Christmas is the time of year to bring out your Christmas decorations but what happens after the festive season? If you are anything like us and have enough lights and ornaments to decorate an entire neighbourhood, you may need to consider Christmas storage. To help make your home more organised and keep your decorations in good condition for next Christmas, here are some simple tips for storing Christmas decorations for next year or even longer.
What You Need For Christmas Storage
Over the years you may have picked up a few tips online or from your parents on how to organise properly and Christmas storage is no exception. It’s often a task nobody likes to do but necessary nonetheless. Whether you have a big home or a small flat, here are a few things you may need.
- A range of plastic storage boxes in different colours
- Christmas tree storage bag
- Storage box accessories such as dividers and organiser trays that can help with smaller, fragile items
- Marker pen
- Scissors
- Bubble wrap to protect baubles and other breakables
- Pieces of cardboard
- Pen and paper
- Smart phone or camera
Step-by-Step Christmas Storage Guide
Step 1
Take a photo of your Christmas decorations on the tree, the dining room and around the home so you can more easily replicate it next time.
Step 2
Start taking down your Christmas decorations and decide what you would like to keep for next year. Some may have been damaged or look a little worn but before you throw anything away, see if you can either recycle or re-use them. You could still use the string lights outside in summer or around the fireplace.
Step 3
When it comes to Christmas storage, it’s important to make a detailed list of everything you are keeping. This includes tinsel, baubles, wreaths, novelty decorations, outdoor lights and Christmas cushions among others. This list will show you exactly what you have so you don’t have to buy more of the same next year. A good idea is to tape it to the inner lid of one of your storage boxes or at the door to your storage unit for east access.
Step 4
Organise your Christmas decorations by type and store them in these groups whether it’s based on colour or room. Try to pack all the tree decorations together from the skirt to the star but that doesn’t mean forcing everything into one box. Simply keep it all together and make sure you label them as tree decorations.
If you are not using a Christmas Light Storage Set, wrap the string lights around pieces of cardboard to avoid tangling. A simple DIY Christmas storage solution for protecting baubles and decorations is to wrap them in squares of bubble wrap or used Christmas wrapping paper. This will help keep things safe and is a great way to recycle packaging from gifts.
Use a permanent marker to write the contents of each storage box on the inside of the lid. By doing this, you will be able to find all your Christmas decorations much easier next year.
Step 5
All that you have to do now is pack away the boxes whether in the garage, loft or ideally a self storage unit. Take care at all times if you are using a ladder to access your loft or attic and simply sit back and count down the days to the next Christmas celebrations.
Tips For Storing Christmas Decorations
Few things are as handy as plastic containers or tubs whether they’re from Ikea or elsewhere. They work really well compared to flimsy cardboard boxes as you get stackable ones that won’t take up too much space and they are better for keeping your decorations safe.
You can also get special Christmas storage bags that you can use for just about anything. Another great idea is to use leftover Christmas wrapping paper to wrap all your decorations. For a more DIY approach, use shoeboxes or boxes from gifts you’ve received.
Find some Christmas storage racks to hang wreaths so they are ready for next year. If you don’t have space inside your house, put them on your doorstep so they don’t get damaged by the weather.
Christmas Storage Best Practices
- Where possible, use original boxes especially for baubles and other ornaments
- Label all your boxes on multiple sides with the contents and a location
- Don’t overfill boxes and make sure to pack heavier ones at the bottom
- Shrinkwrap your Christmas tree to save even more space
- Store hooks with ornaments together and wrapped up in the same box
- Instead of buying new tissue paper or bubble wrap, you could use seasonal linen, blankets, Christmas-themed towels or throws
- Roll up multiple ornaments and place a rubber band to the fabric at each one so they don’t hit against each other
- Make a note on the tissue paper and bubble wrap
- Keep garland in water bottles
Recommended: How To Pack Your Storage Unit
Don’t Have Space At Home? Consider Renting A Self Storage Unit
If you don’t have enough room in your home, attic or garage, it may be time to rent a storage locker or self storage unit. These are great if you need extra Christmas storage space and don’t want a big renovation getting in the way of your festivities. If you don’t want to keep your decorations, you can always take them to charity shops, sell them online or simply recycle them.
With that, we’ve come to the end of our Christmas storage guide. If you have any interesting or creative Christmas storage tips, we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to share this article using any of the share buttons provided. Visit the website for more information on our storage facilities in Bristol, Stroud, Gloucester and Stonehouse.