It’s always fun to decorate our homes for the holidays, but you want to make sure your favorite ornaments don't get damaged when it's time to take down your Christmas decorations. After all, there’s nothing worse than finding crushed baubles, tangled lights or snagged garlands when it comes to decorating the Christmas tree.
This is usually the case when we just throw all the decorations into the box when packing them away at the end of the holidays. And while it seems like an easy task, not storing them properly could damage them, or worse still, end up with a tangled mess to unravel. Luckily, there are some useful tips for storing Christmas decorations safely that will ensure you’re more organized and ready for the next holiday. So if you want to keep your festive ornaments in tip top shape for next year, here’s how to store Christmas decorations.
Sort baubles into clear bags
Our Christmas storage boxes tend to have a mish-mash of different decorations, making it hard to find what you’re searching for. Sort out your baubles by color into clear, plastic, zip-lock bags from your kitchen. You can also use transparent boxes to organize your decorations. By keeping them separated, this will not only make it easier to see, but protect them from damage. Another storage hack is to place baubles or round ornaments inside old egg cartons or coffee cup holders to keep them in place.
Put small ornaments into organizer boxes
Similarly, it’s very easy to lose those smaller baubles or ornaments among a sea of decorations. Instead, separate your decorations in storage boxes with individual compartments. That way, everything is organized by type or size, instantly accessible. In addition, this will prevent them from all getting crushed or damaged underneath larger ornaments.
Wrap lights around cardboard or a hanger
If you hate grappling with tangled Christmas lights, a good tip is to wrap your lights around pieces of disposable cardboard before putting them away. This will make it easier to unwind them without the hassle, and save you time. You can also wrap the lights neatly around a clothes hanger to keep them from getting twisted. Alternatively, you can invest in a lights storage holder like this SEWANTA Christmas Lights Storage Holder ($16, Amazon), to keep them neat.
Shrink wrap your Christmas tree
This is another popular hack for artificial trees, despite being a little challenging! Shrink wrapping your tree means that you won’t have to completely take your tree apart to put it back in the box. What’s more, you can leave the lights on it so it’s all ready for the next holiday. Bear in mind, this process will take some time, but the results are worth it when you can just cut open the shrink wrap and fluff the branches back into places with no assembly required! If you don’t have the patience for shrink wrapping, you can always place it in a havy-duty, storage bag like this Zober Large Christmas Tree Storage Bag ($14, Amazon), that can fit up to 9 ft tall trees.
Hang up wreaths in a closet
If you don’t want to crush your beautiful festive wreaths, bend the bottom of the wire hanger around your Christmas wreaths, then hang them up in a closet or garment rack. This will help to keep their shape, so that they will look as good as new for next holiday. Alternatively, you can store wreaths in zipped, canvas garment bags to protect them from dust.
Wrap candles in cellophane
When storing away Christmas candles, one tip is to wrap them up in cellophane. This will prevent them from touching or transferring color to each other, especially when stored in warm conditions. It’s always best to store in a durable container in a cool place to prevent wax melting. Better still, invest in some battery-operated, LED candles that you can use safely. That way, you can still keep the festive glow at year round.
Gather bead garlands into water bottles
If you have empty water bottles lying around, use them to store your bead garlands. This will prevent them all from getting tangled, and make them easy to spot in your storage box. What’s more, instead of spending 30 minutes unravelling them all, just simply pour them out when you’re ready to use them.
If you want to be super organized, you can always learn how to grow a Christmas tree and keep it for the next holiday. If you're after alternative Christmas tree ideas, check out these 5 festive ways to decorate a Christmas tree.
