How to Store Christmas Decorations Like a Responsible Adult
Do you know what’s the worst? Trying to unpack a garland of lights that is entangled in a ball at the bottom of the box. It can take a long time to pack up your Christmas decor and you can just throw everything in the box, but if you put your things in the right way, you will save yourself a headache down the road. Here are some tips to help make packing (and unpacking in the future) as painless as possible.
How to prevent light strands from tangling
There are several ways to prevent obfuscation before it happens and to make unpacking easier. There are spools for holiday lights that can hold three coils and come with a bag for packing. This is great because they will keep the light from getting tangled and damaged. However, for a do-it-yourself solution, you can make your own vault by first cutting the corrugated board into ten-by-twelve-inch sections, then cutting two-inch slots through every inch along each twelve-inch side. Then wrap the lanterns around the cardboard, threading the wires through the holes.
This simple setup will save you a lot of frustration, and the best part is that it’s free if you have some cardboard. You can also tag each strand with information such as length and number of lights with a piece of masking tape – this will make it easier to find specific strands in the next year.
How to store Christmas textiles
If you have blankets, tablecloths, wood skirts, or other festive fabric items for storage, consider grabbing a page from a department store and using a trouser hanger and garment bag. This will accommodate bulky fabrics and protect them from dust and damage until next year. And to prevent wrinkling, you can place a roll of brown paper or paper towel over the bottom of the hanger.
How to store Christmas decorations
For breakable objects, a split box is the best solution. You can use a pre-made split box or, if you like, make your own dividers to use on an existing box. The first step is to cut the cardboard strip three inches along the length of your box, and then into the appropriate number of strips equal to the width of your box. Then make a 1.5 “slot every 3” at the edge of each strip. Then slide the long strips into the slots on the shorter ones, and you’ve created a simple DIY divider for your jewelry.
How to store different Christmas trivia
Sure, you can just toss them all in a cardboard box, but finding smaller items like hooks, tags, and ties after they’ve been packed for almost a year will be a headache. Make your life easier by packing them in a clear plastic box, such as a sewing kit or makeup divider. These boxes will contain all the smallest details of your holiday decor and allow you to see where the items are. It will also save you unnecessary trips to the store to get more of what you already have but can’t find.
How to pack Christmas wrapping paper
Wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons can be damaged if stored poorly. To keep them looking new, wrap them in a hard container to avoid crushing them. You can buy containers for wrapping paper, or you can make your own storage out of a concrete pipe or a large piece of PVC. Start with a 3-foot tube large enough to hold the wrapping paper; then you can get a cap of the same diameter and attach it to one end of the tube. Now that you have a rigid paper container, you can use the same design for the rolls of ribbon and bows so they don’t get squashed.