Holiday decorations can take up a lot of space in your home. Usually that means that holiday decor ends up getting stored in the garage, basement, or attic: areas that are not always climate controlled and susceptible to pests or dirt. Also, holiday decor holds a lot of family memories so it's important to make sure your decorations are stored properly.
Here are some tips for storing your holiday decor:
Declutter Your Old Decor
As you are taking out decorations this year, if there's anything that you don't love, set it aside in a donate pile. Or if you're not ready to donate it yet, make a note on it with a post-it or tape that you didn't use it this year. Then when you get out decor next year, if you still don't love it, donate it.
Store Decorations in Tubs with Lids
If your decor is stored in an area that could have pests (mice, spiders, etc) or is dusty or dirty like a garage, I always recommend storing things in plastic tubs with latching lids. Not only does this protect fragile items, it also will keep your decorations clean and undamaged.
You do not need the holiday colored bins! Any latching bins work just fine! For ornaments or smaller decor items, you can use shoe boxes within plastic tubs. Wrap fragile items in newspaper, packing paper, bubble wrap, or even paper towels. Put like ornaments or decorations in the same shoe box and then you can stack multiple shoe boxes inside of a tub.

Put Like Items Together
As you are putting away your decorations, store like things in the same bin. For example, put all outdoor decor in a tub and all lights and timers in another tub. Put all Christmas tree related things in one tub. This will help your process when it's time to decorate next year.
Also, store your holiday tubs together. Put all Christmas tubs on the same shelving unit so it's easy to find. You can even store your tubs in holiday order!

Store Wreaths in Boxes or Hanging
Wreaths are easily damaged if they are put in bags and stacked with other decorations. Purchase plastic wreath boxes during the holiday season and you can use them for other season's wreaths as well. You can often store more than one wreath in each box if they aren't big. Another option is to place hooks on a wall in a closet, basement, or attic, and hang your wreaths on the wall. You can also use a tension curtain rod between walls or under stairs and hang wreaths from S hooks on the rod.

Take Decor Out of the Box it Came In
Usually, you can't get something to go back into the box it came in and there is often a more space efficient way to store it.
The biggest offender here is the Christmas tree. Invest in a tree bag instead of trying to shove your tree back into its box. It's next to impossible to get that box to close again. A tree bag is much more forgiving and will still protect your tree from dust.

Label EVERYTHING!
I don't care if you have clear tubs or not; label your tubs! And label them with more description than just "Christmas." If you have a tub that has all the lights, label it "Christmas lights" so that you know what you are grabbing.

If you feel completely overwhelmed by your decor, call in a professional! Love It and Label It is happy to help you sort through your decor and create a storage system that will work for you.
Happy decorating!
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