How to Organize Your Holiday Decorations

Holiday decorations are special and hold lots of memories. Many of them are keepsakes from family members or friends and have sentimental value. That is why you want to make sure they are packed away and stored safely for the next season. Taking the time to pack them up properly will ensure your keepsakes stay organized and in good order. Having a place for each item will make it easier to unpack them next season.

Declutter and find what is working

Before you can begin to organize you need to identify what you have and determine what is still working. Any ornaments which are broken should be thrown away. If they need a new string or hook, place them in a separate pile so you can replace the part. Martha Stewart recommends that you test all lights and determine which ones work and need to be repaired. If you have the fuses, keep them together in a kit along with extra bulbs. Replace any dead bulbs and recycle the strands that do not work. According to Wheels For Wishes, burned out light strands are a highly recyclable commodity as they are made mostly from plastic and copper and sometimes even glass. Determine what decorations you actually use. Goodwill states that, “a good rule of thumb is to donate anything that you haven’t used for two seasons. Keep only what you and your family use and love!”

Categorize your decorations

Organize and group the decorations in a way that makes sense for you. One example is to categorize by color – all greens go in one bin and red in another. Or you may prefer to group by location or room – all outdoor decorations in one container and living room in another. Alternatively, it may make most sense to have them organized by their type so you have all light strands or garlands together since they may be hung first. The key is to find a method of organization that works for you and stick to it! Have a place for everything and make sure each item gets put back properly and stored safely for the off-season.

Decoration storage

Now that you have all the decorations organized into groups, what are some of the best way to store them? Since they are accessed infrequently, most times they are stored on a top shelf in a closet or storage chest. If you have enough space to have a series of drawers for decorations storage, built-in dividers are great for storing ornaments, bows, ribbon, etc. Each ornament should be wrapped in tissue paper, bubble wrap or placed back in the original boxes if possible. For wreaths, Better Homes and Garden’s suggests that they be stored in hat boxes or hung in the back of a closet on a hanger using twist ties. You could also cover in them in plastic, as the dry cleaner would, for protection. Lights can be stored in several ways but the key is to wrap them in a way to keep them tangle-free. You can use your arm or a piece of cardboard to wrap them uniformly before being secured with ties and then stored in totes or even in separate plastic bags.

We hope these tips help make your holiday a little more organized and less stressful. Should you need a little help from the professionals, reach out to us for a free design consultation. Our experienced Designers can help you get organized and create a custom solution specifically designed for your needs.