Tips for Organizing and Storing Your Christmas Decorations

The worst part about Christmas decorations is taking them down and organizing and storing them for next year. Many people consider this a hassle and don't look forward to it. Well, there is nothing that you can do to avoid having to organize and store your Christmas decorations, but there are some things that you can do to make it easier on you every year.

Here are some tips for organizing and storing your Christmas decorations to make them hassle free and simple to find.

1. Get rid of any Christmas decorations or Christmas items that you don't use or won't use again in the following years. The less that you have to store and organize the easier it will be. If you do want to keep a Christmas decoration for the future, but you know that you will not use it for several years, then keep it in a separate container and area so that you don't have to bother with it next year.

2. Label all your boxes and containers that you use to store your Christmas decorations. Even if you just use a permanent marker on a cardboard box, it's better than not labeling the Christmas decorations at all. If you don't have a labeler that you can use, you can also try masking tape and write what Christmas decorations are contained in the boxes and containers.

3. Store all your Christmas ornaments for your tree in a clear plastic container. You can find these ornaments storage containers at discount stores and places like Wal-Mart and they are pretty inexpensive. Don't keep the individual boxes that Christmas ornaments may come in as this will take up too much space and will be disorganized.

4. Wrap your breakable and precious Christmas decorations and ornaments in tissue paper. Tissue paper is better than newspaper, because newspaper may leave black ink on some Christmas decorations. Wrapping your Christmas decorations and ornaments will help them to stay safe and in storage and protect them from breaking.

5. If you have Christmas candles or other precious Christmas decorations that can melt or fade, don't store them in an area that has extreme temperatures. Many people store their Christmas decorations in the attic, but in the summer an attic can get extremely hot and can melt wax candles and objects and fade pictures. Instead, keep these Christmas decorations stored in the actual house in an a closet or storage area.

6. When packing your boxes and containers of Christmas decorations make sure that you are packing the heavier and more durable objects on the bottom and the lighter and more fragile ones on top. This may seem like common sense to many people, but it is something that some people may forget to do. Use soft items like stockings, ribbons, and blankets as packing materials between the other Christmas decorations.

7. If you have an artificial Christmas tree, it's a good idea to purchase a Christmas tree storage bag or container. This way your tree is organized and packed safely away in the bag or container. The cardboard box that most Christmas trees come in will soon get too ragged and will start to fall apart the more you use it. A Christmas tree bag or container will last more years than the cardboard box. You can find these at just about any store that sells Christmas decorations and Christmas trees.

8. Don't just throw your Christmas lights into a box or bag when you go to store them. Instead wind them up so they are properly organized and can be easily unrolled the next Christmas and ready to be put up. Discard and lights that don't work or any light bulbs that have burned out.