When you walk into your garage and find yourself overwhelmed by piles of tangled strings of lights, ornaments or Chanukah candles, it’s time to get your decorations ready for the big holiday rush. The upcoming holiday season prompts the need for indoor storage solutions and decoration storage tips. Preparing in advance of the holidays helps you maintain order through the impending chaos. Get organized now and enjoy more time spent with friends and family this holiday season.

Getting Decorations Ready for the Holidays

Taking the time to organize your holiday decorations for easy retrieval and set-up now will help you for years to come. In addition to organizing, you’ll want to pack your items wisely to prevent damage, which can result in financial and emotional losses. Don’t miss out on enjoying your favorite holiday decorations because they are stored in a disorganized or scattered way. Remember to store your decorations in a place where they’ll be most likely to stay in good condition.

Get Organized

Organization, in conjunction with smart packing, helps keep your holiday decorations intact throughout the year. It will be easier to find what you need if you have organized your decorations and storage spaces in advance of the holiday season. Here are some easy steps to get you started:

  • Eliminate items you don’t plan to use again, and ensure those you want to keep are stored properly to maintain their condition. Get rid of broken items, lights that don’t work, and things you no longer want to display in your home during the holidays. Items that are still in good condition but you don’t want can be donated to Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity.
  • Separate items by type and don’t think about how you will store them yet. Think in terms of when you’ll want to use specific items and what you’ll use it for. Separate indoor and outdoor lights, outdoor decorations, Thanksgiving decorations and place settings, ornaments, tinsel, wreaths and garland, general holiday décor and gift wrapping supplies.
  • Separate fragile and breakable items for extra padding and proper packing. Keep similar items together and identify items that may easily be broken while in storage.
  • Untangle strands of lights. Leaving them piled up results in a big mess for you to work through when you’re getting ready to decorate the tree or light the exterior of your home. Untangling your lights and winding them up for proper storage helps reduce broken bulbs and keeps lights in the best shape. Use a piece of cardboard or something similar to wrap lights around in order to prevent them from tangling again during storage.

After separating and organizing your holiday decorations, gather all of your storage containers and boxes. Group your decorations according to fragility, use and category; this should help you determine the type of container you’ll need. Plastic containers provide a barrier from moisture and dust and can be used for holiday storage year after year. Clear storage containers allow you to see the contents, which is convenient for easier access. Cardboard boxes get the job done–just remember not to overload them.

Packing supplies for indoor storage solutions

Packing Materials

Ensure you have the right packing materials before storing your decorations. We recommend the following packing materials when preparing your holiday decor for storage:

  • Permanent markers for labeling boxes
  • Packing tape for sealing boxes
  • Tissue paper for wrapping fragile items and filling gaps
  • Bubble wrap for extra padding
  • Cardboard tubes to protect wrapping paper

Save the original packing materials from menorahs and spools to be reused when packing up and storing for the next holiday season.

Holiday Decoration Packing Tips

Packing your holiday decorations will be similar whether you decide to use plastic storage containers or cardboard boxes. Keep your decorations organized and separated, using packing material like tissue paper or, after the holidays, recycled gift wrap! When packing your boxes, you fill any gaps to avoid items shifting during storage.

Packing Fragile Items —Many holiday decorations can be difficult to pack because they are fragile. From light bulbs to holiday dinnerware and glassware, you want to prevent breakage. Wrap each piece in protective paper before packing.

Packing Holiday Ornaments and Decorations —Wrap your ornaments and figurines in a folded piece of tissue paper. For additional protection, secure them with bubble wrap. Boxes and containers for decorations storage can be packed with dividers to give each item its own space. Ornaments can also be gently packed together without dividers in storage containers.

Yard Inflatables and Large Items —Fold inflatables and wind up their electrical cords, which can all be stored in boxes. Holiday figurines should have their electrical cords wrapped up and secured to the items. Keep these items off of the ground in order to prevent electrical cords from being exposed.

Label Your Boxes and Containers —Labeling your holiday decorations makes it easier when removing boxes and containers from seasonal storage. This makes specific items easier to find when you need them. If you have a sequence you like to follow for decorating, numbered labeling can help you retrieve what you need in the order you need it.

Arranging for Accessibility —When packing and arranging your boxes for self storage, order them according to what you’ll need first to make the process easier on you. Keep boxes of like items together and the items you’ll want to use first in the front. Stack heavier boxes on the bottom and lighter ones above in order to prevent damage to your decorations.

SPS Christmas Tree of packing supplies

Indoor Storage Solutions for Holiday Decorations

Taking the time to organize, pack and properly store your decorations in advance of the upcoming winter holiday season gives you an advantage. Packing the right way the first time helps increase the lifespan of your beloved holiday decorations, allowing you to enjoy them for years to come. Using the vertical space in your storage area, be it the garage or a storage unit, will help make the most of your available space.

Security Public Storage offers indoor and climate-controlled storage units at our self-storage facilities on the West Coast and in the greater Washington DC area. Renting a storage unit helps clear out space in your home, which is especially helpful during the holiday season, when you have to make room for visiting family and friends and you want your home to look especially nice. Enjoy the space in your home by storing your holiday decorations in a self-storage unit during the rest of the year.

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