Taking the time to store holiday decorations correctly in January will help ensure a less-stressed holiday season next year. After the hectic hustle and bustle of the holidays, it is easy to want to throw the decorations in an old bin and shut the door. But a little extra attention will help you properly store your keepsakes and protect them for years to come.
Wreath & Repeat
If you’ve opted for a faux door wreath, keep it preserved and dust-free in a zip-up wreath bag. Bags keep curious critters from nibbling on pinecones or other decorations and come in options to be hung or stacked. If you opt for a fresh wreath, before it goes into the recycling, pull off any decorations—ribbons, bows, artificial berries and pinecones can be used for years to come. Clean off any needles or pine residue, and store in simple kitchen plastic baggies. The Container Store and Frontgate offer sturdy wreath storage from $29 and up. Measure the size and width of your wreath for the best fit.
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Urn Points
Along the same lines as wreaths, faux urn décor can be stored in clear storage bags or clear kitchen garbage bags. It’s an excellent way to see what items you’re tucking away. In addition to saving money for future arrangements, you’re keeping these items out of landfill. Amazon carries sturdy handled zip-up clear bags in six packs ($29). Grandin Road also offers a three-foot pop-up storage bag ($79) perfect for taller items (and it conveniently collapses when not in use).
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Handle with Care
Ornaments hold sentimental value, so use specialty ornament storage to keep them safe and make the process simple.
When you take the tree down, consider which ornaments you intend to use the following year. If you have adult children starting their own traditions, now may be the time to start a box of ornaments just for them.
For the bulk of your ornaments, consider large storage bins with reinforced sides and compartments to protect fragile balls. Balsam Hill makes a smart 24-inch 100- ornament storage unit on wheels with a retractable handle ($319), or step up to the 150-piece chest ($419). Amazon and Wayfair make similar ornament chests on wheels at a variety of price points. For more portable storage, Home Depot carries Hearth and Harbor polyethylene bags with handles and room for up to 96 four-inch ornaments in eight separate trays, all in a clear poly so you can see what’s inside ($24).
If your storage space is on the same floor as where you put your tree, look for storage on wheels. If you’re toting storage up to an attic closet or down to a basement, look for light storage bags with handles. If a space has higher levels of humidity in the summer, consider sticking silica gel desiccant packets inside the bags. You can pick them up from a hardware store, Walmart or Amazon ($8 for 15 packets). The gel absorbs moisture to keep items from molding. Or keep an eye out for these packets when you open boxes and store them for future use.
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Tangled lights no more!
Stay Tangle-Free
From Kohl’s to Lowe’s, tree-light storage is another must-have. Save yourself time next holiday season by making sure you only keep working lights. Divide lights into indoor or outdoor rolls. Containers start at $12 and go up based on strand length and size.
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Knicks and Knacks
From nutcrackers to other unusually sized accents, storage can present a challenge. QVC offers a number of unique solutions like a 17-inch nutcracker container ($29). Fit up to nine tall nutcrackers, or reconfigure dividers to suit your décor storage.
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Wrap it Up
Most of us end up with leftover holiday wrapping—whether that’s gift bags that
are too beautiful to throw away or special ribbons and fancy bows. A holiday gift-wrap storage unit holds room for wrap, bags and ribbon. Check out the Hearth and Harbor Wrap Storage Station at Walmart with room for it all ($160). Remember when storing wrap and ribbon, location matters, so avoid damp or hot spots.
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Memory Keepers
If you loved the way you decorated your mantel, tree or any space in the house, take pictures so you can replicate next year. Holiday scrapbooks are a great way to keep track of things. Logging gifts given and received help you not send the same gift two years in a row. Bronner’s offers a wealth of all things Christmas, such as the $20 Holiday Memories book with a spot to store holiday cards and make notes of any special highlights. With space for 20 years of holiday memories, this is a great way to start a family tradition.
For those who thrive on a good plan, Etsy offers holiday planners that can be personalized and contain space for tracking gifts, recipes, decorations and plans
($40 and up).
Holiday cards in the mail seem to be a dwindling practice, but if you’re sending out cards, keep an extra copy of your family photo card. Some families display years of photo cards each holiday season as a fun way to watch the family grow and change. Sugar and Paper makes a linen-bound Our Holiday Cards Through the Years book in red or gray ($60). For a personalized approach, Zazzle offers holiday card binders that can have the family name printed on the exterior for $20.
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