When holiday season Coming to an end, one scary job still looms: remove all those carnival decorations. Kate Pawlowski and Ann Lightfoot, professional organizer and the authors of “Love your home againPlease know that packing and organization The decorations towards the end of the holiday season can be a real drag.
They say: “The best tip we have is to be considerate and mindful of your future self as you pack your decorations at the end of the season. “You think you’ll miss where you put your velvet pumpkins and holiday wreaths, but we guarantee that a year from now, you’ll be rummaging through your storage area with frustration and anger. Get angry if you don’t store your belongings properly. ”
To help you face the task of eliminating all those holiday decoration and other seasonal parts we asked storage and organization experts for the best tips on how to safely pack, store and label everything from holiday lights to heirlooms.
“It’s essential to store your ornaments properly, so you can prevent them from damaging, rusting or fading,” says Ryane Montanez, senior creative and marketing director at mDesign. She recommends this covered storage box with compartments to keep decorations neatly separated and a reinforced exterior to protect decorations from breaking.
“If you’re going to buy a crate,” said Lightfoot and Pawlowski, “we recommend a clear, waterproof crate with a locking lid to ensure your valuables stay safe year after year.”
However, if you already have bins of color, a great system for identification is colored tape, says Lightfoot and Pawlowski. “Use orange for Halloween, red for Christmas, or blue for Hanukkah so you can easily pick specific seasonal decorations from the rest.”
“An easy way to organize your holiday decorations is to use containers that are suitable for individual holidays,” says Montanez. mDesign’s buffalo plaid holiday set also includes a plant bag coordinate and a wreath holder.
“The transparent containers make it easy to see the holiday decorations inside, and these bins can be stacked, helping to save space in a closet or attic,” says Montanez.
“To make things easier for yourself, boxes made specifically for decorations can be helpful,” says Lightfoot and Pawlowski. They love these clear plastic bins because the hinged lid is stackable and allows for easy dismantling.
Bins designed to hold ornaments come in all shapes and sizes, such as this cube that can hold up to 64 ornaments in individual compartments.
The experts we spoke to emphasized finding sturdy and protective storage for fragile items like decorations.
To avoid what Lightfoot and Pawlowski call “a clutter that can’t fit in a box” when storing holiday lights, invest in a light tube and holder. “You can easily wind up all the filaments or extension cords, and then open them up without any difficulty,” they say.
For a stackable lamp storage solution, this lidded box equipped with three spools for wrapping holiday lights is a great choice.
“The most effective way to store holiday lights is to wrap paper towels or cardboard around them so they don’t break or get damaged,” says Montanez. The upholstered light set can be stored in a bin along with other holiday decorations.
Inexpensive coils designed for holiday light storage are a great way to stay on budget. This lamp holder is simple — you just wrap the light cord around it and store it with the rest of your holiday gear.
Storage for artificial plants, wreaths and garlands
This extra-large storage bag can hold an artificial tree, a roll of wrapping paper, a long wreath, and loads of other large, bulky, or oddly shaped festive decorations. It has a handle for easy transport from room to storage space.
If you’re looking to complete a holiday-appropriate storage set, mDesign offers a wreath storage bag, which can also be used to hold a rolled wreath, in buffalo plaid fabric that coordinates with a planter bag and box decorative storage.
Particularly fragile wreaths — including those with fragile glass ornaments — will be safe in this heavy-duty plastic garland container.
How to store delicate items and family heirlooms
All the experts we spoke to emphasized the importance of labeling holiday storage boxes so you can easily identify what’s inside. This is especially important when storing delicate or irreplaceable items, because the label will remind you to take extra care when taking an heirloom out of storage.
Before placing delicate or very precious items like family heirlooms in storage, Montanez says it’s important to use protective packaging. “Bubble wrap, styrofoam, peanuts, stretch wrap, or wrapping paper, can help keep valuables and family heirlooms safe when not in use,” she says.
Who says packaging materials have to be boring?! These plant-based biodegradable packaged peanuts in the shape of a Christmas tree bring some weirdness and fun to your holiday decorating task.
“Our best advice for any delicate item, whether it’s your family’s menorah or your grandma’s crystal candy plate, is to use a variety of packaging materials,” Lightfoot and Pawlowski say. They prefer bubble wrap with smaller bubbles because it fits better into nooks and crannies and provides a more secure fit. They add: “Don’t ignore empty areas in boxes or crates.” “Make sure the item is securely wrapped and then use additional bubble wrap or wrapping paper to ensure that delicate items won’t move.”
When it comes to preserving the menorah or kinara, wrap the piece in protective packaging material first. “It is important to store the menorah and kinara in soft paper first, and then in a resealable bag to protect the items from tarnishing,” says Montanez. “Once in the bag, the menorah and kinara should then be placed in a plastic container for extra protection.”
Honeycomb wrapping paper can be used to wrap delicate items, including glass or porcelain ceremonial items, before they are moved into the storage bin for an extra layer of strong protection.
Fine or delicate textiles such as holiday tablecloths or handmade ornaments should be wrapped in acid-free storage tissue before placing in the storage bin, to help protect them from yellowing and prevent decay. sick.
When it comes to storing large outdoor holiday decorations like inflatables or cartoons, Lightfoot and Pawlowski say, “We recommend making sure they’re cleaned if you’re bringing them in from outside. in, deflate any inflatable decorations and store them in a large bin, or wrap them in transparent contractor bags to keep them clean until next year.”
When it comes to storing large outdoor holiday decorations, Bancroft says, “Things can get complicated, purely because these things are usually light but large! We recommend using the system. overhead storage to get these bulky items out of the way and in a safe and secure place.”
Many bags designed to hold artificial plants can also double duty as protective storage options for inflatables.
Tips and tricks for storing holiday decorations
The experts we spoke to also offered some general tips and tricks, as well as what to avoid when dismantling, packing, and storing holiday decorations.
- There is a central storage area: “One mistake people often make is storing things in separate places in their home instead of in one space,” says Bancroft. “Having dedicated areas in your garage dedicated to holiday gear will make it easier to find your favorite decorations, lights, and other decorations.”
- Create area: “We often see people storing holiday decorations by type, not by room,” says Montanez. She suggests organizing holiday supplies by region. “With zones, you can arrange the same items — like lamps with decorations and baking ingredients with dishes, etc.,” she says.
- Think vertically: “People often think of floor or wall storage, but don’t realize how much vertical space they have, which can be maximized by adding overhead storage in the home,” says Bancroft. park their car.”
- Don’t forget the label: “People also tend to forget to label their bins and rely on one type or size of storage bin, making it harder to figure out what’s in each box,” says Montanez.
- Upgrade your label system: Lightfoot and Pawlowski say: “We recommend detailing with a numbering system. “For example, instead of just writing ‘Autumn’, take the time to write ‘Autumn Velvet Pumpkin 1/10’ so you not only know exactly what’s in the crate, but also how many more crates you have to take. out of stock.
- Create a new tradition: “If possible,” said Lightfoot and Pawlowski, “try to make it as traditional as possible to put the decorations away like it is to be pulled out. Of course, that’s not as exciting because the holiday season is over and you’ve been watching Elf on the Shelf for years, but taking the time to carefully pack and label everything for next year will only make any holiday fun. Vacation becomes easier and happier in the future.”
