I know you’re probably just finally able to relax and enjoy your holiday decorations after all the chaos of the season, but it’s not too early to start thinking about how you’re going to put it all away. If you’re like me, every year you tell yourself “This year I will be super organized when I put my decorations away!” Also, if you’re like me, by the time the holidays are over you are exhausted and just want to get the stuff put away as quickly as possible. Then you go to pull it out the following year and you say,” this year…I will organize it all this year.” Sigh. Part of the problem is figuring out how to organize everything. There are lots of Christmas storage containers and bags and bins and boxes for sale out there, but that can get expensive! And let’s face it, just after Christmas the last thing you want to do is spend more money. But it is possible to organize your holiday decorations without spending a fortune.
Here are some holiday storage hacks to help you get organized this year:
Tip # 1 – USE EGG CARTONS
Do you eat eggs? That may seem like more of an Easter question but stay with me here. It’s not the eggs you need, it’s the cartons they come in. They are perfect for storing small, round ornaments. If you have a lot of small ornaments, they will nestle right into the little nooks the eggs left behind.
Tip #2 – KEEP THOSE CARDBOARD BOXES
It is so frustrating to pull out your Christmas lights every year only to have to spend hours untangling them before you can put them up. There is a way to prevent that! A simple, inexpensive way! Just save the cardboard boxes that seem to multiply at Christmas time and use them for a great string lights storage hack. Simply wrap the lights around cardboard before storing them. You can use shoe boxes or any of the many boxes that were likely delivered to your house before December 25 to cut pieces to size for your light strings. Then place them all together in a bin where they will remain safely untangled until next year!
Tip #3 – HANG YOUR WREATHS YEAR ROUND
Keep your holiday wreaths in pristine condition by hanging them rather than putting them in a storage bin, where they are likely to get crushed. If you don’t have room in a closet, you can use an inexpensive portable coat rack. Cover the wreaths with plastic trash bags (garment bag style) and hang them on the rack.
Tip #4 – RED. SOLO. CUPS.
Turn bins you already have into ornament storage bins with this easy and inexpensive hack. Three words. Red. Solo. Cups. They aren’t just for parties! With cardboard, a glue gun and cups you can create a DIY ornament storage bin. Just glue the cups to cardboard pieces cut to fit and place them in the bin and, voila! You have the perfect place to safely keep your holiday treasures!
Tip #5 – BOTTLED BEADS
Shiny beads make a beautiful garland for your tree, but when they are all tangled up in a box you may decide it’s not even worth it to try to untangle them. This year, save up your plastic water bottles and use them to store your garland. They will stay untangled and be easy to pull out when you’re ready to put them on the tree again.
Tip #6 – CLEAR BINS
Perhaps you already have a bunch of bins you keep your Christmas decorations in, so the idea of replacing them all might seem silly (and expensive) to you. But trust me, you won’t be sorry if you make the investment to change over to clear bins. Yes, you can label bins with their contents, but it is so much easier if you can simply SEE what is inside. Especially if you are looking for something in particular and you don’t want to have to open every bin looking for it.
Tip #7 – SEE THROUGH GARMENT BAG
This hack is not just for Christmas, but for wrapping paper in general. A perfect way to store rolls of wrapping paper is to use a clear garment bag. You can fit numerous roles in one bag and since it’s clear it is easy peasy to find the one you want to use! Not only that, but you can also hang it in a closet instead of hiding it away somewhere. You can also use clear garment bags to hang wreaths!
It’s always a little sad when the holiday season comes to an end, but these Christmas storage hacks will at least make putting things away a little easier!
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Photo Credits: thekrazycouponlady.com, today.com, hgtv.com, pinterest.com, sparefoot.com, my100yearoldhome.com, the-sun.com