1. THEY KEEP A HUMBLE COLLECTION
First things first, storage must be sustainable, and keeping a capsule collection will make storing Christmas decorations less complicated. Making your own decorations or nodding to Christmas foliage ideas that can be respectfully returned to nature is good practice, even if you only do this for some of your collection.
2. THEY GROUP WITH THOUGHT, AND BY TYPE
For the decorations you do buy, grouping ornaments and the like by color scheme, shape, and collection will make sense for some. However, particularly if you dress different areas of your home with festive pieces from the same collection, or treat each space completely uniquely, it might be more accommodating to group Christmas decorations by zone and by their specific function in your personal decor scheme. La Fond says: 'Store decor based on how you use them, rather than by type. So if you decorate your front porch with specific lights and decor, then keep those together. The same goes for trees – rather than storing all ornaments together, separate them by how and where they are used to make decorating faster and easier.' If you keep different decorations for Christmas or Hannukah, make sure it's clear. ‘Separate and store decorations by holiday so you can pull out only what you need rather than digging through bins,’ recommends La Fond.
3. THEY LABEL FEROCIOUSLY, AND CREATE LISTS
Grouping, however, would hold less value without an efficient labeling system in place. Interior designer, Kishani Perera kindly shares: 'People who are far more organized than I am, but I aspire to be one day, always label, label, label! 'Every box and container having a detailed and itemized list of all its contents saves hours in the future when trying to dig up your holiday gear. If your items are stored in various places, as may be necessary in a small space, one master list detailing the whereabouts of your various items would be of enormous aid.' Use all manner of labeling and listing to give yourself clarity when it comes to decorating again next year. For added gusto, La Fond recommends storage that you can see into, without disruption: ‘Use clear bins with labels so you can see what you have and find what you want,' she recommends. Simple adhesive labels, at Amazon, will do the job just fine.
4. THEY DON'T ALWAYS BUY INTO SPECIFIC 'HOLIDAY' STORAGE
Instead of purchasing ornate boxes, those who store Christmas decorations the right way tend to be a little more resourceful, shall we say. Not only will it avoid unnecessary purchases, and shipping, but it should make for a slightly better-kept corral of items too.
5. THEY RETAIN ORIGINAL BOXES WHERE IT MAKES SENSE
Saying this, what else is better to home ornaments perfectly than the box they came from in the first place? This is why Kienzle recommends keeping the original packaging of your Christmas decorations for easier and more efficient storage. This, of course, only applies to those that came in a box. It will also depend on the quality and material of the boxes, as well as where you will be keeping them. 'Storage containers are varied,' says Kienzle. 'It is a lot less expensive than buying storage containers, and should hold up as you will only use them once a year.' If the original boxes have lost their vigor over time, invest in more sturdy containers, at The Container Store, that will adequately protect items from wear, tear, dust, and damp.
6. THEY KEEP LIGHTS CLEVERLY UNTANGLED
We have seen numerous 'hacks' over the years, in a bid to keep Christmas lights untangled – including using forsaken pantry items or off-cuts of cardboard as La Fond recommended. If you are keen to conquer Christmas decoration storage once and for all, you'll want to find your favorite. Creator of PURE Design, Ami McKay shares some more suggestions: ‘Try not to tangle your lights! Wrap them around a piece of cardboard stacked in bins or you can use storage reels.’ Kienzle recommends separating these into individual bags, too: 'Each string of lights should be stored separately in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Wrap each string around a piece of cardboard to keep it from tangling before putting it in a bag.'
7. THEY STORE DELICATE ORNAMENTS WITH CARE
Our Christmas ornaments can be so special, with some likely going back one or two generations. To ensure they stay looking their best year after year, it is key to handle them with care and store them carefully, too.
8. THEY GIVE CHRISTMAS TREES SPECIAL TREATMENT, TOO
If you prefer real, or even live, spruces, you might store yours in your backyard for the rest of the year. Some of us may still have artificial trees, and for these, Kienzle advises storing them in a streamlined manner where possible.
9. THEY LEAVE ROOM TO GROW
One of the joys of Christmastime, and of any holiday in fact, is creating new memories. This might be from a newly gifted ornament to self, or from another. Consider catering your storage to a slightly larger collection, allowing yours to change naturally through the years. La Fond tells us: ‘Leave yourself room for growth as you expand your collection.'
10. THEY STORE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS IN THE RIGHT PLACE
Finally, you need to find the right place to store your Christmas decorations. You should have enough room to comfortably house your decorations, and this spot should be indoors where possible; somewhere that is warm, dry, and easy to access. Consider using vertical space where needed: 'Add shelves to storage rooms to keep items off the floor and more accessible,' recommends La Fond. And as tempting as it may be to make use of dead outdoor space, experts do not recommend this. 'For storing Christmas decorations I keep things organized, labeled, grouped together, and always store your items inside,' says McKay.