How to safely store your Christmas decorations

Now we’re in January and 12^th night is fast approaching, it’s time to start taking down on all your festive Christmas decorations and put them away for another year. If you’re keen to keep your decorations in tip top condition, here are 10 top tips for safely storing your Christmas decorations.

1. Wrap Christmas tree decorations

Christmas tree decorations are often made of glass and there’s nothing worse than unpacking them and finding your favourite baubles have smashed and broken during the year. It might seem a bit time consuming, but it’s well worth wrapping individual decorations in tissue paper, bubble wrap or kitchen roll, to help prevent  unwanted damage.

2. Store delicate decorations in boxes

Delicate decorations are best stored in sturdy boxes. Once you’ve wrapped up individual items, store them in lidded boxes, such as plastic crates or pretty cardboard boxes.  The range of boxes by The Really Useful company are great, as there are different sections and trays that can be added to larger crates. Plus, the lids are securely shut and the boxes can be stacked together

We’re also rather fond of a large hat box for storing favourite decorations. It serves as a useful and distinctive option too, so you’ll always know which box you’re looking for when you go hunting for decorations in the loft or at the back of a cupboard. The hinged boxes available from Paperchase are perfect for small and special items.

3. Pack must-use decorations together

It’s always nice to ring the chances with festive home decorations, but if you’ve got some items that you have to use year after year, pack them in the same box and leave it easily accessible. That way if you only want your favourite items out, or you want to put them up earlier than other decorations, you’ll know where to find them.

4. Keep the original packaging

Where possible, it can be useful to keep the original packaging that your decorations or artificial Christmas tree came in, so that you can reuse it for storage purposes. For example, some bauble boxes have indentations in the packaging so you can carefully store each bauble and ensure they’re not knocked together.

Likewise, snowy artificial minimal style Christmas trees can have their branches gently folded back down, so they can be stored back in the boxes they came in.

5. Use a dedicated Christmas decoration box

If you’re still looking for the perfect box to store your Christmas decorations in, why not invest in a Christmas decoration box? These boxes come with dedicated dividers, so you easily store baubles and other items safely.

6. Keep tree lights tidy and untangled

One of the worst jobs when decorating at Christmas is sorting out the tree lights – especially if you dumped them in a bag last year and they’re ridiculously knotted up and untidy. To prevent a tree light untangling nightmare, try winding your lights on a makeshift reel. For example, wind them around a piece of cardboard, a wire reel, an empty hot chocolate tub or coffee jar.  Anything that will keep them from becoming a jumbled mess!

7. Invest in a Christmas tree storage bag

If you’ve not kept the box that your artificial Christmas tree came in, look for a large Christmas tree storage bag. Rather like an oversized body bag, the bag will contain your tree and enable you to zip it up fully to keep it clean. Christmas tree storage bags are available for various sized trees. They’re relatively inexpensive, so definitely worth investing in.  Sometimes it can be tricky fitting the tree in the bag, so if it seems bulky, try tying an old belt, string or ribbon around the branches to help them compact.

8. Get creative with wreath storage

Got a gorgeous artificial wreath that you want to use again next year? To keep it in shape and save it from getting squashed or damaged, try hanging it on a hanger and popping a dry cleaning bag or suit cover over it. If you’ve got space in a spare wardrobe, hang it up there, or you could pop the hanger in a cupboard, in your garage or hang it up in your loft.

Alternatively, for a very large artificial wreath, consider investing in a specially designed round wreath bag.

9. Use jumbo storage bags for non-fragile items

Jumbo storage bags, such as the ones available from Dotcomgiftshop , are ideal for storing all your non-fragile items in. For example, tinsel, garlands, hanging stars or paperchains. They’re available in a great range of designs, including a cheery Christmas print.  As they zip up completely, you can be sure your decorations won’t get dusty when they’re not in use.

10. Don’t keep everything forever!

Finally, as tempting as it is to keep all your decorations forever, sometimes it’s time to say goodbye to old or forgotten decorations. So use your packing up time to reflect on what you do and don’t need to keep.

Pin it:

0