Tips for Storing Holiday Decorations

Decorating your home for the holidays is a fun activity that many people look forward to; but dread putting everything away once the celebrations are over. Chances are this is not something you look forward to doing because you have old tattered boxes with mountains of packing paper stuffed inside; each piece of wrinkled, torn paper waiting to cocoon small decorative items until next year.

These quick and simple steps below can help take the sting out of packing up your holiday decorations - not to mention making next years' decorating so much more enjoyable! Let's get started:

That's a Wrap: You will never need to spend time untangling your holiday lights again with this quick and easy solution. Wrap your lights around a piece of cardboard and lay them flat atop other stored items. This will protect your lights from damage while also saving space at the same time!

Ship Shape: Cardboard boxes and water don't mix - so don't let a leak ruin your holiday memories! Eliminate this worry by investing in some plastic bins that can be easily stacked, stored and labeled. They are more water-resistant, durable and air tight than cardboard boxes and can also protect your decorations from fabric-loving moths!

Egg-cellent Idea: Although ornaments and knick-knacks come in all shapes and sizes they all have one thing in common - they are fragile! Store them in an old egg carton or cut holes in a large piece of Styrofoam; this will keep them stabilized and cushioned - it's also a quick and easy alternative to wrapping each ornament individually each year!

Put it to Bed: Place your Christmas linens, towels, bathmats, door hangers, napkins, table cloths, etc. into their very own plastic bin, this will come in handy for quick retrieval before a holiday dinner. From the bin you can easily toss everything into the washing machine or Febreeze all of your linens at the same time. If space is an issue you can also use this bin to store your everyday items during the holiday season. Option 2: Wrap your holiday decorations with your linens for extra padding/security during the year.

Scent-sible: Wrap your candles, candle holders, figurines and other large fragile items in bubble wrap, linens or paper towels then place them in a box originally used for glasses or wine bottles. The separate sections will give each item additional protection and will make packing and unpacking a breeze for years to come!

As a final note - keep this years Holiday cards easily accessible inside one of the bins. This will make it easy to prepare your holiday card list next year!

Happy packing!