I LOVE decorating for the Christmas, and this year after all of the stress and turmoil of the season, I could hardly wait to decorate for the season. Decorating for the Christmas season is beyond exciting and it seems to usher in the spirit of kindness, and couldn’t we use a bit more of that this year and all years for that matter?
So I pulled out my very unorganized boxes of decorations (noting that I would do better with my Christmas decoration storage), wiped off the dust and hung them on the tree and around the house! Then I proceeded to enjoy the season with family and friends!
I know that without fail, I will enjoy the holidays to the fullest, and then in true southern fashion, wishing to prolong the joyous season wait until the last minute to remove the decorations, (because you cannot of course have the tree up twice a year).
While I often desire to create an organized system of Christmas decoration storage ideas to use to make the holiday season in subsequent years easier, I often opt for the quickest way to remove them and just place them in storage boxes. Fast, unemotional, and disorganized. After all, we will look for these decorations a year from now. We will worry about the tangled lights then, right?
WRONG!
While this method is quick, its not necessarily easier, so this year, I am choosing to attack the holiday storage with much more intentional measures. I wanted to create a smart plan for storing my holiday decorations. What I have found is there is a myriad of products that can make storing seasonal items much easier! Here I will share some tips that I plan to use this year.
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When should you put away Christmas decorations?
Some people put away Christmas decorations on 26th December. Others hold on until the first week of January or till the end of February.
The choice of date is unique to your upbringing, beliefs, and desires. Catholics, for instance, do not take down the tree until the 7th day of January or the third Sunday after Christmas. It is believed that the 12 days after Christmas is the period when the three wise men visited Jesus.
If you have a live Christmas tree, it is best to take it down before it dries out. Garden centers and arborists will advise you to take down the tree after 5 weeks. Beyond 5 weeks, the tree becomes a potential fire hazard.
As far as the exact when of putting away your holiday decorations, well, that choice is up to you. There are no hard rules about the duration (other than the 5-week life expectancy of live trees). If you have an artificial tree, you can keep it for as long as you want.
Once you take down the live tree, you could opt to recycle it for wood chipping. You can check with local authorities on the designated collection points for Christmas trees. In some areas, garden centers also take back the old trees.
What is the best way to store Christmas decorations?
While you can store all of your Holiday decorations in bins, the best way to store them is by putting extra thought into the storage process. Here are a few simple Christmas decoration storage ideas.
Maximize your normal storage spaces
Garages and attics are great places for storing Christmas decorations but you should be conscious of a few conditions that can be detrimental to the longterm use of your décor. You will want to ensure that the spaces are cool and dry. Also, watch out for water leaks that could seep into your decorations and cause mold. Humidity could also damage your decorations.
Storage bins
Storage bins come in many different materials, including, cloth, wicker, cardboard and plastic, for our purposes, plastic storage boxes are a better option. They do not pose any fire hazards, protect contents from moisture, can be stacked, and are sturdier.
Color-coding storage bins is a fun holiday storage system. This can be done by placing the decorations for a particular holiday in a certain color bin. For example, you can have blue bins for Christmas and yellow bins for birthdays.
Label the bins to help you keep track of what you store. Labeling also saves you time when looking for particular decorations next year.
Storage racks
Storage racks are one of the most effective storage solutions for your garage. The overhead or stackable racks are great for keeping bulky items such as inflatable outdoor decorations. You can then add storage bins to store your ornaments, wreaths, fairy lights, and garlands. Simply mount your overhead racks to utilize vertical space in your garage and attic.
Vacuum storage bags
Vacuum storage bags are great when used to store your heirloom holiday quilts, tree skirts and tablecloths away from dust, moths, and moisture. These bags are great because they save space while allowing you to store a wide variety of items.
How do you organize and store seasonal items
Having a consistent organization strategy is a huge part of storing your Christmas decorations and all of your holiday décor whether that is for birthdays, Christmas, or the 4th of July. Here I have detailed a simple 5 step process that helps me whenever I am organizing holiday decorations.
Step 1. Make an inventory of what you have.
Making an inventory of the holiday decorations you want to store will help give you an idea of how many bins and storage baskets you will need. It also helps you verify the condition of the items and their relevance.
You may find some seasonal items that do not function or need repair (such as Christmas lights). You will also find rarely-used seasonal items which gives you an awesome opportunity to declutter by either re-purposing, selling, or donating.
Step 2: Arrange the items by holiday (such as Christmas, Thanksgiving).
If you are organizing after a particular holiday then opt to arrange the items by décor type. For instance, for Christmas items, sort them by interior and exterior decor.
If there are items that you use more than once a year, separate them into different bins. You could have bins for storing seasonal candles, balloons, and artificial flowers. Be sure to wrap the items neatly. This makes it easy to unpack them when needed.
Step 3: Get to labeling!
Label every storage bin according to the season and items it contains. Declutter the storage space. Stack the storage bins by frequency of use. Place the bins with regularly-used decorations at the top or on the nearest shelf to the door. The least-used decor items remain at the back.
Step 4: Keep the storage space cohesive
You can do this by purchasing holiday storage bins of the same shape and size. This makes it easy to stack the bins. Keep in mind the size of the storage space (eg attic or garage) and whether you will need racks for placing the bins. Arrange everything neatly. Place any empty storage bins in an accessible area.
Step 5: Note any special care instructions.
This can be as simple as keeping white ornaments away from hot storage areas like the attic. White linen, garlands, and ornaments turn yellow when left in hot rooms. Also, keep embellished ornaments out of the attic. Make sure to note the wear and care instructions on each of your higher priced items to maximize there use.
How do you prepare Christmas ornaments and indoor decoration for storage?
Christmas ornaments should be stored away from light and direct heat. Clear plastic bins are often the first choice but they are not the best. Ornaments left to consistent exposure to light lose their color in clear bins because of the constant light exposure. Instead you should use solid-color storage instead. These do not let in light that disintegrates your ornaments.
Fabric bags are another popular choice for storing Christmas ornaments. Fabric bags are functional and aesthetic. They add to a room’s decor which allows them to be used for multiple purposes. A word of caution, however, fabric storage bags do not do well in humid areas. If your garage or attic has a lot of moisture, then these bags are not the best option.
Store food-based decorations in sealed plastic containers to prevent pests and the growth of bacteria or fungi. Store fabric-based decorations in sealed plastic containers too,
Cover fragile and antique decorations in bubble wrap to reduce breakage. Do not use old newspapers because their ink will rub off. Once you have covered in bubble wrap, store the decorations in bins or boxes.
You can also purchase or make a storage chest. The storage chest is an ornament container that has three trays lined with fabric and padding. It also allows you to move the dividers or partitioners so that the ornaments can fit.
If you have a collection of wrapping paper, try using the closet hanging storage system. This storage system is originally used for storing shoes and scarves. Repurpose this storage system by putting your wrapping paper in different compartments.
Store your holiday silverware in pouches. The pouches prevent tarnish and help keep the silverware shiny. This eliminates the need to polish them when the next season begins.
Lastly, keep all ornaments away from direct sunlight. They will discolor very quickly. Instead, wrap the ornaments with bubble wrap and place them in labeled bins.
How to store and organize outdoor Christmas decorations?
While storing outdoor decorations can be similar to indoor holiday decoration processes, there are a few steps you can take to make the process easier.
- Store your inflatables and large outdoor decorations on overhead racks in the garage. These racks are great for storing bulky items that cannot fit in storage boxes.
- You can also allocate a garage corner for storing bulky decorations that cannot be deflated.
- Wrap your string lights with reels or recycled wrapping paper tubes. This will prevent tangling.
- Storage cases are ideal for homes with limited space. These cases can hold 20-holiday village components such as buildings and landscaping. Place the heavy components at the bottom and the lighter ones on top.
- Store artificial wreaths in plastic wreath cases. These cases can extend the life of your wreaths by keeping them in good condition. The cases can then be stored vertically by hanging on a wall, or stacked.
How do you store a Christmas tree?
It’s often quite difficult to package your Christmas tree into the original delivery box. This is because when you buy the tree, it is in a condensed form to fit into the box, after fluffing for the holidays, it is hard to replace it. Thankfully, as with anything there are brilliant people who have created some amazing storage solutions. I’ve done a bit of research in this topic, because this year, our original box completely gave out, (like there is no coming back from how broken it was. So I’ve curated this list of bags that are ideal for your Christmas decorations. The bags are available in different sizes and shapes to fit any tree, including a 15-foot tree.
Amazon has several Christmas tree storage bags for sale. The bags range from $8 to $200. Some bags come with wheels so that you can roll to your storage area. Others have a steel frame to hold the bag’s shape. And some are still made of water-resistant material such as plastic and polyester.
Walmart also has a range of waterproof and sturdy Christmas tree storage bags. These are quality bags made of polypropylene material. This material helps keep dirt and water from the tree. The bags cost $16.99.
Bed Bath and Beyond also sell storage bags for Christmas trees that are 7.5 feet high. The bag comes with extra storage for lights and Christmas accessories.
If polypropylene is not your style, you could buy a canvas storage bag for your Christmas tree. At $26.95, you can get your Christmas tree canvas bag from Tiny Tim Totes on Amazon. This bag can fit a tree up to 9 feet and does not need any disassembly. It comes with a cinch cord and a sturdy zipper to hold the branches together.
You can also repurpose an old duffel bag or camping bag to store your Christmas tree. If you do not have such a bag, you can buy from Elf Stor on Amazon at $15.95. The Elf Stor bag can fit trees that are 12 feet tall and has strong nylon handles to help you move or carry the storage bag.
Once you choose a bag, the next step is to select your storage location. A popular go-to storage location for the Christmas tree is, you guessed it, the garage! This is because garages, attics, and back houses have the space to store bulky Christmas and seasonal decorations.
Here are some additional tips for storing a Christmas tree:
- Make sure it is covered. You can use any of the bags described above or create a makeshift cover for your Christmas tree. Leaving the tree bare exposes it to dust and dirt. It also adds a new job to your hectic holiday schedule- cleaning the tree.
- Look for storage bags or containers with wheels. They make it easy to move the tree from one location to another without exerting lots of manual labor.
- Keep white artificial trees away from light and moisture. Once exposed to these elements, the tree will turn yellow.
Closing thoughts on Christmas decoration storage
Whew! That was quite a bit I know, and if you have gotten this far, congrats! You are likely 40% closer to actually organizing your holiday decorations. Before I end, I have a few final reminders to sum up the basics of the Christmas decoration storage ideas shared above.
While most of us store our decorations in the attic, basement, or garage, we need to take precautions to protect the decorations. This includes wrapping and storing them in sealed containers. Where possible, avoid storing fabric and food-based decorations in the garage.
In addition, remember the following guidelines for storing Christmas and other seasonal decorations:
- Declutter your space and take inventory of your decorations. Choose what to sort, donate, and to keep.
- Categorize the decorations so that anyone can access decorations without wasting time
- Label all the storage bins for your labels.
- Maintain cohesion by purchasing the same-colored storage bins.
- Keep white ornaments away from hot storage areas like the attic