, and only my favorites.

Here’s a couple of tips for you as you sort through and put your Christmas decorations away for another year:

1. If you decorate your banister or doorways with garland, keeping it looking nice each year is key.  To store it, choose an appropriately sized bin and coil it like a snake in a basket.  It will keep it from tangling/bending unnecessarily.
2. My most precious decorations are the ornaments the kids have made over the years–they are literally irreplaceable.  If you are in the same boat, consider the one time investment of an ornament storage system.  They have compartments for each ornament {which is super helpful for those round ones that like to roll around if they aren’t contained} and come next year during tree decorating time, they will all be conveniently located in one easy to carry and unpack tote.
3. For smaller delicate decorations, wrap them in bubble wrap, newspaper, tissue paper, etc. and then place them in a shoe box.  The shoe box then can easily be placed inside a bigger tote.  It will be like a fortress of protection.  Write what is in the shoe box with a sharpie–you think you’ll remember, but a lot can happen in a year.  The labeled box will remind you that it is fragile.
4. If you decorate with candles, make sure not to store them in a place that gets too warm.  If possible, store them in the house.  Either way, wrap them in cellophane to keep them from sticking/melting together.  Avoid wrapping them in plastic or wax paper because those materials can easily melt to the sides of  your candles.
5. To make decorating next year as simple as possible, try to store your decor in bins by room.  If you have a mantle display of decorations or a table centerpiece keep all of the components in one bin.  That way you can unload one bin at a time completely, and then head back out to the garage to grab the next one.
6. Run leftover remnants of wrapping paper and tissue paper through the shredder and then use it like packing popcorn to protect your decorations.
7. Wrap Christmas lights around an old coffee can or sturdy rectangle of cardboard.  It will make putting them up next year a breeze, plus it will protect them in storage from getting tangled and crushed.
8. Label, label, label.  Did I mention label?  Make sure to write the contents of your bins with a sharpie–it will be easier to find everything, plus there will be no guess work when it is time to put the decorations away the next time.  I swear, before I started doing this, every year was like trying to put a new puzzle together.  I always wondered how I got them to fit into the bins the year before.
9. Save zippered garment bags and/or bedding comforter bags.  They make great storage for wreaths, outdoor lawn decor, etc.  They will keep the dust off, and they can mold to the odd sized shape of what you’re trying to store.
10. If you have leftover, usable wrapping paper {or if you like to buy it on clearance at the end of the season}, invest in a wrapping paper storage.  It will keep it from getting crushed over the year, but still give you a way to put it in the attic or garage, instead of letting it pile up on the bottom of the coat closet floor all year.

How about you, any tips you’ve learned over the years you’d like to share?

~Mavis