Effortless Holiday Organizing: Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Storage
After the holiday cheer winds down, we’re all faced with a familiar conundrum: what to do with all this stuff? If you're tired of untangling lights, hunting down decorations, or wrestling with overstuffed boxes, let’s dive into some practical organizing strategies to keep your holiday items in check for years to come. Because after the last ornament is packed and the final light is unplugged, wouldn’t it be nice if storing it all felt as easy as unboxing it?
Step 1: Create a Holiday Storage Zone
First things first: you have to choose WHERE these things are going to live in your home. Having a dedicated holiday storage area will save you endless frustration when the time comes to pack it all up until next year.
Most people go with an attic or garage, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Here’s how to pick the best spot for YOU:
Assess Your Spaces: Look around your home for free space. Many opt for attics and garages, but you could also use closets, spare rooms, or under beds.
Think Accessibility: Choose a location that’s easy to reach if you decorate often. If not as often, a harder-to-reach area is great, like the attic or garage, or the top shelf in a closet.
Check Conditions: Avoid damp or extreme temperature areas. If all else fails, make sure you get weatherproof storage containers to protect your decor.
Plan Ahead: Consider future needs, as your decor collection may grow later.
By taking the time to thoughtfully choose the right storage location, you’ll set yourself up for a smoother decorating experience in the coming years. Once you’ve selected your space, you can move on to making it a well-organized holiday storage zone!
Step 2: Gather and Sort Your Stuff
Now that you’ve picked a location, it’s time to gather all your holiday decorations:
Collect Everything: Go room by room - and outside - and gather all your holiday items. Yes, everything - even the other holidays!
Sort by Holiday: First, sort the items into different holidays.
Sort by Category: Once you’ve sorted by holiday, go through each holiday one by one and organize into mini groups like Outdoor Decor, Lights, Ornaments, Art, Indoor Decor, etc.
Evaluate Condition: Check for broken items and throw them out! Only keep what you really love.
Step 3: Get the Right Storage
With everything sorted, let’s talk storage solutions:
Think Ahead: Most items can go in plastic totes, but not everything. Don’t just throw it all in a tote and call it a day. That leads to broken decorations and tangled lights. Wreaths and ornaments and even trees have specialty storage containers that make storage a breeze! Click the links below to see examples.
Ornament Storage: Ornament Storage Boxes have little dividers that keep delicate ornaments safe from scratches and shattering. Make sure they have some padding and the outside is sturdy, not just made of cloth.
Wreath Storage: Wreath bags or bins are a great way to protect your wreaths from damage and squishing.
Rolling Christmas Tree Storage: Make your life easier than ever with this rolling Christmas tree storage container. It’s so easy to move around, you’ll wish you’d known about this one sooner!
Holiday Light Spools: Prevent your Christmas lights from becoming a tangled mess with the right storage.
Invest in Quality Bins: Use sturdy, stackable totes like HDX Tough Totes from Home Depot or IRIS Heavy Duty Weatherproof Totes.
Clear totes are also a great option - you can see what’s in each one at a glance.
Color coding is another wonderful choice if you’re a visual person. For example, all the Christmas decor could be in green totes, while Valentine’s Day is in red totes. Halloween would go in orange totes, and Easter would go in pastel blue totes!
Step 4: Label and Store
Label each bin with its contents and holiday for easy identification. Spool each strand of lights and LABEL THEM with their lengths so you can easily find what you need next year.
Fun Label Ideas:
Standard Labels - Use a Cricut or another labelmaker to mark the holiday and contents of each bin.
Fun Stickers - Go for visuals instead of words! Use holiday icons (like snowflakes or pumpkins) instead of text. You can make these yourself or order them custom on Etsy.
QR Codes - A game changer! QR codes are special barcodes that can be scanned with a smartphone for quick access to info about what’s inside each bin. Simply create a list of contents using a QR code app, print the code, and attach it to the bin. When you need something, just scan the code, and it’ll tell you what’s in there!
Organize smartly by arranging bins based on how often you use them, keeping frequently used items front and center.
With these simple steps, you’ll be able to wrap up holiday storage like a pro and enjoy a more organized start to the New Year. So sleigh the season, pack it all up like a boss, and enjoy a fresh, tidy start!
Happy organizing and happy holidays! 🎅🌟
