Festive fails: How not to store your holiday decorations
Here are some common mistakes people make when storing holiday decorations — and what to do instead.
The holiday season brings joy, good times and a flurry of decorations to make your home festive. But once the season ends, it’s time to remove your holiday decor and pack it away for next year. Here are some common mistakes people make when storing holiday decorations — and what to do instead.
Using weak or improvised storage containers
It’s tempting to reuse the same cardboard boxes yearly to store decorations. They’re cheap, plentiful and easy to pack into the attic, garage or basement.
However, cardboard boxes aren’t built to last. Over time, they weaken, collapse under pressure and offer little protection from pests or moisture. Similarly, gift or plastic shopping bags may seem convenient but can cause vintage Christmas decorations to break, tangle or warp.
To protect your decorations, invest in sturdy plastic bins with lids. Choose clear bins so you can see what’s inside without opening them. Specialty containers for ornaments and wreaths, with divided sections or shaped compartments, keep delicate items safe and organized.
Label each bin with its contents to make unpacking easier next year. Invest in proper holiday storage containers this year to save time and money in the long run.
Forgetting to protect fragile ornaments
Fragile decorations, especially glass or vintage ornaments with intricate details, are often the first casualties of poor storage practices. Storing them in a bin without cushioning or separating them from heavier items can dent or shatter them.
Instead, wrap them in tissue paper, bubble wrap or felt to protect them. Divided ornament storage containers help secure delicate pieces and prevent them from knocking into one another.
If you don’t want to purchase specialty storage, use egg cartons or shoeboxes as DIY alternatives. Just ensure you add padding between layers.
Store small ornaments in cookie tins. Once the decorations are hung, the tins can be filled with new batches of Christmas cookies.
Neglecting handcrafted and sentimental items
Children’s handmade ornaments and family heirloom decorations often carry far more emotional value than the average store-bought decoration. Yet these items are frequently treated like any other decoration and stored without considering their unique needs.
Over time, the paint may fade, and the glue may weaken on handcrafted rustic holiday decor. Additionally, moisture or pests can cause irreparable damage.
Store these sentimental treasures in individual containers or wrap them in acid-free tissue paper to prevent discoloration. Small plastic bins or archival-quality storage boxes can protect these items from dust and humidity.
Leaving decorations in damp or unprotected areas
Basements, garages and sheds might seem convenient places to stash holiday decorations. Yet, these areas often come with problems.
Basements can be damp, leading to mold and mildew. Garages and sheds are prone to temperature extremes, which can warp plastic decorations, damage lights and cause adhesives to fail. Worse, these locations may be home to pests like mice or insects that can chew through boxes and decorations.
Instead, store your decorations in dry, climate-controlled spaces. Closets, attics or even under-bed storage are better options for keeping your items safe. However, consider each item’s size and weight before choosing these locations.
“I used to store my decorations in the loft, including the extremely heavy Christmas tree holder,” says Mandy Applegate, owner of My Reliable Recipes. One year, as Applegate carried it down, it slipped and bounced down the stairs, denting the hallway wall and the wooden floor. “I advise storing any heavy items on a ground level,” she says.
Use airtight bins and add moisture absorbers or silica gel packets to prevent humidity damage. Plan to protect your decorations from environmental hazards.
Failing to detangle string lights
When the holidays are over, many people hastily remove string lights and pack them in a box or bag without thinking twice. Those once-tidy strands become a tangled mess when the next season rolls around.
Worse, mishandling lights can break bulbs, fray wires or damage plugs. This leads to costly replacements or safety hazards that could spark and start a fire.
The best way to store string lights is to wind them carefully around a spool, a piece of cardboard or even an empty paper towel tube. Secure the ends with twist ties or rubber bands to keep them from unraveling.
Before storing them, test each strand of lights to ensure they are in working order. This simple step will save you time, frustration and money next year.
Overloading storage boxes
Trying to cram all your holiday decorations into one or two oversized bins might seem like a space-saving strategy. However, it often backfires.
Overloaded bins are difficult to lift and move, increasing the risk of accidents. Heavier items can crush more fragile decorations like your child’s toilet paper roll Christmas crafts.
Instead, distribute decorations across multiple smaller bins, grouping items by type or function. Keep all lights in one container, ornaments in another and garlands in a third.
This makes the bins easier to handle and simplifies finding what you need next season. Remember to store heavier items on the bottom and lighter items on top to prevent crushing.
Ignoring labels and organization
After the holidays, many people are eager to pack everything away as quickly as possible, with little thought to labeling or organization. While this might save a few minutes during cleanup, it creates unnecessary headaches when locating specific decorations next year.
Take time to label each box. Use clear, concise labels that describe the contents, such as “Tree Ornaments,” “Outdoor Lights” or “Living Room Decor.”
Consider color-coding your storage bins by holiday or theme for even more convenience. Organized storage saves time and frustration, allowing you to focus on enjoying the season.
Proper storage now avoids holiday decor damage later
Properly storing your holiday decorations might not seem like a priority during the post-season cleanup, but it’s a good idea to help preserve your festive investment. Avoiding these common mistakes can save you time, money and stress. Packing holiday decorations properly means you can start the next holiday season with decorations that look as good as when you packed them away.
Sarita Harbour is a long-time business and personal finance writer. She created Recipes From Leftovers to help home cooks save money and reduce waste by turning leftovers into tasty dishes.
More About:Lifestyle
You Might Like
