How to Put Christmas Decorations in Storage

When the holidays wrap up, it is time to take down and store a variety of decorations. Keeping Christmas decorations in good condition for the next holiday season is easy when they are stored safely. Decorations will last longer, and be cherished for years to come when put into storage.

Things You'll Need

• Storage boxes
• Plastic storage totes
• Plastic wreath containers
• Plastic garbage bags
• Christmas tree storage box or case
• Canned air
• Scissors to trim candle wick
• Washing machine or hand washing sink
• Bubble wrap

Instructions

1. Unplug and take down all holiday lights. Leaving Christmas lights attached to a house, trees, bushes or other outdoor fixtures will slowly break them. Take the time to remove the lights and store them in a box inside where weather will not break the bulbs and tangle the wires.

2. Store holiday wreaths in plastic. After removing holiday wreaths from indoor and outdoor locations, make sure they are clean. Remove any cobwebs, leaves or bugs. Use canned air to remove any dust. Store wreaths in plastic wreath bags, or wrap in large plastic garbage bags to keep them clean until next holiday season.

3. Place ornaments in their original boxes. Ball-shaped ornaments often come in boxes with wells for each individual bulb. These boxes will keep the ornaments from bumping into each other, and possibly breaking. If the original box is no longer available, wrap each ornament in a few layers of paper towels, and carefully place side by side in a plastic storage tote.

4. Clean up holiday candles. Trim the burned wick. Clean off any excess wax drippings, and place holiday candles in a box for storage. Do not place them in a garage or basement if it is not climate controlled.

5. Wash and store holiday table cloths, place mats and runners. Take the time to handwash, or use the delicate cycle on the wash machine to freshen holiday linens. Remove food, wax and other stains before storing them for the holiday season.

6. Remove decorations from fake Christmas trees. Take all ornaments, tinsel, lights and candy off the tree before placing it into storage. Cover the tree with plastic, or fit it back into its original storage box or case so it doesn’t get dusty during the off-season.

7. Wrap all breakable decorations in bubble wrap. If available, place decorations back into the the original packaging if it has padded inserts or other protective materials. Carefully place the wrapped items on shelves. Do not stack breakable decorations because the weight may break items on the bottom of the stack.