The long-awaited holiday season is finally here and my favorite part, aside from the food and sparkling lights, is the gifting. Along with that comes the task of wrapping gifts, and while some of us have mastered the art of safely strong wrapping papers to be reused the next season, how should you neatly store the gift bags?
Why buy new gift bags on every occasion when you can easily store them to save yourself on days when you don't have the time to rush out to buy one? Of course, it's also better for the environment, too. With the big day nearly upon us, taking the time to do this small task in the days post-Christmas will help you organize your home and get a head start on next year.
To find out how to store your gift bags properly so they're kept crease-free and like new, I spoke with two expert organizers who share their best tips.
1. Lie them flat
Just as you'd take the time to safely store and organize your holiday decor, your gift wrap should be treated in the same way. For those of us looking for a simple solution to preserve gift bags, professional organizer Di Ter Avest, founder of Di is Organized and author of Organize Yourself Healthy, has a rather easy method up her sleeve.
‘Store your bags in a horizontal, flat position under the bed or on a shelf,' she says. 'By putting them flat in a plastic bin, you can prevent their wrinkles and maintain their shape.' Besides your bags, she also suggests folding wrapping paper in with them, too.
Professional organizer and founder of Embrace Your Space, Jill Viglione, agrees lying bags flat is always best. 'Rather than storing gift bags inside of another gift bag which can fall over, consider storing them laying down in a clear shallow bin such as The Container Store’s Boot Box or Target’s 28 Quart Clear Underbed Storage Box,' she says. 'Storing bags in a shallow bin allows for them to lay flat with plenty of room for larger bags, and additional bins can be stacked on top.'
2. Hang them up
Everyone puts their clothes on a hanger, so finding a tiny space in the corner of your closet for bags shouldn't be an issue. ‘Putting your gift bags alongside your clothes on hangers in a closet is another easy way to keep them in brand new condition,' says Di. 'If you're one of those with limited space under the bed or on a shelf, you can use hanging systems in a spare closet.’
You can do this with a simple clear hanging organizer, like this one from Amazon. Just as you would when organizing them in a storage bin, Jill suggests storing gift bags in separate hangers for holidays or events such as Christmas or birthdays. 'Placing each category into a separate container will make finding the appropriate bag much easier at the time of the event,' she explains.
3. Create a unique craft space
Those looking for ways to store their bags aesthetically can create a separate crafts space for items like this. ‘Placing the gift bags up-right in your craft closet or a space where you keep extra gifts, decor, gift cards is also another viable option to make your gift bags last longer,' explains Di. ‘You can use a bag divider to store gift bags and tissue paper in the open space.’ If you have a hobby room, dedicate a corner of the space as a decorative wrapping station.
4. Start with a more sustainable option
Di also has special advice for those who are passionate about having a more sustainable Christmas. ‘Consider using fabric gift bags,' she says. 'They come in all sorts of colors and patterns and for every occasion, and you can store them like you store paper bags and wrapping paper.’ Not only are these easier to store, but they can easily be ironed if they become creased, too. Her personal favorite is these red Christmas sacks, available at Amazon.
Leave the stickers behind
Finally, Di has some handy advice to make your gift bags reusable year after year. ‘Avoid attaching label stickers to them so that you can reuse them easily,' she suggests. 'For gift bags, you can tie a gift tag and use a card inside your wrapped gift.’ Now your gift bags can be passed on to friends and family for many Christmasses to come!
