A major part of Christmas is the decorations. I have been collecting my decorations for several years, and almost every item has a story or a special meaning. That is why I take care when storing my Christmas decorations at the end of season.
Here are my tips for keeping your decorations safe until next year:
- Take advantage of the sales on storage containers and totes. Buy a few different sizes so you have ones big enough to fit the larger, awkward shaped decorations.
If you store your decorations in the attic, be sure you can lift them and fit them through the attic hatch! Alternatively, use sturdy boxes. - Label all your totes and containers to quickly identify what is in each one.
- As you pack your decorations away, keep like items together going room by room, or theme by theme. This makes next year’s decorating so much easier.
- For items that are simply too big for a tote use a large, clear garbage bag and tie it shut to keep the dust off.
- Store Christmas wreaths in a large garbage can. My mom shared this practical storage tip with me. Every Christmas she decorates her home beautifully with garlands and wreaths. To keep her wreaths clean and damage free she stores them in a large garbage can – a perfect fit!
- Storing breakables in their original packaging is the best way to keep them safe year after year. If you don’t have the original packaging, wrap breakables in tissue paper or Christmas themed textiles such as tea towels and blankets that you would be storing anyway.
- Remove the batteries so they don’t leak while stored away.
- There are two ways I store my Christmas tree ornaments – in the original box or in a three-tier storage container.
I love vintage ornaments and always keep my eye out for a good deal on them. However, they seldom come in their original boxes, so I wrap each one in tissue paper and put them in a three-tier storage container. - Keep all the lights together with the remote-control plug.
- Keep your tinsel garland separate from your other garlands because the tinsel is easily caught up in other items leaving stray pieces of sparkle in places you may not want it.
- Clean as you go. Dust your ornaments as you put them away and dust the areas they were displayed on before putting out your regular décor.
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