How To Store Your Christmas Decorations
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December 27th, 2023
Nothing makes it feel more like the holidays than Christmas decorations! But that joy comes with a cost, as anyone who has ever done their own Christmas decorating knows. Once the holiday season ends, you have countless garlands, wreaths, ornaments, lawn décor, and a Christmas tree to pack away for another year.
So what’s the solution? If you’re looking for Christmas decoration storage ideas, you can count on FreeUp Storage for some helpful tips. Read on to learn how we tackle Christmas decoration organization and storage head-on!
Keep Track of All Your Christmas Decorations
The first rule of Christmas decoration storage is to keep track of everything. The more you understand what you have, the better prepared you are to take care of your decorations.
Treat decorating for the holidays like a moving day and take an inventory of everything you have, from the tiniest snowman statue to the over-the-door you’ve passed down for generations in your family. Having an inventory of your Christmas decorations will also give you a better idea of what your storage needs are for after the holidays.
Store Similar Christmas Decorations Together
If you’re looking for an ornament, you probably won’t search in the box labeled “Christmas lights,” right? It may seem silly, but when you’re scrambling to get your Christmas decorations put away before Valentine’s Day hits because you’ve been procrastinating, it’s tempting to stuff anything wherever it fits. Save yourself from the frustration next year and store similar Christmas ornaments and other décor in the same containers.
Make Tissue Paper Your Best Friend for Ornament Storage
Things can get bumped and jostled while they’re in storage, and that’s why tissue paper, Bubble Wrap, or newspaper will be your best friend for ornament storage. You don’t have to wrap your ornaments in layers and layers of protection necessarily, but one or two wrappings can help give you some peace of mind. Additionally, you can gently ball up or scrunch tissue paper to act as space fillers to keep everything gently in place while your Christmas decorations are in storage.
Don’t Overstuff Boxes
Speaking of keeping everything gently in place, a key part of that balance is not overstuffing your Christmas decoration storage boxes. The more you try to cram into your storage boxes, the more pressure and strain you put on storing Christmas decorations. It’s better to get more boxes than to try to save money and possibly break your cherished decorations.
You also need to be strategic about how you pack your storage box. Unless you’re moving before the next Christmas, for example, your wreath storage can be on a heavy-duty hook or stored on shelves. This will save you plenty of space in your boxes for smaller items like ornaments, ribbons, and other Christmas materials.
Properly Label Your Christmas Decoration Storage
Packing and unpacking your Christmas decorations shouldn’t feel like a scavenger hunt. Even if it’s as simple as “Christmas lights” or “vacation souvenir ornaments,” labeling your Christmas décor boxes will help you stay on top of what’s where when the next holiday season arrives.
Tips for Storing Your Artificial Christmas Tree
Thank your Christmas tree for its hard work by caring for it during the offseason. Before you tuck it away, take it apart as much as you can and let the tree dry out overnight. It may be an artificial tree, but it can still absorb moisture from being indoors for a few weeks. If it still has moisture in storage, it may smell mildewy next year.
Once your tree has had a chance to dry out, seal it in its original carrier or purchase a good-quality zippered bag. Don’t use a plastic bag or leave it in the open air. A zippered bag protects it from further moisture, pests interested in nesting in it, or damage to the tree. Make sure your Christmas tree storage is in a cool, dry place as well. Artificial Christmas trees are sensitive to heat and humidity and could be damaged in your attic or basement.
How To Prep Christmas Lights for Storage
Christmas lights are notoriously one of the least enjoyable decorations to store. How many of us have dealt with knotted, tangled lights that were just fine when we packed them away last year?
The best thing you can do for Christmas light storage is use twist or cable ties to keep them from getting loose. Using your forearm or fist, carefully create loose loops with your Christmas lights, then secure them with the ties to maintain those loops. This helps prevent the issue of knots and tangles.
Find Your Christmas Decoration Storage With FreeUp Storage
Out of all the Christmas decoration storage tips we could give you, the best is using self storage. Wreaths, garlands, and Christmas trees can take up needed space in your house or apartment.
When you have a self storage unit, however, you can create the holiday storage space you need without overfilling your attic, basement, or garage. If you’re ready for more elbow room for your holiday decoration storage, free up your living space with FreeUp Storage! You can explore our available units online or contact us to snag yours today.