Label It - I love to have garlands swagged down my stairway and over the windows, and I've combined shorter garlands to be just the right length for these areas. I've found that if I store the garlands just as I've hung them, they're ready to go up next year. I even place a red or white twist-tie where I pull the garland up for the swag. Then I don't have to measure each year. I put a tag on each garland to tell me where it goes. No guessing work required the next year. Be sure to mark the box stair garland or living room window. I find it's easy to store bulky garlands in large plastic storage boxes. You can push a lot into a big box, since there's nothing to break, and they can be fluffed out the next year. Be sure to mark every box clearly!
Keep Parts Together- It's convenient to be able to find everything you need in one place when you're getting out the decorations. You can tape a bag of extra light bulbs to the end of the string of lights. Keep the just-right length extension cord with your lit entry decoration. Put your wreath hanger with your wreath decorations. Keep the floor-protecting plastic with your tree stand and tree skirt. If you have room, store holiday placemats with holiday dishes.
Make an "Open First for Christmas" Box - I have found that there are some things I need for Christmas before other things. I need to get the tree stand out before buying or cutting the Christmas tree. I begin working on Christmas cards before putting the garlands up. I buy and wrap gifts before preparing the Christmas dinner. I begin my holiday baking just after Thanksgiving. The things I need for these tasks, like the tree stand, cards, cookie cutters, and gift wrap, go in the "Open First for Christmas" box. I don't have to hunt around for the things I'll need early in the season, and they're always easy to find.
Storing in Paper or Plastic? - If you own some old, family treasure ornaments, you may want to take special precautions in storing them. You can buy archival storage boxes and pack items with silica packets to control humidity levels. I've found that plastic boxes work fine for everything, though, and have had no trouble with trapped humidity. I like to store ornaments in clear plastic boxes so that I can see what's inside. The boxes are easy to keep clean. You can also use the heavy plastic storage boxes or even cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes might need to be replaced after several years, however, because the cardboard breaks down.
More Tips on Storing Holiday Decorations!
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