Soon enough, the holiday will be over and it will be time to put away all of the holiday decor. This can actually be an expensive endeavor if you want to protect your beloved decor from getting broken or ruined by the elements throughout the year. Luckily, there’s quite a few ways that you can store all of your items securely without actually having to spend a small fortune on storage items. These ten tips should give you a great start, so you can enjoy your amazing decor year after year. The best thing is, these tips should also cut down on the amount of space you need to store all of your supplies, which will help keep the home a bit more organized during the off-season.
1. Don’t Toss the Wrapping Paper
One of the most important things you can do during the holidays is save all of the wrapping paper you accumulate. This doesn’t mean you have to make sure the kids don’t rip it to shreds when opening their gifts. Rather, just pick it up and place into a bag or box until it is time to actually take down the holiday decor. Once the time comes, pull out the wrapping paper to use it to wrap up ornaments in order to give them a little extra protection. This can also be used on larger items that go into boxes. When all of the items are wrapped up, then toss extra wrapping paper into the box to add even more cushion to the box. This should help keep everything in good order and will prevent you from wasting all of that paper. Even your wrapping paper rolls can come in handy during this season. You can use these to wrap up garland or lights, so you don’t have to deal with tangles next year.
2. Re-Use Shipping Items
In this day and age, it is almost unavoidable to not have something delivered to your home. These boxes can really come in handy though, so you don’t have to let them go to waste. You can put all sorts of decor items in them to help you pack away your items with ease. These boxes are perfect for items that have worn out boxes and need a more secure place to be stored. If you don’t need a box for something, you can always cut up the cardboard to use as ornament separators in another box. Longer boxes can even be used for all of the wrapping paper you acquired over the season. This should help make stacking your storage items a breeze, so you can keep your holiday decor in a minimal amount of space.
3. Hang Wreaths
Wreaths can be one of the most expensive items when it comes to holiday decor, they are also one of the most delicate. This can be a major problem when it comes to storage. If you simply stuff your wreath in a box, then you may end up with a squished wreath that doesn’t look very good next year. However, if you hang up your wreath then you’re going to have a beautiful wreath to display later on. All you need to do this is a clothes hanger and some plastic. The plastic can be anything from a trash bag or clothing bag from the dry cleaners. Simply hang the wreath over the top of the hanger then place the plastic over the hanger. You can then hang your wreath on a hook in the garage or in a closet. If there are delicate items on the wreath, then you might consider taping them down before putting the wreath away.
4. Wrap the Tree
A lot of people get sick of putting the ornaments on the tree just to take them off again a few days later. If you’re one of these people, then there is a pretty awesome storage hack for you. All you have to do is leave your tree completely intact. When you’re ready to store it then wrap it up in a thick plastic wrap. You can buy this at most home improvement stores for a fair price. Make sure you wrap the tree tight though. Once it is secured, all you have to do is store it how you normally would. Then, when next year rolls around, place the tree in the area you want it displayed and take off the plastic carefully. Everything will be as you left it. This is handy for places with little storage too, as you won’t need lots of boxes for ornaments.
5. Use Recycling
Rather than going out to purchase items to store your decor, you can probably find lots of great options in your home. Recycling is one of the best places to find items to use. For instance, you can use toilet paper and paper towel rolls to put away your garland and lights. This will cut down on the huge pile of lights you have to store and will keep you from dealing with tangles next year. Another great option is to use apple and egg containers to store your ornaments. This will already give them more protection and makes it easier to stack them into a box. Shredded paper can also make these items more secure. Oatmeal containers and other items are also great for oddly shaped decor or shatter proof ornaments. These items are a breeze to stack and will help make storing items a cinch.
6. Fold Up Ribbon
Ribbon is a major part of the holiday fun and it can be pricey too, so don’t let it go to waste. Unfortunately, ribbon that isn’t still on the spool can take up a whole lot of space and it can even become a tangled mess if it’s not stored properly. Instead of creating a mess to sort through next year, there’s a few simple ways to remedy the problem. You should always fold up ribbon when its not on a spool. This will help keep it beautiful and will prevent the tangling issue from happening. Lightly fold the ribbon so you don’t have to deal with creases, then place a piece of tape on the ribbon to prevent it from unwinding. Once you finish this, toss your ribbon into a gift box, gift bag or a shoe box for storage. You never know when your ribbon collection will come in handy.
7. DIY Ornament Box
If you don’t have an ornament box handy and you’re not okay with placing your ornaments in a simple box, then there is a great alternative. You can easily make your own ornament box for next to nothing. There are actually many ways to go about this. One option is to wash all of the plastic cups you used for the holiday meal. Then place a layer in a box. Each cup can hold one ornament securely if the item is breakable. You can place smaller items that aren’t breakable together with ease. When you have your first set in the box then create a whole new layer. You can place the cups into the box until it is full. If you want to add even more protection, add paper into each of the cups. You can also craft your own box using cardboard and other items that you can salvage from your wrapping paper.
8. Wrapping Paper
Wrapping paper can be a real inconvenience to store. If you don’t choose a secure place it often falls in the floor and can easily get damaged. There are many great ways to store wrapping paper though, which will help you save money on storage and the supplies you’ll need for next year. For starters, you can place your wrapping paper in a waste basket to help keep it all in one place. You can also stick other item in with them, so the storage space doesn’t go to waste. Another option is to stick them in a coat bag and hang them up. This is perfect if you already have wreaths hanging up as it will help you stay more organized. Of course, another easy option is to store them the box with your Christmas tree.
9. DIY Tree Bag
One of the best ways to store you Christmas tree is in its original box; however, after years of use and being moved around, your box might not be able to store your tree properly. So, when it is time to call it a day, there are many frugal options to choose from. One of the best ways it to make up your own tree bag. There are many options when it comes to this craft, but one of the easiest is to use tarps to create the bag. You can find tarps for next to nothing, which will help you save even more money. Best of all, the tarps will help protect your tree from the elements and are a breeze to store.
10. Shop Clearance
Of course, if you prefer to use items that are actually marketed for storing your Christmas decor then you still don’t have to spend a fortune on the items. Generally, after the holidays are over, particularly New Year’s, you should be able to get most of these items marked down for clearance. This will help you save on a wide assortment of items too, so you can really customize for your needs and storage space. You may even want to stock up on some of these items to use for other decor too as you never know when they’re going to come in handy.
Putting up your holiday decor can really be a pain, especially if you’re not organized. These ten tips should help you find the supplies you need to store everything securely while allowing you to store it away properly. This should make the process a whole lot easier when it comes to putting up the decor and taking it out again in the upcoming year. Best of all, they won’t put a dent in your tight budget.
