If you have already packed and stored your holiday decorations, you might find this post passé, but if you are like me, they are still adding sparkle to some of the year’s longest nights.  In these parts, next Tuesday is the last day to sacrifice a Christmas Tree to the city chipper so it’s a natural deadline for us.  As much as I looked forward to getting out the decorations and primping the house, I am now looking forward to returning it to its naturally elegant level of chaos.

Here are some ways you can store your ornaments to keep them in tip top shape for next season.  If you’d prefer a video, you can watch the Boxing Day Basics segment on The Marilyn Denis Show.

For years I have used plastic bins – mine are so old they are forest green and a natural for holiday decorations, but now you can find bins which shout out “HOLIDAYS” to anyone who might happen to be searching for them.

 

I keep the boxes glass ornaments come in and place them directly in the bins.  I also kept gold boxes from my china set and use those to hold many of the other ornaments.  Layering the ornaments between layers of tissue and filling empty spaces ensures that ornaments don’t move which is what avoids breakage.  Christmas card boxes hold smaller items and with soft items, such as the tree skirt and Christmas stockings, help to pack the bins so nothing moves within the bins.

For more sophisticated ornament storage, you might want to invest in containers specifically designed for the purpose.  Here are two examples. Cardboard inserts come with the boxes and pop together in seconds. They can be adjusted to make room for larger pieces.  The box on the left is from Solutions (14 stores in southern Ontario), and the one pretty one on the right is from a collection available at Canadian Tire.  I can’t find them on the website anymore, so you may have to put them on your wish list for next year!

 

If you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer, then you might want to make use of freely available material to cushion your ornaments. Consider using take-away drink trays, or fruit containers and layer in bins.

 

Tangled tree lights cause the greatest frustration so avoid it completely with one of these options:

Designed with holiday lights in mind, this stackable container holds four plastic reels which actually hang on rails in the box.  In essence you get to file your lights. Simple wrap one strand around each reel and kiss your tangled woes goodbye.

Other options to manage the mess include wrapping lights around a coffee can – insert the end into the lid of the can, and using plastic bags to contain each strand – what I have done for years.  Again for the DIY lover, you can make your own reel from a piece of cardboard and for a little more security store each one inside a shoe box.

Happy packing!

ps. I just checked my local Canadian Tire store – they are clearing holiday items, including holiday storage!