Once Christmas is done and dusted and the New Year has been ushered in, you’ll need to take down all the Christmas decorations and return your home to normal. It can be tempting to rush through the process of packing away for another year; scrunching up the lights, grabbing tinsel from the tree and tossing those baubles into a bag.
Not only can this approach cause fragile items to break, it makes it more difficult to unpack and put up when the Yuletide celebrations comes around again. A little careful storage planning and a bit of thought can be useful at this time.
How to Store Christmas Decorations
Pick the Right Moment
You want to give yourself plenty of time to take down all those trimmings and put them into storage – that means you shouldn’t be attempting it the night before you go back to work or when you’re in a rush. Set aside a period of an hour or two after New Year and get the whole family involved to make things easier.
Invest in Storage Boxes
Odd cardboard boxes can get damaged so it’s always best to store your Christmas decorations in proper containers and keep them together. You can pick up large plastic storage boxes at your local supermarket or homeware store. If you want to spend a little more money, you can get Christmas design boxes from online stores such as A Place For Everything.
Be Systematic
It’s important to be systematic and it certainly helps to store like for like. Start with the Christmas tree. Carefully take down all the baubles and either wrap them in newspaper or put them in partitioned boxes. Next you can unfurl the tinsel and the lights. Lastly, you can put away the ornaments on your mantlepiece and other parts of the home.
Tips on Safe Storage for Lights
One problem that many people face is how to pack those lights safely and securely. One great option is to use a strip of corrugated cardboard and wrap the lights around this. It not only keeps them from getting tangled, it also makes it less likely they’ll get damages and are far easier to store. Another good option is to use a wire coat hanger or if you’ve got an old tin foil cardboard tube you can try that.
How to Pack away an Artificial Tree
The tree is another issue when packing away the festive decorations; it never seems to go back in the box in the same way it came out. One option handy tip is to use clingfilm and wrap it around the tree to compact the branches first, before packing securely in its box.
Separating the Baubles
Baubles are fragile so you have to be careful how you pack them. If you don’t have the container they originally came in you can either wrap them up in old paper or simply pop them into a clean, dry egg box. Again, if you want to spend a little extra money, you can buy a variety of Christmas ornament boxes and containers online including this neat storage box from Wayfair.
Where to Store Your Decorations
Ideally, you want somewhere that is safe and out of the way. The traditional storage place is the loft but you need to be careful to use sealed storage containers to protect against damp. Other ideal places are under the stairs or even under the bed. It’s always better to keep everything in one place and the less containers you can fit everything in the better, particularly if you’re short of storage space.
