Cleaning up after Christmas can be incredibly stressful. Working out where everything goes after a busy month is exhausting, but it is important to stay on track to prevent damaging your decor for next year.
Tangled lights, and lost, or sadly broken, ornaments are not synonymous with feelings of holiday cheer. Humbugs will not do at Christmastime, so it's high time we started politely copying inherently organized others and applying their proudest Christmas storage secrets in our own homes.
Here, professional home organizers and interior designers have spilled the secrets of people who store Christmas decorations properly so we can learn from the best.
How to store Christmas decorations
Staying on top of holiday storage and organizing Christmas decorations go hand in hand. But there are some specific approaches you can take to keep ornaments, wreaths, and the like, in pristine condition for years.
Here is what people who store Christmas decorations properly always do:
1. They use decoration-specific storage
Christmas decor often comes in unique shapes and materials that require delicate care to maintain. From bulky, easily-squashable wreaths and garlands, to glass ornaments and glitter-covered baubles.
To keep everything together and ensure they last for Christmases to come, pro organizers will invest in specific Christmas decor storage essentials to house prized decorations says Amélie Saint-Jacques, professional home organizer and Konmari consultant, owner of Amélie organizes.
She shares, 'My best organizing tip for storing Christmas ornaments is to use a box with dividers [availible at Walmart], which allows the ornaments to be visible and easily accessible while still being protected from breakage. I also recommend storing the smallest ornaments at the bottom of the box, since those are typically the last ones you will be putting in your tree.
'For something particularly fragile, you can create a nest of tissue paper [also at Walmart] in a compartment for extra protection, but avoid wrapping the ornament itself in tissue paper because then you risk accidentally throwing it away without realizing there was something in the paper (if necessary, wrap the ornament in colored tissue paper and use white tissue paper for padding).
'If you have a wreath, use a hard storage case the right size to protect it. Make sure you also take apart the pieces of your artificial tree before storing it in a bag, which will keep it looking good for next year by protecting it from dust and critters. Plus, it’s much handier to carry and store than a cardboard box that is falling apart.'
All prices correct at time of publication.
Opting for clear bins, like these recommended by Amélie, means you can see exactly which ornaments you are taking out of storage to make decorating quick and easy.
Opting for hard shell storage containers will stop your artificial wreaths from getting crushed in storage so they look just as fresh the next year.
With built in wheels, this tree storage bag is perfect for moving your tree in and out of storage without the risk of hurting your back.
2. They keep collections small
Storage must be sustainable, and keeping a capsule collection of Christmas decorations will make storing Christmas decorations less complicated.
Making your own decorations or opting for Christmas foliage ideas that can be respectfully returned to nature is good practice, even if you only do this for some of your collection.
Ashley La Fond, founder of professional organizing service, Of Space + Mind reminds us to resist the urge to overbuy at Christmas. Ashley says, 'Do not buy more than you can store, especially if your collection is already at capacity and proving difficult to organize. We all love creating holiday magic, but if your storage is bulging with decorations, practice a one-in-one-out method for new pieces to keep your collection manageable.’
Similarly, Cynthia Kienzle, The Clutter Whisperer of NYC recommends a declutter your decor before you start. 'At the beginning of each holiday season, evaluate your decorations and determine if any can be purged/donated/passed on.'
3. They group by room and type
For the decorations you do buy, grouping ornaments and the like by color scheme, shape, and collection will make sense for some.
However, if you dress different areas of your home with festive pieces from the same collection, or treat each space completely uniquely, it might be more accommodating to group Christmas decorations by zone and by their specific function in your personal decor scheme.
La Fond says: 'Store decor based on how you use them, rather than by type. So if you decorate your front porch with specific lights and decor, then keep those together. The same goes for trees – rather than storing all ornaments together, separate them by how and where they are used to make decorating faster and easier.'
If you keep different decorations for Christmas or Hanukkah, make sure it's clear. ‘Separate and store decorations by holiday so you can pull out only what you need rather than digging through bins,’ recommends La Fond.
4. They label everything, and create lists
Grouping, however, will hold less value without an efficient labeling system in place. Interior designer, Kishani Perera says, 'People who are far more organized than I am always label, label, label!
'Every box and container having a detailed and itemized list of all its contents saves hours in the future when trying to dig up your holiday gear. If your items are stored in various places, as may be necessary in a small space, one master list detailing the whereabouts of your various items would be of enormous aid.'
Use all manner of labeling and listing to give yourself clarity when it comes to decorating again next year. For added gusto, La Fond recommends storage that you can see into, without disruption. ‘Use clear bins with labels so you can see what you have and find what you want,' she recommends. Simple adhesive labels, at Amazon, will do the job just fine.
Labelling isn't just for Christmas. Investing in a handheld label making machine will upgrade all of your home storage with just a few button clicks.
5. They retain original boxes where it makes sense
You don't always have to buy organizers to keep your decorations safe. If you need to organize without spending any money, Kienzle recommends keeping the original packaging of your Christmas decorations for easier and more efficient storage.
Punteha van Terheyden, head of Solved at H&G says, 'I have a set of hand-painted Christmas baubles which are very sentimental to me. The boxes they were shipped in are perfect for continued storage and are packed with shredded tissue paper. They've lasted six Christmases so far and still going strong, and have kept my collection of eight precious baubles safe.'
This, of course, only applies to those items that came in a box to begin with. It will also depend on the quality and material of the boxes, as well as where you will be keeping them. Kienzle says, 'Storage containers are varied. It is a lot less expensive than buying storage containers, and should hold up as you will only use them once a year.'
If the original boxes have lost their vigor over time, it can be worth investing in some simple clear plastic containers, such as plastic shoe boxes from The Container Store, that will adequately protect items from wear, tear, dust, and dampness.
6. They keep lights wrapped up
Christmas lighting ideas are by far some of the most irritating pieces to store and decorate with. They always get tangled in the box, despite being perfectly fine when we put them away.
Creator of PURE Design, Ami McKay suggests: ‘Try not to tangle your lights! Wrap them around a piece of cardboard stacked in bins or you can use storage reels in cases, available at The Container Store.’
Kienzle recommends separating these into individual bags, too. 'Each string of lights should be stored separately in a gallon-size Ziploc bag [which are great for many uses around the home]. Wrap each string around a piece of cardboard to keep it from tangling before putting it in a bag.'
7. They consider humidity in storage spots
One of the most important things people who are good at storing Christmas decorations always do is pay attention to humidity levels and improve ventilation in their homes to keep decor safe from damage.
Kim Corey, professional home organizer and founder of Finely Sorted Organizing says, 'Many out-of-the-way places one would store holiday items may not be up to snuff as far as moisture level goes. Using moisture-absorbing pouches, available at Amazon, with airtight bins can help preserve your favorite homemade and store-bought holiday decor.'
Kim also reminds us that we should be using plastic bins and never cardboard for long-term storage, especially in attics and basements. She wants, 'There may be pests lurking that are looking for new bedding material. Unsecured cardboard boxes look like a jackpot to them. Using a sturdy plastic airtight bin will avoid this damage. You want it to be good and sturdy as cheaper bins can buckle under the weight of stacking and cause damage to the contents you want to preserve.
'Finally, ensure the area you store your decorations is easy to access and, most importantly, is clean. A clean simple spot will make decorating easier and safer year on year, especially in multi-generational households.'
8. They leave room to grow
One of the joys of Christmastime, and of any holiday in fact, is creating new memories. This might be from a newly gifted ornament to self, or from another. Consider catering your storage to a slightly larger collection, allowing yours to change naturally through the years.
La Fond says to ‘leave yourself room for growth as you expand your collection.'
Kienzle recommends decluttering at the start of the holiday season, and it can be wise to do this when you are undecorating and wrapping up the holidays. 'Edit at the end of each season – if you haven’t used a piece for multiple years, or if you’ve purchased a replacement then let go of the old piece,' says La Fond.
The key is to store Christmas decorations in such a way that it will facilitate decking the halls next year, rather than make it feel like a hindrance. Protecting precious ornaments will make unwrapping your favorite decorations a wonderful experience while making your post-Christmas cleaning less overwhelming.
