Are you putting off the monumental task of putting away your holiday decorations? Some people have actually decided to leave their cheerful lights and holiday décor up throughout the year as a way to combat the depressing effects of the pandemic. When it’s time to store your holiday décor, though, take heart in some seasonal storage tips that will not only help you put your items away safely, but will also prove beneficial when it’s time to take them out again next holiday season.
Broken and Unused Decorations
The first step is get rid of what doesn’t work, what’s broken, or what you simply don’t use anymore. You may be keeping ornaments for sentimental reasons but it may be time to let go of some of those also. Think about why you are holding onto them and then decide if it’s okay to give them to someone else or simply discard them this year. If you have decorations that you don’t use and don’t want but are still in good condition, consider donating them.
Tangled Christmas Lights
There’s nothing more fun each year than trying to untangle strand after strand of holiday lights, right? Most people would say this is the most frustrating part of decorating for the holidays, of course. The secret to untangled lights is in the seasonal storage of your holiday décor. Use a reel or spool, similar to the reels that hold your garden hose or the large spools that hold yarn. Wrap the lights around the reel and store the reel in a large plastic bag to protect the lights during the off-season.
Fragile and Breakable Items
As you take down your holiday décor, separate the items into those that are fragile and those that are not. For the breakable items, use extra care in protecting them so they’ll survive their time in storage. For ornaments, fold a piece of tissue paper once or twice and wrap the paper around the ornament. Larger ornaments may require more than one piece of tissue paper.
If you have holiday dishes or glassware, use packing paper to carefully wrap each item separately. You can protect these wrapped dishes by placing bubble wrap in between them as you stack them and then around the entire stack. For glasses and breakable cups, stuff the insides with packing paper as well for extra protection.
To store breakables safely, consider using boxes with dividers, such as those you can pick up at a liquor store. Empty six-pack containers and egg cartons also work well to give you individual slots for your fragile ornaments and breakable items.
Plastic Containers
When deciding what type of containers to use for seasonal storage of your holiday décor, think about where the decorations will be kept in the off-season. Large plastic tubs offer protection against moisture and other elements and they are less likely to deteriorate with repeated use year after year. Use containers that are the same size so they’re easier to stack when you put them in storage.
Labels
Using masking tape and a permanent marker or a label maker, indicate what you have stored in each container. List the items included so you won’t have to try to interpret your label when it comes time to unpack and decorate again. Instead of just labeling the container as “decorations,” for example, state specifically that it contains tree ornaments, hallway decorations, or outside lights. While many people do enjoy surprises, you will want to know what each container holds when you are ready to decorate next season.
Call Fox Moving and Storage Atlanta for Storage Options
If you don’t have room in your home to store your holiday décor, consider an off-site storage unit. At Fox Moving and Storage Atlanta, we offer secure, climate-controlled storage options that suit your specific needs. You can free up space in your house and still know that your seasonal decorations are safe and sound and will be ready for you to use when it’s time to start decorating again.
We’re also help you when you’re ready to move, either within the greater Atlanta area or across the country. Give us a call at 678-704-0444 to learn more about how we can help with your storage and moving needs. We offer a free quote so you will know that our expert services will fit in your moving and storage budget.