Complete Guide To Christmas Decoration Storage

Ever opened up your box of Christmas decorations to discover a messy tangle of tinsel and Xmas tree baubles buried at the bottom? Not packing your decorations carefully this year can make unpacking them next year a nightmare. 

Whether you’re putting your Xmas decorations in a cupboard or in a self-storage facility, our handy guide is here to help you neatly organise your tinsel, wreaths and tree so it’s super easy to pull them out next year. We’ll cover everything that you need to know to pack up your Xmas decorations efficiently with tons of expert insight to guide you through the process.

Christmas Packing Materials Checklist

Here are packing materials that may come in handy: 

• A permanent marker
• A label maker or scotch tape (to create labels for boxes)
• Packing or duct tape (for sealing boxes)
• Tissue paper (for wrapping fragile items and filling gaps in containers)
• Bubble wrap
• Resealable plastic bags (for organising small objects)
• Cardboard dividers
• Cardboard boxes
• Plastic containers
• Silica gel packets (for keeping moisture out of your sealed boxes)

Pro tip: Before you start packing up, snap a picture of your Xmas decoration display in their full glory. Organise your Xmas decorations by type and how they fit in your decorating scheme. Print out the pictures you take to attach to boxes that house those specific decorations. This will help you feel super organised and provide an easy reference for setting up your Xmas decorations next year. 

Christmas Decoration Storage Containers

Every family has their own special decorations that come out every Christmas. In this guide, we’ll focus only on the most common Xmas decorations. 

Delicate Christmas ornament storage

Ornaments like Xmas baubles can be difficult to organise and pack due to their small, odd sizes and delicate nature. You have a few options here: 

 

• Box dividers: Re-pack your ornaments inside their original packaging or use empty egg cartons.
• Bubble wrap: Wrap your ornaments carefully in a layer of bubble wrap, or slip them inside a bubble wrap plastic envelope.
• Tissue paper: Take a piece of tissue paper and fold it once or twice to add some bulk to it. Wrap each ornament carefully and individually with tissue paper. If the ornament you are wrapping up is too large to fit inside a folded piece of tissue paper, use two or three pieces stacked on top of one another.
• Resealable plastic bags: Pack your ornament inside a clear plastic bag. This is especially useful if the ornament is glittery! Clear bags make it super easy to organise your ornaments by colour. 

 

 

Christmas trees

Here are a few creative ideas for packing a Xmas tree: 

• Cardboard box: Artificial Christmas trees often come in a cardboard box. If you’re lucky, you saved that box and now have a perfect match for your tree’s size on hand.
• Cling wrap: To pack up your tree, simply bundle up each branch to get the tree as straight as possible. Wrap the tree tightly in cling wrap to keep it protected throughout the year.
• Heavy-duty garbage bags: Deconstruct your tree and fold down the branches. Place each tree part in a black garbage bag and wrap it tightly. Store the wrapped pieces together in a box with the base of the tree. 

 

 

Wreaths

Wreaths can be difficult to pack due to their size and shape. They are best stored in a cardboard box with tissue paper to help protect delicate features like faux berries or pinecones. 

Your artificial wreath or garland should have lights removed from them and the branches should be folded to make the garland as straight and uniform as possible. 

Garlands

Prevent the strands of your garlands from getting twisted by storing the garland in a plastic bottle. 

Xmas fairy lights

If you keep your fairy lights tangled at the bottom of a box, you’re setting yourself up for failure when it comes time to untangle them next year and possibly bending the wires out of shape. Xmas lights should always be bundled carefully to minimise tangling. 

Here are a few creative ways to keep your Xmas fairy lights untangled: 

• Wind them around pieces of sturdy cardboard
• Twist them around hangers
• Wrap them in plastic wrap

Tinsel

Although beautiful, tinsel has a tendency to tangle and bend when stored. To keep tinsel shiny and bright, fold the tinsel neatly and stack between layers of tissue. 

Gift-wrapping supplies

Rolls of wrapping paper, ribbons and bows can easily get damaged in storage. To keep them in good shape, pack them …

Candles

For Xmas candles, we recommend packing them inside soft fabric, like a Christmas stocking, a dish towel or pantyhose. Keep them in a cool box where they cannot melt or warp with heat. 

Where To Store Christmas Decorations

Now that you’ve got your Xmas decorations packed, you’ll need a place to store them. 

Where you choose to store your decorations matters. Certain areas of your home, like your garage or backyard shed, might expose your Xmas decorations to moisture, fluctuations in temperature and breakage. 

If you don’t have enough space to store all your Xmas decorations safely, your best option is to rent a self-storage unit. 

Here are some tips for organising your Xmas decorations inside a self-storage unit: 

• Label and number all your boxes – Labelling your box will make it easy to find what you need next Xmas season. 
• Organise your items for easy retrieval and set-up – Make the boxes you’ll need first easy to access. Most families have a routine they follow to decorate their home each year. For example, they might assemble the Christmas tree first, followed by fairy lights and baubles. When you deliver your Xmas decorations to your self-storage unit, keep the boxes you’ll need first in the front. Set the boxes up so they are easy to pull out in order of use. 
• Don’t stack heavy boxes on top of lighter ones – To prevent damage to your Xmas decorations, stack your heavier boxes on the bottom and your lighter ones on top. 

Self-storage is the perfect place to store your bulky Christmas decorations when you don’t need them. Get in touch with More Space Storage on 07 5594 9739 (Molendinar) or (07) 5598 3355 (Currumbin).