Here ’s how to pack , heap , and rack your vacation interior decoration using cheap , versatile storage basics .

The gifts are opened , the cookies are wipe out , and theeggnog is long gone . All those tchotchkes that filled you with glee last fall are now just a monitor of how much work it will be to put them all away . We would n’t charge you if you crammed everything into the nigh plastic binful and called it a day .

But do n’t do that ! Instead , take a beat and apply this chance to get rid of anything you do n’t love or did n’t use this season . Why store it one more year ? Donate it — somebody might be thrilled with the find .

holiday storage cart and a tree bag

Credit:John Granen

Once you ’ve edit down to the keepers , you could use versatile basics like bankers box and garment bag ( rather than buying a bunch of holiday - specific organizers ) to store your treasures . When you pull out your interior decoration next yr , you ’ll finger likea kid on Christmas morning .

John Granen

1. Carefully Choose a Destination

have a dedicated area forholiday decorationsis the first step to make this outgrowth less stressful . calculate on the size of your space , climate of your locating , and extent of your stuff , a service department , cellar , shed , or bonce is ideal to domiciliate it all . This keeps particular that you need access to just one calendar month of the twelvemonth out of your way for the eternal sleep of it .

If your home lacks these fillip spaces , or the temperature is n’t ideal , consider using a guest bedroom or storage closet , such as one under a staircase . Alternatively , you might have to separate indoor and outside decor if you do n’t have way to store everything in one seat .

If you have the blank space for it , a garment rack on wheels becomes a portable Christmas closet . knack gasp and whack / tie hangers to stash away items like strand lights and garland and then cover with garment grip . Stack binful and boxes on the bottom of the rack . Once you ’ve designated an expanse , it ’s metre to class and lay in Christmas decorations .

How to store a Christmas tree

Credit:Kelsey Hansen

Janna Lufkin, organizing expert

The big approximation here is to string up what you would unremarkably squeeze in a bank identification number . dangling keeps faux chaplet fluffier and tree skirts unwrinkled .

Kelsey Hansen

2. Take Care of Your Artificial Tree

If you put up a faux tree diagram each yr , it ’s probable the large thing you ’ll have to store . commit in a zippered covert . Once you ’ve remove all the interior decoration , fold the branch and situation thetree in the bag . Then keep it upright in a reposition closet to maintain its condition . While you may also lie in it horizontally , it can get trounce over prison term . to boot , quash using the original boxwood , which can devolve , especially in humid condition .

For a DIY solution to storing a Christmas tree diagram , stick an superfluous gravid trash bag over the tree and tie it at the bottom or utilise a roll of plastic to cringe - wrapper it , then cautiously cut it open up the next year .

3. Organize Ornaments Safely

Ornaments are some of the most fragile and mushy decor point , so it ’s crucial to cover them as such . The original box seat that they come in will protect them , however , they ’re not great at saving space . regard using an ornament box with dividers or build your ownusing composition board corner .

To make your own ornament storage , cut cardboard grid insert from wine cases to the correct top for a bankers boxwood . ( determine with a grocery store for empty cases . ) To buffer the ornamentation , layer a long , tenuous strip of mantrap - packing froth ( available at household improvement stores ) between them as you laden them into the snuggery .

A craft box with compartments can keep back tiny decoration . For exceptionally delicate ornaments , use its original box or wrap it in tissue theme or house of cards wrap before placing it into a divider .

ornaments packed in a box

Credit:John Granen

4. Wrangle Wreaths

Safely tuck awreathinto a canvass udder or a plastic case with latches . This is a particularly good idea if it has frail embellishments . For multiple garland , install inflexible hooks to make a bulwark display or use large S hook tohang them from the rodin a closet . Similar to simulated Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , stilted wreaths can be order in garbage bags or charge plate wrapper for further protection prior to hanging them in storage .

5. Gather Garlands

irrespective of its textile , garlandcan get tangled well if not decently stored . A dim-witted solution is to corral garland in a wreath organizer or a garland custodian , which usually come with a hook shot . This is a in effect estimation for bulky , enceinte garland , such as artificial true pine . you’re able to also curl a miscellany around itself ( like you would with a hose ) , employ a man of hook - and - eyelet tape measure to hold back it together , and store it in a tote . Thinner lei strand , like those made of beads or fabric , are a second easier to tackle . Fold up the framework and intertwine the bead , then seal off the garland in a unclouded , declamatory plastic bag before place it in a bank identification number . If you have a handy place to hang the garland , loop faux garlands over forest pant hanger ( fictile 1 are n’t sturdy enough ) .

6. Sort String Lights

standardized to garland , strings of Christmas lightscan chop-chop become a cluttered mess without a suited storage resolution . look at a fictile wind - up cycle or bearer , especially for extra - long or jumbo sets of lights . For shorter or humble sets , try these two cheap DIY method acting . One requires a rectangular piece of composition board and the other a thick hanger . Starting at one end of the strand , start out wrapping the lights around either the cardboard or the hanger until it ’s fully curl . The cardboard can check upright in a store bin and the hanger can sit on a pole in the closet or on a garment rack .

To forbid maze , wind light strands into long ellipse , then cinch with cable tie and hang . For fairy lights , keep open paper towel rolls , wind the bantam lighter around them , and tuck the plug into the tube .

7. Give Gift Wrap a Proper Home

While you might utilize gift wrap year - turn for birthdays or showers , holiday supplies do n’t necessarily need to be approachable at all times . Sort out your seasonal wrapping paper , endowment bags , box , bowing , and tags to last out with the rest of your vacation decor . An all - in - one organiser traveling bag , in a gay color if you prefer , is likely all you require to containgift - swathe materials . An underbed bin can easily accommodate small-scale containers tucked among coil of wrapping theme to keep ribbon , scissors , and bows orderly .

Another option is a back - of - the - door rack with customizable compartments , which can maximise space in a small storage press . A mobile cart , with a side attachment forrolls of wrapper paper , is another option , specially if you like to take your supplies out to a table or the keep room storey to wrap .

8. Protect Holiday Dishware

Whether you host during the holidays andhave setting for thirty or more , or only own a cooky collection plate and Milk River glass for Santa Claus , breakable items should be hive away one by one . It ’s also better to tuck them out of the way rather than clutter up your kitchen all twelvemonth round . Use quilt boxes to store vacation plates alongside salad and soup bowls . apply boxes with dividers for wine-colored glasses and soft touch . Large serving platters should be carefully wrapped and placed on a ledge or in a bin to bide dust - free and prevent damage . If you own Christmas cooky cutters , cookbooks , taper , or napkins , keep these together in a storage tug with a label so you’re able to find them quickly when next year ’s first holiday political party sneak up .

9. Store Your Decorating Tools

Craft bags work capital for keeping all of your seasonal and non - seasonal decorating tools in place . Stock yourtool kitwith assault and battery , suck hooks , florists conducting wire , and clipper ship . You ’ll also desire a light tester and replacement bulbs . With this handy organizing hack , you ’ll be quick for any job throughout the holiday season .

make by Janna Lufkin

garland hung from a hanger on a storage rack

Credit:John Granen

string lights hung on a tie hanger

fairy lights wrapped around a used paper towel tube

gift wrap stored in a bin

Credit:John Granen

craft bag storing craft supplies

Credit:John Granen