Best Tips on How to Store Christmas Ornaments After the Holidays

When packing fragile items, you have to be creative and careful because even the smallest mistake can have fatal consequences. And when it comes to these things, usually the prettiest ones are the most sensitive. So relying on cheap moving supplies for packing might not be the best idea. Our guide will help you stay organized, prepare essential supplies, and find the right techniques to preserve every single ornament for the next year.

What Supplies You’ll Need, Besides Boxes?

If you’re one of those people who buy a few new ornaments every year, there’s probably been a point in your life when you thought that you don’t know how or where you’re going to store them all. When purchasing single pieces, you rarely get a box, unlike with sets, so it is all good until the time comes to take them off the tree and find a suitable storage. The best would be to save all the original packaging you get because those are tailored to those particular decorations’ shape and size. But if that’s not the case, or you bought a lot of new single pieces, here’s a list of supplies you’ll need for your packing party:

• Different sized boxes,
• Bubble wrap vs. packing paper? We say you need both,
• Cardboard dividers,
• Tape,
• Scissors,
• Markers,
• Newspapers,
• Plastic containers and cups.

How Do You Store Christmas Ornaments?

There are several things you should pay attention to when putting away Christmas decorations. There are different types and categories of decorative items, and they all require adequate protection. We will give you several tips that should help you pack even the most demanding and sensitive trinkets. However, before we get to that part, you should follow these few steps first.

Step 1. Take a Piece of Paper and Create a Small Inventory List

Before you start doing anything, take a piece of paper and write down the main categories of items you have, and try to figure out their approximate amount. That should give you a better idea of how many different supplies you’ll need. Think about it as some sort of a home inventory, which you can update every year when you buy new stuff.

Step 2. Make Sure You Have Everything Prepared

Don’t start taking off decorative items if you have not prepared everything for storing them. You’re going to create a mess all around your living room and probably even step over some of them. So, ensure you have everything you need and then start.

Step 3. Take off the Ornaments and Divide Them Into Categories

Ensure you have enough room around you, and start taking off one by one ornament. While doing that, try to organize them by categories. You can divide them by shape, color, type of material, size, and so on. But the best would be to group them into several smaller piles of those that will be packed together.

How to Pack an Oddly-Shaped Ornament?

Sure, it is easy to pack bubbles and sets, but today, festive decorations come in all shapes and sizes, from unicorns to ballerinas and Santa Claus figurines, so what to do with them? If you have a bunch of these individual pieces that can’t be packed along with bubbles and everything else because they are so sensitive, here’s what you can do. Take one of those see-through plastic cups with lids, like the ones you get at Starbucks or when you buy a milkshake. Insert crumpled paper or cotton balls as padding, and your ornament will be safe and sound.

What to Do With a Plastic Tree?

One of the grand festive season debates is the tree, that is, should you get a real or a fake tree, to be more precise. We won’t get into that now, and we will leave it up to you to determine which option suits you, but the fact is, if you get a fake one, you need to think about where to keep it for the next 350 days. You can put it in a box, wrap it in a garbage bag, or even use one of those vacuum sealing bags.

Can a Large Duffel Bag Be the Right Storage for the Tree?

Of course, it can. Just make sure your tree can fit. If you’re purchasing a new one, try to find the one with wheels, it will be easier to move it around. Along with it, you can also pack some garlands, tree skirts, and other parts of your decoration that are not fragile.

How to Protect String Lights?

It often happens that string lights don’t survive till the next Holiday season, mainly because they weren’t adequately packed or because you lost your patience trying to detangle them. However, there are a few tricks on how to properly pack them so they don’t get tangled or damaged. First, you can use a piece of cardboard and just wrap them around it. Another great tip is to wrap them around a can and just tape the endings.

Where to Go With Wreaths?

Wreaths are another inevitable part of every Holiday decoration setup, but there’s a problem – they are not so easy to pack. You can’t fold them, can’t disassemble them, plus, they are bulky and round. You can rely on garbage bags or sew a custom fabric case for them. You can also put a wreath in a box, but only on top of other things. Some suggest hanging it on a clothing rack, which can also be a good solution, but you’ll still need something to wrap it, so it doesn’t collect dust.

In Case You Don’t Have Enough Boxes, Here’s What Alternative Things You Can Use

If you were baking a lot this Holiday season, you probably spent a lot of eggs on all those cookies and cakes. We hope you didn’t throw away egg cartons because those are the perfect case for smaller plastic ornaments. And now, when we discovered this hack, you can start collecting them on time for the next Holiday season. If in your local supermarket they sell apples in plastic apple containers, those can also serve as a great alternative solution, as well as tennis ball boxes.

How to Create a DIY Storage for Fragile Bubbles?

If you have plenty of sensitive glass bubbles, the best would be to create a custom crate for them. All you need for this DIY project is a bit of cardboard and scissors. You can recycle your old shoebox and use it as the main container. Then find some cardboard leftovers or cut an old box, and create compartment dividers that will create a separate room for each bubble, so they don’t touch. Think about it like you’re packing expensive china. The same level of protection is required.

Once you insert all dividers into the shoebox, add a bit of soft padding to each compartment, you can insert cotton balls, for example, and then on top of it, place the ornament. If the box is high, fill it to the top with crumpled newspapers and then and then close it with the lid. Ideally, you should tie something around it, so the lid doesn’t open in case the box falls or rolls over.

Where Should I Store My Holiday Decorations?

Another essential thing you should think about is where to place your precious decorative items once they are safely packed. Think about some creative storage ideas if you don’t have a lot of space, an attic or a garage. Here are some ideas we suggest.

Where Should Christmas Decorations Be Stored in an Apartment?

If you don’t have a lot of free space in your apartment, you have to be creative and use every inch of the space wisely. Perhaps putting some boxes under the bed or on top of your closets could be the ideal solution.

Is It OK to Store Christmas Decorations in a Garage?

Storing these shiny items in a dark and boring place like a garage can be ok only if the conditions in it are optimal. For example, plastic decorative items can survive pretty much anywhere. Still, if you have pieces made of paper, cardboard, wood, or some other material that is sensitive to moisture or water, the garage might not be the best storage solution. It is also better to rely on plastic containers than cardboard ones if you plan on storing your Holiday trinkets in the garage.

Best Way to Store Christmas Ornaments for Shipping

If it happens, you’re relocating soon, and you have anxiety about moving to a new state, don’t worry. Your decorative items will arrive in one piece and ready to shine on the next Holiday season. All you need to do is to follow the advice we gave you. You can also declutter and donate unwanted items, maybe an old artificial tree, or wreaths, if you don’t want new stuff for your new apartment.

Another option is to rely on professional long distance movers who know all moving hacks and tricks. So investing in full packing service and moving insurance could pay off, especially if you’re moving during the holidays. Long-distance moving services also include boxes and packing supplies, so this could ease the entire process if you’re not into packing.

Now You Know How to Store Christmas Ornaments and Prepare These Items for Long-Distance Moving

We showed you how to store Christmas decorations and ensure they are safe and sound. Just don’t make one of the most common moving mistakes and wait until the last minute. Whether you’re moving in cold weather or you’re waiting for some more sunny days to come, the next Holiday season is right around the corner because time flies. So unless you want your new apartment shopping list to be full of seasonal festive trinkets, ensure that the ones you have to arrive in your new home intact.