Tips an ideas for storing Christmas ornaments and all the other decorations that you won't need for a year. Post your ideas.
Now that the holidays are winding down and it is now time to put away the decorations, I find the inserts in boxes from the liquor store are perfect to store your ornaments. Simply, wrap the ornaments in tissue paper and place in each section.
By Laura from Chicago, Illinois
Can't afford those snazzy red and green boxes to pack your ornaments in? You have everything you need to pack them free. First, wrap them in used wrapping paper. Do not use newspaper, it can discolor some ornaments. Stop by the local liquor store and pick up wine boxes, the ones with the dividers for all the bottles. Store owners will let you have as many as you want free. You're able to slide the ornaments in the slots (They also work well for crystal, too.) Wrapped ornaments can be stacked on top of one another. Heaviest goes on the bottom, of course. Tiny or miniature ornaments can be stored in egg cartons. If you plan to store boxes in the attic, put in a moth ball and secure with tape. This keeps the varmints out. Label boxes with large print so you can see them far away. This will keep you from working too hard to find them next year.
By Carole from Clay City, IN
If you are near a liquor store, ask them for their boxes. They all have neat dividers in them that are perfect for storing breakables.
By wallflower
Do not store Christmas ornaments in newspaper. The ink may come off on the ornaments while in storage.
By Linda
Use Rubbermaid type storage boxes so they will not crush and break your fragile ornaments!
By homeschoolin_mum
These are more "Wish I had done" ideas: Something I haven't done but wished I had done when I hauled out ornaments this year is to label my boxes as outdoor and indoor decorations. Then I would know which box to grab when I am ready to do the outdoors (usually before I am ready to tackle the inside and/or when the weather is better).
I use 3 huge Rubbermaid-type containers for all of my decorations and ornaments. They stack well, and can be shuffled to the back of the storage area during the off season. I hope when I put everything away this year I can take the time to organize things better: Christmas village, breakables, or other ornaments of a single theme all stored together. Oh, and put the Christmas cards where they are easy to get to early in the season so I can send them out earlier.
I have always struggled with the glass bulbs. I don't want to keep the bulky boxes they come in, but what to do? This year I stumbled on an idea I think may work. I used old garland (the tinsel type). It was all I had on hand, but it was easier than paper of any kind - and looked pretty!
By whach4him
When shopping yesterday I noticed in the aisle of the store a cardboard box with dividers in it and many, many single sheets of bubble wrap. I asked an employee if they would be tossing the box and wrap out. They said "yes". I asked if I might have it. All I had to do was go to customer service to verify that it was ok (which it was) and now when I take my decorations off of the tree I will have a great place to store some of them. I plan on keeping my eyes open to accumulate more. It really pays to keep your eyes open and it proves that sometimes things are yours for the asking.
By joesgirl
i use boxes that individual glasses come in. i work for a restaurant and have asked owners for the boxes when they order new glasses
By jo.
I help my Christmas-loving neighbors put up and take down their decorations. They use big cardboard apple boxes that have lids that completely cover the sides of the box bottoms. They number each box, label it for each room, and write the contents of each box in a spiral notebook each year. Each item goes into a labeled plastic bag and/or tissue paper. They take "before" and "after" photos of almost everything so we know what goes where again in January. (01/12/2007)
By Janice C.
For many years, my husband and I have made stringing the lights on the tree a much easier process! We roll each strand of lights into balls, similar to winding a ball of yarn. Begin the winding so the plug is the very last part to wind. That way we can check your lights before the next unwinding!
By Beth
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