As fun as decorating for Christmas can be, packing everything away and reclaiming your space can feel like a breath of fresh air – even if it does feel like a complicated game of Tetris getting it all packed away.
But organizing Christmas decorations for safe storage doesn't have to be an extreme sport, our professional organizers assure us.
Here, they reveal their top secrets for decluttering Christmas decorations and ensuring everything is easily packed away and how it will make decorating easier next year.
How to organize Christmas decorations for storage
From the most efficient way to take down Christmas decor to the essential kit to make the job easier, here's how expert organizers reset their homes after the holidays.
1. Gather essential tools first
As with any tidying or cleaning task, starting with all the kit you need to clear your home of Christmas will help get your Christmas decor down smoothly without having to stop and start.
Marie Bateson, professional home organizer and owner of Cut the Clutter begins, 'Arm yourself with screwdrivers, the box or container in which you keep your batteries, and the boxes that ornaments and bauble. Make sure you have strong tape [such as packing tape, from Walmart] to hand too as well as tissue paper or newspaper, cardboard, and a bag.
'If you have ornaments with batteries in them, don’t forget to take them out. Having the screwdrivers and battery tin to hand saves time scrabbling about trying to find one.'
All prices correct at time of publication.
This complete screwdriver set comes with a head for every type of screw, so you are never left having to make do with the end of a butter knife again.
This handy compartmentalized storage box is perfect for small screws, hooks, batteries, and spare light bulbs to make putting up and taking Christmas decor down a breeze.
These moving paper sheets are ideal for packing decorations away to avoid them getting damaged or broken in storage.
2. Declutter as you go
One of the best storage tips any professional organizer will give you is to declutter your belongings as you pack them away. This saves time in the future and space in your storage areas, as well as trim down your collection and reduce decorating overwhelm next year.
Jamie Hord, founder of Horderly Professional Organizingsays, 'Keep decluttering in mind when setting up and when taking down decorations. If you're purchasing new items, consider following the one-in-one-out rule and let go of something old in exchange for bringing in something new. This way your decorations stay at a constant level and never overflow the space you have to store them in.'
Keeping some spare storage baskets to one side to put decorations to be donated, sold, or thrown out will make decluttering as you go a lot easier. You can then easily carry the baskets to the car after for easy disposal.
Janelle Cohen, founder of Straighten up by Janelleadds, 'When you are packing up your decorations, it is a great time to make sure all your items are in good condition. At the end of the season, there is a chance that something may have chipped or broken so it’s a great time to either fix or donate.
'Secondly, decide if an item is still your style. Before packing it up, decide if you are going to want to put it up next year when the holidays roll around. Think of your decorations as a curated display of things that get you in the holiday spirit. If a specific item has lost its holiday excitement, toss it.'
3. Invest in quality storage
Given that Christmas ornaments are vital for Christmas decorating each year, keeping them protected in storage is something worth investing in where you can so you don't end up having to rush to replace them in the next festive season. They'll also be at their most expensive during that time, making it an un-economical time to shop for new ones.
Jamie Hord, pro organizer, says, 'Avoid broken ornaments and keep them lasting a lifetime with proper storage. What's great about these drop-in ornament trays [from The Container Store] is that they work in our favorite Container Store weathertight bins and you can pull out an entire row if you need to access the bottom.'
Kate Ibbotson, APDO member and founder of A Tidy Mindadds, 'There are also some useful specialist storage containers available for wreaths [like these hard plastic wreath ins, from Walmart] plus boxes with compartments for baubles. You can also make do with what you have so be sure to keep and reuse large boxes and wrapping that arrive in the post if useful.'
Keep your Christmas ornaments safe and secure in storage with a dedicated bauble storage box. This prevents them from getting twisted, scratched, or broken when moved around out of season.
Don't fret if you are looking to organize your home without spending any money, professional home organizer Marie Bateson assures. 'If you don’t have the special containers with sections for baubles, use empty shoe boxes or some boxes from presents you have received.
'Pack them in using tissue paper or newspaper. Clear plastic stacking boxes are great for the loft or garage, allowing you to see what’s stored there.'
It can also be helpful to store Christmas ornaments in the original boxes, or invest in ornament storage containers, to prevent precious decorations from being damaged or becoming tangled in storage over the year.
4. Pack by color
Grouping items by color is a common home organizing idea that works as well for Christmas decorations as it does books on shelves. Not only does it help make a storage corner look more aesthetically pleasing, but makes decorating tastefully for Christmas next year much easier.
Janelle Cohen shares, 'Packing by color is a great way to make unpacking the next year easier. If you like to rotate your color theme each season, color packing will help enable you to be able to find what you need the following year.'
You can store each set of decorative colors in clear plastic bins or label the boxes you have so next year, you'll know what's what and only bring down or out the color scheme you need from storage in the basement, garage or attic.
5. Deal with the tree last
Once your ornaments are safely tucked away, you can get rid of your Christmas tree and finally start to reclaim your home's footprint.
Cut The Clutter's Marie Bateson recommends, 'If you have a real Christmas tree, make a note of your local collection dates for trees. You may need to book this in advance and make a small payment but it is worth it to avoid the needle-filled boot of the car and the queue at the recycle center. Book it for the day you will take the decorations down if possible but if it isn’t, put them outside where they can be collected as they often don’t mind if it get wet.
'If it is an artificial tree and you have the box, dismantle it and when it’s safely packed, tape the box to make it secure, dust-free, and easier to carry – or you could get a tree bag to make it even easier,' she adds.
Jamie Hord, founder of Horderly continues, 'Most people store Christmas trees in the basement, attic, or garage so it's important to cover them well to avoid any pests.
'Depending on what size tree you have, there are different products that can protect your tree for the years to come. A tote like this from The Container Store is a great option for a smaller tree and there are wonderful bag options to accommodate larger trees.'
Keep all your decorations neat and organized with this complete set. The tree bag holds up to a 9 ft tree and is reinforced to ensure even heavy trees stay safe while being moved in and out of storage.
This super soft padded tree bag holds trees up to 7.5ft tall. The padding and strong zip protect the tree from damage, dust, and pests while in storage.
Easily store your artificial Christmas tree at the end of the year with the Holiday Spirit Christmas Tree Bag. Great for your tree, garlands, and even lights.
6. Pack out wreaths to keep their shape
If you have faux Christmas garlands and Christmas wreaths then packing them away properly can help extend their life span and keep them as Christmas centerpieces for years to come. Luckily, there are two ways to do this.
Jamie Hord says, 'Wreath storage is a must. Everyone has experienced a squished wreath and it's no fun trying to get it back to life. You most likely end up getting a new one, wasting your time and money. Use these round bins [from The Container Store] to keep your wreaths in tip-top shape.'
Alternatively, Janelle Cohen suggests you can pack like objects together into storage to help keep them in shape. 'To make sure that your wreath keeps its shape, store it with other bulky items like faux garlands.'
For long or very bulky garlands, consider storing them straight in a tree storage bag with a long plank of wood to keep the bag flat and level, stopping the garland from bending and breaking in storage.
7. Keep lights wrapped up
Christmas lights are infamous for tangling up in the box throughout the year – even when you tried to wrap them in a careful loop. Packing them properly in storage containers at the end of the holiday period is a great way to save some frustration when Christmas comes around again next year.
Marie Bateson says, 'The lights from the tree can be wrapped around a piece of card or an empty kitchen roll tube.' Consider using cardboard left over from Christmas gift packaging for a cost-effective storage solution.
If you want a more permanent storage option, then investing in a light box will help make sure your lights remain intact year after year. Jamie Hord shares, 'This zip-up storage bag with light reels from The Container Store keeps your lights all in one place, with large spools that prevent damaged and creased wires.'
8. Pack items heaviest to lightest
When finding homes for your decorations, be it organizing under the stairs, in the attic, or in the basement, it is best to avoid stacking things on top of one another unless they are in sturdy, hard shell boxes, such as the highly rated Sterilite storage boxes, available at Amazon.
Using strong shelves to separate items, with the heaviest items at the bottom and lighter items at the top will not only make your shelves more stable but will make putting items back and getting them out safer for you.
If you do not have shelves and need to stack items, always stack the larger, heavier items at the bottom, avoiding putting items on top of storage bags with trees and garlands in them lest you squash them. If possible, store these upright against a wall so they are not flattened by their own weight, either.
9. Clean last
If you have already undertaken a deep pre-Christmas clean, then the chances are you will only have to do a quick tidy-up once all of your decorations have been stored away to remove pine needles, glitter, and fake snow remnants. However, this is the one instance where we do not recommend cleaning as you go.
Finish putting everything in storage before you go around with your best vacuum cleaner. This way, jostling bags and decor doesn't drop more debris on your freshly cleaned surfaces.
Marie Bateson says, 'A good dust round and the home will be back to normal, although it does always look bare for a day or two! If they are around (and old enough), get the children to help and sweep or vacuum where the tree was standing to make the task easier and get them involved when you can.'
Vacuum the house, mantle piece, and furniture to get rid of any Christmas remnants before putting your normal home decor pieces back. It may also be a good opportunity to clean any usually hidden spots such as behind sofas and under coffee tables if you are rearranging furniture after the festivities.
Next, delve into the Christmas storage items every home needs, and things people who store decor properly always do.
