The leftovers have been eaten, the guest have all gone home, and the holiday cheer is wearing off. The holiday season is officially over, but you still haven’t gotten around to packing up all the decorations. It’s no small task! So, if putting everything away and storing it for the next year overwhelms you, then these six tips should help you feel a little less stressed – and will prepare you for next year in the process.
Take Stock of Broken Items
As you are packing up your decorations, take note of any broken items or burned out lights. By deciding which items need to be replaced you can save a lot of money by purchasing them now and getting the best post-holiday deals! You’ll save a lot of money and you’ll have everything you need for next year. Win-win.
Save Those Scraps of Wrapping Paper
Don’t throw out all of those nearly empty rolls of wrapping paper and little scraps you’ve got left over. Use them to wrap and protect your ornaments before putting them away.
Take Special Care with Fragile Decorations
To prevent fragile decorations from breaking or fading, wrap them in acid-free paper and store them in a container with plenty of room. For ornaments, the best bet is a storage container with separate slots for each ornament.
Keep Your Lights Tangle-Free
Instead of spending hours detangling your lights next year wind them up on heavy plastic reels before packing them up.
Put Wreaths and Trees in Use Heavy-Duty Bags or Boxes
By storing your artificial tree in a heavy-duty plastic bag made just for that purpose you’ll extend its life. You can use the same kind of bags for wreaths, but if you want to avoid your wreath being crushed we recommend a plastic wreath storage box instead.
Store Decorations Out of the Way
Since you only need your holiday decorations once a year, there’s really no need to store them in your home and take up valuable space. Instead, consider renting a storage unit to keep the Christmas clutter out of your home. Be sure to rent a climate-controlled unit if you’re storing candles and fragile decorations.