5 Easy Tips For Christmas Decoration Storage

Every year when I store away my Christmas decorations, I vow to purge and clear out some of my formerly loved holiday festive items before the next holiday season.

This idea also applies to other holiday items I have in storage, but for this post, we will focus on Christmas decorations only.

Every year I get too busy and rushed after the holidays and just want to put everything away quickly.  I tell myself I will tackle the Christmas storage problem next year and start overloading every storage box with whatever will fit in it.  This leaves me with the expected problem the next holiday season I have to pull out every single box again and figure out what exactly I even own in Christmas decorations. 

I know I’m not alone in this. 

Every year I am determined to do better.  I haven’t mastered it yet, but do make progress year after year.  It is a slow process but I learn from my mistakes along the way. 

Below is a list of 5 things I try to do before storing away my Christmas decorations every year.

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A few years ago I was chatting with a friend over coffee and she was telling this hilarious story of how she decided last Christmas to throw out her old artificial tree because she planned to buy a new one on the clearance sales after the holidays.  

The thing is, she never got around to doing the actual shopping for a new artificial Christmas tree. 

So when she and her family planned to put up her tree – she couldn’t find it.

Her four boys were begging for her to put up the tree and a thorough search of the house and attic by her husband produced nothing but frustration and wonder of where in the world was their Christmas tree.  

Finally, my friend remembered her plans to replace the old tree and had to admit to her family that she had thrown out their worn tree the previous year.

Needless to say, she had to go shopping for a new one immediately.  Artificial trees are not cheap at the beginning of the season!

 

 

 

As comical as this story is, it happens all the time to all of us.

Including my sister who threw away the bows on her wreaths and never bought new ones as she planned either.

This got me thinking of a couple of things I should do each year before storing away my own Christmas and holiday decorations so that I’m not caught off guard by misplaced items or unorganized storage boxes.

Or worse, you pack up things in a hurry and are left with old items you didn’t intend to keep anymore.

Just to have to deal with them again the following year!  Let’s put a stop to some of our unorganized habits and try these tips below.  Me included. 

 

 

5 Easy Tips for Christmas Decoration Storage

 1. Repair or throw out.

Each year I have several items and ornaments that I need to repair to be able to use them again.  And each year, I can admit that I never get around to repairing anything right before Christmas and the decorations stay in the box for another year.  

I may or may not also have unfinished Christmas tree ornaments and craft projects that never get completed and just sit in the craft room or get lost in the bottom of the Christmas storage totes and overlooked year after year. 

But I digress.  Let’s focus on Christmas decoration storage ideas only for today.

 

 

The best idea is to try to tackle the tedious and small tasks of repairing items like ornaments that need new strings attached or strands of lights that just need a new bulb before you put them in the storage boxes for another year.  

For anything that is beyond repair – like the stuffed bears that my dog chewed off the ears and part of the face – well those needed to just be thrown away.  No need to store items that can’t be repaired or reused. 

I know this is hard for sentimental items or gifts from loved ones that you may not really like but feel guilty for not using them each year for your holiday decorating.  For those types of items, I have a specific plastic storage tote to keep random Christmas ornaments and decorations in just in case a member of my family may want them later for their own house.  Over time I purge those as well if no one else wants them.    

 

 

Donate, don’t throw away!

2. Donate things that you no longer like or use.

This can be a tough one but we all buy trendy decorations that are beautiful for a few years but then trends change, or our style does, or we buy a new home that needs a new Christmas look.  We never put them up again because the color is all wrong or the theme is just so tired and overdone.

I find the best thing to do with these types of items is to just donate them to a thrift store so they can because someone else’s new project or trend.  

Not only can you get a tax deduction but others benefit from your donations as well if the thrift store is part of a non-profit group.

This part can be hard to be motivated to do when you just want to take it down quickly and pack it all away. 

No judging here if you do that.  

If that is you, then make it a goal for next year when you are unpacking the decorations to start a donation box at the same time.  

This way you still come out ahead of the game at the end of the current season. 

 

 

 

3. Take inventory of what you need for next year.

Did you decide to throw away the bows for your wreaths this year and need new ones?  Have you been thinking of getting new lights or decorations for next year?  Do you need a new artificial tree or a new tree stand for next year’s live tree?

My list this year includes a new tree topper, a new and bigger artificial Christmas tree, a new larger ornament storage box, storage container options for my artificial wreaths, new storage containers for my Christmas village houses in their original boxes, and other fragile holiday items. 

The best time to buy these items is after Christmas on clearance and then store them away with your other festive decorations this year. They are available next year with no extra frustrations.

But if you didn’t do that – try this next tip instead. 

 

Make a list and check it twice.

 

4. Make a list for next season.

Open up your calendar to next November and write your list directly on your planner page or calendar.  That way you know what you need to buy and replace before you start unpacking for the new holiday season.    You will know exactly what you need to buy for the new Christmas season.

 

 

 

5. Finally, make sure you have enough storage containers and labels.

Clear storage containers for holiday decorations are the best option in my experience. 

It can be so frustrating to haul out several storage boxes up the stairs from the basement storage area just to find that you have the Easter or Fourth of July decorations instead.   This happens when I get too busy trying to put everything away and grab any available cardboard boxes to put it in and fail to label the box. 

Been there and done that too many times.  I also forget half of my fall decorations because they are mixed in with Christmas somehow each year and cause all kinds of frustration for my husband who is so kindly bringing the boxes up the stairs when I tell him it is the wrong box.

Several years ago I started purchasing plastic storage bins in red or green containers because those are the classic colors for Christmas.  Blues ones are for the Summer decorations, and orange for Fall.  If you don’t have clear boxes, color-coded ones are the next best thing. 

Buying plastic containers in a variety of sizes is also a good tip.  You never want to overload a box such as an ornament storage container filled with fragile items just to open it up next year to a broken mess. 

 

 

 

And don’t forget to label everything!

Labels on every box can be a sanity saver.  Even if your labels are made with a strip of painter’s tape and a Sharpie marker, you will never regret taking the time to label everything. 

It will make pulling the decorations out next year so much easier. 

I challenge you to find a great system that works for you and that keeps everything organized for next year.  Decorating for the Christmas holiday is so much less stressful when your beautiful decorations are intact and with easy access to the right storage box the first time.

Hugs,

“Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure.”  Philippians 2:14-15