Taking down holiday decorations is about as fun as flipping on your TV and realizing the all-day marathon of “A Christmas Story” has ended. In other words, it’s a bummer. All that holiday cheer packed away for another year (*sigh*).
But then again, you don’t want to be that person who still has candy canes in your yard come Valentine’s Day. Spare yourself a headache this year, and try some of these clever hacks for storing holiday decorations
1. Use Egg Cartons for Bulbs…
If you no longer have the plastic packaging that your bulbs came in, or just don’t want to reuse it because those bulbs are difficult to pull out without breaking, use an egg carton. For bigger bulbs, try a plastic apple container from Costco.
2. … And Plastic Cups for All Other Ornaments
Not all ornaments are round and fit perfectly into an egg carton. Remember all those candy cane reindeers you made as a kid? You need a place to safely stow those guys. Grab some cheap plastic cups and glue them to a piece of cardboard that fits nicely into a plastic storage bin. Then fill the cups with your ornaments and cover the storage container.
3. Wrap Lights Around Cardboard to Avoid Tangles
Cut a piece of cardboard into a rectangle (a cereal box will work, but thicker may be better). Then, make two centimeter cuts into both sides at four centimeters apart. Once your lights are unplugged and ready to be packed away, stick one end into the first incision and begin wrapping around the cardboard, inserting the strands into the incisions as you go. This will hold the lights in place so they’re tangle-free and ready for next year.
If you want to get a little fancier, you can actually buy Christmas light reels to easily wrap your lights around. They even come with a convenient little storage bag.
You can also use a hose reel, but it may take up more space.
4. Use a Toilet Paper Roll to Keep Wrapping Paper from Unrolling
Cut a toilet paper roll along the long side and then tightly wrap it around your tube of wrapping paper. Secure it with a rubber band. This is a great alternative to tape, because you don’t have to worry about ripping your paper when it comes time to use it.
5. Store Wrapping Paper in a Garment Bag
Once your rolls of wrapping paper are secured with rubber bands, arrange them nicely in a garment bag. They can then be easily hung in your closet, so they’re off the floor and out of the way.
6. Turn Holiday Cards into Decorations for Next Year
Holiday cards aren’t a decoration per se, but there are cool ways to re-purpose them so they never have to see the inside of a garbage bin. Use a hole punch and turn your holiday cards into a book that can be displayed next year. It’s always fun to see how much your friends and family have changed over the course of a year.
7. Create Your Own Ribbon Storage Box
I love finishing off my wrapping with pretty bows. I don’t, however, love untangling the ribbon that my mom stores in a shoe box in the closet. If you have a lot of ribbon, this DIY ribbon storage box is an awesome way to keep it organized and ready to use again next year. Here’s the step-by-step.
Have any hacks for storing holiday decorations that we didn’t mention? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter @Redfin.
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