Cleaning Up Holiday Decorations

Some people wish that the holidays would never end, while others cant wait to pack it all up and start again next year. Although you may not be ready to put the decorations away, they will need to come down, so here are some tips on how to organize them and make it easier to take them out for the next holiday season.

If you usually just toss all the decorations in a haphazard way, you should invest in some plastic storage containers. Clear ones are the best option as you can see whats inside without having to open and close every box, and they come in a myriad of sizes. There are containers specifically for ornaments to keep them from getting damaged. Label your containers so it is easy to locate the right box

Depending what you are putting inside the box, padding the bottom, top or sides may be a good idea, especially if you have very delicate ornaments you don’t want to even risk getting damaged.

For Christmas lights, wrap them around a piece of cardboard, instead of their own wires. You can also use empty spools if you can get a hold of them from your local home improvement store.

For wreaths and garlands, you want to avoid packing them tightly. Pack them loosely around a piece of cardboard. If you have lots of garland, utilize the plastic storage containers. Smaller wreaths can be packed away in shoe boxes, while larger ones should go in the container with the garland – place the heaviest decorations on the bottom.

For storing your wrapping paper, get one box that fits the large sized rolls. Also put any ribbons, bows, tape and gift bags in this box as well, that way it is convenient for you to find when the time to wrap presents comes along.