Storing and organizing holiday decorations can be a daunting task, especially if you have accumulated items over the years and decorate for different holidays. Plus, you probably have outdoor and indoor holiday decorations. These tips, however, can make the process easier and more efficient.

 

1.  Designate a specific location for holiday décor, whether it’s a basement or attic with shelves or a closet. The location doesn’t matter so much as having all your decorations stored in ONE place.

 

2.  Use individual clear bins with lids for storing each holiday’s decorations. Do not mix holidays!

 

3.  Label the bins with the designated holiday. If you have multiple bins per holiday, you may want to group similar items in a bin and label them appropriately. For example, for Christmas you might have one box labeled “Christmas tree decorations” and another “Christmas table linens.” If you have the space and plan to decorate the same next year, you may want to store decorations by the location in which you place them in your house, such as “Halloween dining table” or “Easter mantle.”

 

4.  Include all items for that holiday, even kitchen towels and napkins, with the decor. This puts everything in one place and cuts down on the number of places you have to search for holiday items. Since you only use your Christmas mugs and kitchen towels at that time of year, you won’t have to look far to find them once December rolls around.

 

5.  If you find decor that you’re not happy with anymore and don’t want to use again, donate or give it away. Lots of charities are happy to have holiday decor available to their clientele and you don’t need to store and organize what no longer serves you.

 

6.  The only holiday decoration I might suggest storing separately is outdoor decor. These items tend to be larger and heavier than inside decorations. Usually these are best stored in a garage or closer to where they will be displayed. Make sure your outdoor decorations are clean and dry before putting them away at the end of the season.

 

7.  My favorite tip for organizing and storing holiday decorations is to remember how everything was decorated. Take a picture and save it to the Notes app on your phone along with a description of the holiday and where the decoration was placed. If you store the photos in Notes, you can search by “Christmas front door,” for example, instead of having to scroll through thousands of photos to find the right one.

 

Everyone’s home is different, so consider your space before deciding on the best place for holiday decoration storage. Remember to measure the area before you buy containers or shelves to ensure you have the right sizes and quantities. Or call a professional to help you.