Some folks like removing and storing all of their
decorations for the holiday season at the very start of the new year. Me? I like to allow Christmas to linger just a bit longer. So, I start, a little bit at a time, on January 7.
It took
my family a while to decorate...and we don't attempt to undecorate all in one day.
We'll begin putting the kitchen holiday decorations into storage. We'll then move onto undecorating the
fireplace mantel, followed by our artificial tree, and finally our Christmas village display in our dining room.
We do this over the course of 7 days or so.
Anything that's a winter theme, but not a Christmas theme (like snowmen), will be displayed until I decorate for Valentine's Day at the beginning of February.
The outdoor lights will remain intact until it's warm enough to go outside and remove them. In Wisconsin, that could take awhile, but that's OK. We'll just stop turning those on when it's January 7.
Here are some ideas for storing your holiday decorations:
1. Weed out. First, say goodbye to anything that didn't make it through the holidays...broken ornaments, lights that no longer work, etc. Now is a good time to buy replacement items. They're usually in stock and on sale now.
2. Take photos BEFORE you undecorate. Next holiday season, you'll have a record of exactly where everything is usually displayed.
3. Label everything. Label every single holiday bin with the word "Christmas" (or whatever winter holiday you celebrate) and a second description, like...
Christmas-Mantel
Christmas-Ornaments
Christmas-Holiday Village
Christmas-Tree Lights, Topper, and Ribbon
This will make future decorating so much easier.
4. Christmas tree
ornaments:
b) Alternately, use a large bin that's not divided (I like the Rubbermaid brand, clear, with a lid). Wrap each ornament in a sheet of newspaper or a paper towel. As you're placing each in the box, use soft items to cushion around each ornament, like Christmas kitchen linens, stockings, and tree skirts. c) Empty cardboard egg cartons are great for storing
delicate ornaments and keeping them safe from breakage
Or, do what my husband does...wrap your Christmas lights around a 12" x 12" piece of cardboard with one-inch notches cut into it.
Don't forget to label each string of lights (tree, railing, mantel, outdoor, etc.) so you don't have to think about what goes where when the holidays roll around again.
6. Extension cords. Use empty paper towel rolls to wrap up extension cords. Label them with the length (and/or purpose) for
next year too.
7. Wreaths. Attach Command Strip hooks in your holiday storage closet and hang your artificial wreaths. This will prevent them from getting crushed and keep them looking like new.
8. Artificial Christmas tree: Save the box it came in. It's the perfect storage container.
Alternately, wrap the sections of the tree in clean, plastic trash bags. Mark the bags with indicators to help you assemble the tree next year, such as "Top," "Middle," and "Lower." if your tree has numbered branches for each level, store each level in a separate bag and label those with the level number...14, 16, 18, etc.
A sure-fire way to ensure that next season’s decorating is stress-free is by being organized before you put things away this season.
