5 tips for storing Christmas decorations

The holidays help many of us rediscover the child within; we overflow with enthusiasm at the thought of putting up the Christmas decorations, and some of us just can’t wait to go out and choose a tree. We’re also quickly disheartened when we can’t even find the decorations we chucked quickly down in the basement last January. Even worse is when you discover your favorite ornaments broken or falling apart. Of course, putting away decorations can be a real chore; you’re fed up with looking at them and want to get this thankless task out of the way as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, a good storage system will save you time and money the next time around.

Here are some tips that you should consider after the holidays when all those decorations need to be put away.

1. Sort. Throw out anything that is too damaged to be used again.

2. Classify. Sort and store decorations by categories or by location to help you find them again. You might want to put up the outdoor lights well before you’re ready to decorate the tree.

3. Pack. Wrap fragile items in egg cartons, bubble wrap, newspaper, or old wrapping paper. Strings of lights should be packed in bags or wrapped around a piece of cardboard. This takes longer than throwing a heap of them into a box, but it will save you from having to unravel a tangled pile next winter.

4. Label. Mark what is in each box so you can find everything quickly next year.

5. Catalogue. Number the boxes in the order in which you mean to get them out next year, and store them in such a way as to have access to the first ones. Keep outdoor lights and wreaths in the early boxes, and gift wrap, special occasion dishes, and tree decorations in the later ones.

The most important tip of all? Ask for help! If everyone pitches in, the job will go much faster and much more efficiently—and everyone will benefit next year.

Organizing the storage of your holiday decorations will save you money and time next year.