It’s the day after Christmas (whether you call that December 26th or January 7th!) and it’s time to take down that Christmas decor. And there could be LOTS of it. If you’re like me, You have a myriad of storage containers that don’t match, are breaking and need some help. Since I’ve accumulated my own Christmas crap, inherited boxes from my mom, and have combined with my husband’s nutcracker collection (going on 50 something!), Christmas organization is on my mind. I wince while opening boxes each Thanksgiving, only to find a tangle of lights, shifted ornaments and broken treasures.
So how did I get better Christmas Organization for all of my crap? Well, for starters, I threw out all my cardboard boxes. They were only making the haul from the attic for a couple of years before breaking, ripping or dying a dusty death. Instead, I started doing these things:
Snap up the ornament organizing boxes as soon as Christmas draws near
Note that I didn’t say after Christmas, because if you wait that long, you stand a HUGE chance of missing out – they are all bought up and gone! Your only hope may be online… That being said, buy several of them so that they stack, and the parts are interchangeable. This completely changed the way we stored our ornaments!! Red can even help put them away after I remove them from the tree.
Store your garland strand by strand
Want tangle-less garland and trim? Use a compartment in those organizers for each strand of beads or crystals – your temper will thank you next year as you pull everything out again.
Zip tie your fake tree limbs together
This is the big mama-jama tip. We have a 9′ fake tree with the lower 3/4 of the limbs being individual branches, labeled with teeeeeeny tiiiiiiny letter stickers. Those stickers, over the last 15-ish years have started to peel, fall off and fade. Not to mention that sorting through 70 branches to match size and length would be a killer task. Sort no more! We bought a pack of 100 zip ties for only a few dollars and it’s lasted us more than 5 years.
Get a tree storage bag that actually works
We have gone through at least 3 tree bags before finding this one. Previous models were made of woven plastic strips, thinner materials, etc. This fake Christmas tree storage bag has a plastic vinyl lining, a polyester red cover and heavy-duty webbing for handles on all sides. For a 9′ tree, this is mandatory. Add a double zipper and Chase can haul it upstairs by himself to the attic and even commented on what a nice bag it was! We originally bought it for $27… so stalk it until it goes on sale!
Wrap those lights!
I picked up this christmas light storage reel set from the hardware sore a few years ago. Before, I was wrapping lights around christmas pillows and tossing them in the aforementioned cardboard boxes (wince…). This reel was inexpensive and yet sturdy at the same time. I wish I had bought another one at the same time for the outdoor lights!
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