It’s a lot of fun decorating for the holidays but considering we only use the decorations, wrapping paper, Christmas lights, etc., once a year…that’s a lot of gear to pack and store away. Here are a few tips and ideas to help you get the most from the space that you have and keep everything tidy and tangle-free.
- You can use a large box to store wreaths but if you don’t have the shelving space for it, another option is to wrap the wreath in plastic (or cover with a large garbage bag) and hang by a hook in an out of the way place (behind a door, storage room wall, etc.).
- Keep strings of beads and garlands tangle-free by wrapping around empty paper towel tubes before packing away.
- Now’s the time to head to the liquor store! They have all kinds of empty boxes with cardboard dividers (perfect for packing ornaments) and will likely let you have as many as you want for free.
- Avoid using newspaper to wrap items since the ink will transfer.
- Recycle egg cartons, biscuit tins and shoe boxes to hold fragile ornaments.
- Empty coffee cans can be used to hold boxes of extra bulbs from string lights (and loose ones too). Keep the lid on and pack with tissue paper, they should survive smash-free for next year.
- Label the boxes clearly so you’ll know at a glance what the container holds without having to pull it out to see what’s inside.
Ready for some clever projects and ideas? Here ya go…
Greeting Cards Booklet: If you like to save the cards you receive each year, here’s a quick & easy idea to keep them together.
Tidy Ornaments: A piece of cardboard is cut to fit inside a plastic bin then plastic cups are hot-glued to it (to hold tissue-wrapped ornaments).
Pegboard Station: A pegboard is installed then S hooks, bins and brackets are added to hold bags, wrapping paper, ribbon & more.
Gift-Wrapping Station: Removable dowels (supported by curtain-rod brackets) are hung along with screw-in coat hooks and a dry-erase calendar.
Sliding Bins (Ceiling): Utilize dead space in the garage by constructing an overhead storage system (instructions provided).
I’m always left with a few rolls of wrapping paper after Christmas. Storage is always tricky as anywhere I put it gets moved around and then it unrolls or tears up my nice clean edges. I grabbed a pair of old hose and cut off one leg and stuffed 4 rolls of wrap inside. Now I can move all the rolls at once without them getting damaged!