Store Away The Holidays

my favorite christmas storage finds

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The New Year has come and gone, and I am finally ready to part ways with all my holiday decorations. I don’t about you, but I am a traditionalist when it comes to leaving my holiday decorations up through New Years. I feel like its worth it and I love all the cozy lights! Inevitably, when it’s time to take them down, I fight the urge to quickly shove everything into bins and call it a day. But, I know that as soon as the next December rolls around, I’ll be looking for where I placed that one strand of lights or ornament. Luckily, I have found some great Christmas storage hacks this year that have made putting everything away a breeze! Organization really helps me set the tone for the New Year. Especially since our basement is completely getting renovated anyways… why not elevate my storage? I know I will thank myself later!

Storing Christmas Lights

There is nothing, I mean nothing, worse than pulling out tangled strands of light. If you are one of those people who enjoys the task of detangling, I salute you. I know my strengths, and that is not one! I have tried a lot of different wrapping methods over the years, but these lighting storage solutions have made all the difference.

I also always make sure all my lights are working before putting them away, and take a small inventory of what I have. Labeling the outside of the boxes and bags with things like strand number and strand type really helps me from buying too many new ones in the next season!

These light storage boxes from Amazon come with internal dividers, making it easy to store multiple strands of lights at once.

Tip: I use zip ties or rubber bands to bind the ends of my lights together after I wrap them. This helps me tell when one strand ends and the other begins.

Storing Your Trees

I used to store my trees in a corner in hefty trash bags. It was effective, but I nearly threw my tree out more times than I can count. I found an alternative that zips everything away in one place, and has a spot for a label. I like that it stores in a way that I can stack things on top of too. This storage bag fits up to a 7.5 foot tree, which is perfect for our family! The handles make it super easy to take out when it’s time!

When it comes to ornament storage, I still find the simplest way is to keep the boxes they come in. But, if you throw things away like me, these ornament boxes from Amazon are an excellent alternative. They come with a lid, are easily stackable, and have a label on the front. They have 64 slots with adjustable dividers.

Storing Your Wreathes and Garland

Since the majority of my garland is artificial, storing it is a must. Like my Christmas tree, I used to use garbage bags. While effective, the garland usually makes it way through the bag and pokes me when I take it out. I found these great wreath storage bags on Amazon that I use for my wreathes too. They come in a pack of two. My favorite part about these bags is they come with a zipper pouch in front that can be used to store my garland additions like zip ties, pine cones and ribbons. It makes finding everything a breeze the next Christmas!

Storing Your Wrapping Paper

One of the main things that I find difficult to store is my wrapping paper. I usually just shove it in the corner of the closet, but I found these amazing bags this year on Amazon that have been saving my life! I always have leftover paper, and these clear bags help me see what I have super easily! I also love that they come with handles for easy transport. They’re great for birthday wrap too!

Storing Your Holiday Dinnerware

My cabinets are already filled to the brim, so storing holiday dinnerware has to look a little different than stacking it with my everyday china. Thankfully, these bags make it really easy to store away those pieces that only come out for Christmas feasting. I go ahead and store them away with the rest of my holiday ware, and I feel really good about them staying safe and chip free!

While saying goodbye to the holiday season can be bittersweet, I encourage you to use this month to streamline and dig deep into what you want to take with you and what you want to leave behind! Even your holiday decorations. If there are pieces that stayed in your closet this year, maybe it’s time to say goodbye! Donating holiday decorations can feel super freeing. I love taking pictures of my displays before storing them. This helps me feel inspired the next year and remember how I set things up! Since my style is constantly evolving, I always want to make space for the new. Keep the things that bring you joy, the things that are sentimental or remind you of your childhood. Sometimes having two designated storage spaces can be helpful. If there are things you don’t use but aren’t ready to get rid of quite yet or want to keep for future generations, use a waterproof box and stick them in the attic! You can shop my holiday storage list on my Amazon storefront here.