EASY HOLIDAY DECORATION STORAGE SOLUTIONS
Over and over I vowed that this was the year I was going to improve my holiday decoration storage. But I was always in a hurry to get my house back to the pre-holiday state.
This is how it would go… downcome the decorations. Decorations get stuffed into one of many, many, plastic totes I own. Usually whatever tote had room in it. Then they all get stuffed up in the attic crawl space until next year.
My totes were labeled, but once the decorations came back down all bets were off as to what tote they ended up in. So, the next year I was on the hunt again because nothing was where it was supposed to be.
If you know me at all you know that this kills me. Being OCD there is nothing more frustrating to me. But, out of sight out of mind, I move on to cleaning the empty feeling rooms.
Can you relate?
I have a friend who complains every year that she can’t even find half of her decorations. This is because she has no system for storing her decorations. Not only does she not have a system, but she doesn’t even store them in the same place! You know who you are 🙂
Well, no more! Are you done getting your decorations down from the attic only to have 15 or so plastic bins full of crap in your dining room all at once? Are you done having to look through everyone to find what you want? What about finding your favorite ornaments broken?
I am going to share the best way to store your holiday ornaments, artificial Christmas trees, and the rest of your holiday items, that I have discovered over the years. Some of these I use myself, and others I am going to implement this year!
store seasonal decorations by how you decorate
There are two different types of Christmas decorators. Ones who decorate with the same decorations in the same places every year, and ones who change things up every year. Depending on which one you are, you should be taking down and storing, your decorations a little bit differently.
If you decorate the same way each year, then you should store your decorations by room, or by area. For example, take down your decorations room by room and store them in a container marked “Living Room” or “Entryway.” Or maybe you decorate certain areas of a room the same. If so you can disassemble that area and mark the container “main tree” or “mantel.”
However, if you are one that changes things up every year then this process won’t work for you. Instead, you should take everything down altogether and use an area in your home to sort the items into categories as you take them down.
For instance put your, lights, garlands, ornaments, signs, table decorations, wall decorations, houses, table cloths or runners, etc. all in a different pile. Now you can place each of these seasonal items in separate stackable bins and label them accordingly.
This way you can store the items in containers marked accordingly and when it’s time to decorate next year you can just grab from whatever container you need. This is how I decorate. With the exception of my main tree, I change things up each year. So, I have one container marked “Christmas Tree” and one marked “Christmas Tree Decorations”, then the rest are marked according to the decor category.
When it’s time for me to decorate an area in my home, I just grab the bins from my storage room, look into the bins, and start to pull what I think will look good for that area. Then when I’m finishing up and I need one last thing to finish the area off, like maybe an ornament or some twinkle lights, I can just go to the container marked “Christmas ornaments” or “holiday lights” and grab just what I need.
So to choose the best holiday decoration storage solution for you, figure out how you like to decorate then sort your items accordingly before you store them away and next year your decorating will go much smoother.
holiday decoration storage tips to keep them safe and organized
Christmas Light storage ideas
How many times have you taken out your Christmas lights and they were a tangled mess? How about plugging them in only to find they didn’t work?
So frustrating!
Store your Christmas lights in a way that keeps them safe from breakage, keeps them untangled, and makes them easy to put up next year. Here are a few ideas that will cost practically nothing.
For a DIY route, use a Pringles can or other sturdy tube and cut a slit in one open end of the tube. Insert the beginning of the light strand into the slit and carefully wrap the lights around the tube. Place the other end of the strand into the same slit and put a cover, or a piece of tape, over the end to secure it.
Another idea is to use a rectangular piece of cardboard to wrap your lights around. Use the same principle as above by cutting a slit in the cardboard to start your strand. This is a great option if you have a lot of lights. Each set can lay flat, side by side, saving a lot of space in storage.
Write the color, length, and even where you used them on the cardboard with a Sharpie permanent marker and you’ll know in an instant if this strand will work for you
If you want to get all fancy and purchase something made for holiday light storage check out these options.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a recommended product, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me to bring you this great content every week. Rest assured that I will not recommend any product that I would not use myself.
|
Simple
![Christmas Lights Storage Holder [Set of 8]](https://www.ourrepurposedhome.com/wp-content/uploads/51sYJoLPVL._SL500_.webp)
|
More Organized
|
For lots of lights
|
|
$12.99
|
N/A
|
$29.99
|
Don’t forget to take all those loose Christmas replacement bulbs and hooks and store them in a weekly pill organizer or jewelry organizer. Put them in the storage container with your lights.
I realized very quickly this year that not all replacement lights work on every light strand. I had to go through a hundred bulbs to find a few that would work on my pre-lit Christmas tree. If only I marked them when I put them in the container. sigh. Don’t make my mistake. Even if you just use a marker and mark the little plastic bag they came in, it will help you when you need to find just the right one.
And why not store your extension cords right along with your strands of lights? This is the perfect solution because there is nothing more frustrating than looking for cords while putting up your indoor or outdoor lights.
Don’t forget to mark your containers so you can see at a glance what you’re looking for. Get my free Christmas Decoration Storage Labels below. These are printable on 8 1/2 x 11 sticker paper or you can print them on plain paper and tape them to your container.
storing Wrapping paper, boxes, tags, bows etc.
This is one of my favorite helpful tips because, well, I’m a little OCD. I love to organize every nook and cranny of my home and wrapping supplies is one of my favorites. I think this is because wrapping paper is pretty and organizing it just makes it even prettier. 🙂
I purchased an Elfa rolling cart from The Container Store and it has been a lifesaver for me. Actually, I bought the pieces separately instead of the kit and made a really tall cart but it comes in a variety of sizes and configurations.
I have all of my wrapping and packing paper, bows, gift tags, tissue paper, cards, gift bags, etc. stored in it. This way I can just roll it out of the way when I don’t need it. Container Store Elfa Rolling cart
However, I don’t store my Christmas wrapping paper in it for two reasons. First, I have way too much Christmas paper and it won’t fit with all the rest of the wrapping paper I have.
And second, I don’t like having extra stuff around that I only use once or twice a year.
So instead I store my Christmas paper in a storage container and put it in the attic with the rest of my Christmas decorations. It only comes down at the start of the holiday season so isn’t taking up valuable space in my craft room when I don’t.
Here are some great options for storing your holiday wrapping paper. Pick a system that works best for your storage space. Scroll across for more options.
|
safe storage
|
hanging
|
easy storage
|
easy storage
|
so organized
|
hanging
|
easy storage
|
|
$74.99
|
$27.99
|
$6.73
|
N/A
|
$34.99
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
If you want an inexpensive DIY option for storing your paper then how about using clear plastic garment bags? The Chic Site shows how to put all your paper in the bag, along with a hanger, and hang it up in your storage area. Be sure to buy extra because I have another great use for them. Be sure to read on.
If you want some ideas for what to do with the Christmas cards you received at the end of the holiday season, then check out my post “10 ways to re-purpose Christmas cards after the holidays.”
Artificial tree storage options
Artificial trees are so cumbersome and just a pain to store. I don’t know about you but I can never get my tree back into the original box it came in!
Because of this, one year I decided to not even decorate my main artificial tree. Instead used my 4′ artificial tree that I left decorated the year before! I know right? lol, Which brings me to your options for storage.
Keeping it assembled
If you have the room to keep your tree assembled (and even decorated) then purchase a Christmas tree bag. These bags come in different sizes so make sure you get one at least large enough for your tree, if not even larger. This way you won’t be bending and squeezing your tree into the bag.
Now remember, if you decide to keep it assembled, you will have to get the tree from your living room into your storage area. Not an easy task. So make sure this is doable before you decide to store your tree this way. But if you can, then heck, go for it! Save yourself some time for next year.
|
Upright Storage
|
Upright Storage
|
UprightSstorage
|
|
$24.95
|
$26.99
|
N/A
|
You might like this…
Wanna learn some boho Christmas decor ideas? Read this post for some great ideas! Or maybe you just want to learn how to decorate a Christmas tree step-by-step. I’ve got you!
Disassembled
Your next option is to store it in a box but I wouldn’t recommend storing it in the cardboard boxes it came in for a few reasons.
First, as I mentioned above, you can never get it back into the box the way it came out. This means in order to do that you will have to squeeze and bend and jam the tree into the box. This isn’t good for the tree at all.
You will also have to deal with possible critter or bug invasion. Yuck!
Instead, purchase a large plastic Christmas tree tote or Christmas tree storage bag to store it in. They are made to fit your tree and are much roomier than the original container. If you don’t want to spend the money on a tree container then just buy any plastic container, or containers, large enough to fit your tree.
Artificial trees are expensive, especially the really realistic-looking ones. So you’ll want to store it properly so it will stay beautiful for years to come. Here are a few options.
|
Good Value
|
Heavy Duty
|
Up to 9' Tree
|
|
$17.86
|
$19.99
|
N/A
|
Christmas ornament storage tips
There are so many different shapes and sizes of ornaments, as well as different mediums. You’ll have to figure out which storage option would be best for your particular ornaments.
Save your egg cartons because this is a great way to store your delicate Christmas balls and precious ornaments. Not only does it neatly organize them but it keeps them safe. Stack them and store them inside a clear plastic bin.
Purchase some ornament boxes like these. I like these because they can hold a lot of ornaments in one container. Slide bar for more options.
|
Great for delicate ornaments
|
Great for plastic ornaments
|
Holds up to 64 Ornaments
|
Hold up to 36 ornaments
|
Holds up to 36 Ornaments
|
Stackable
|
Stackable
|
|
N/A
|
$25.49
|
N/A
|
$17.91
|
$40.49
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Keep in mind that if you need to stack your containers then you may want to use sturdy plastic containers like the ones above (middle). This way you won’t crush any ornaments.
how to store Wreaths and Garlands
Wreaths can be tricky to store because you don’t want to crush them by placing them on top of each other. Berry wreaths are very delicate and would not do well stacked. So hang your wreaths next to your wrapping paper! You can either use another suit bag or just a trash bag to cover your wreath after hanging it from a coat hanger with some wire or string.
Most garlands you can store in a large plastic tote or purchase some garland bags.. Again, if you have some expensive garlands with lots of ornaments or berries then you may want to hang them as well.
|
Dual Storage
|
Stackable
|
Transportable
|
|
$29.99
|
$58.69
|
N/A
|
Take a little extra time now to plan your holiday decoration storage and you’ll be thankful next year when it’s time to decorate all over again.
Please share some ideas that you use to store your Christmas decorations below.