Now that the holiday season is officially over, many are getting ready to wrap up the Christmas decorations and experts have shared genius hacks that will help you save your future self a headache next holiday season.
While throwing your Christmas decorations in a box and tossing them in a closet somewhere might seem like the easiest option, the idea of untangling the lights and saving the broken trinkets for next year is enough to make you want to to take your retention seriously.
And while it might be sad when your twinkling lights and festive decorations fall down, organizer experts have shared a few tricks that will help you put away even the weirdest items.
Now that the holiday season is officially over, many are getting ready to wrap up the Christmas decorations
From using egg cartons to store ornaments to making your own lightweight storage spool, Real Simple Editor-in-Chief Lauren Iannotti shared her storage tricks with Today
Recycle egg cartons and coffee cup holders to keep ornaments safe
If you tire of broken ornaments year after year, experts have just what you need.
Speak with todayLauren Iannotti, the editor-in-chief of Real Simple, shared how “with things you have around the house” you can keep those precious and antique ornaments from falling apart.
Lauren’s first tip was to store smaller trinkets in an egg carton.
She explained that you can just “throw in” the decor and the cardboard helps keep “everything safe.”
If you tire of broken ornaments year after year, organization expert suggests using egg cartons to keep ornaments safe (stock image)
To store larger ornaments, place them in cup holders. For extra cushioning, place the ornaments in coffee filters before inserting them into the cup holders
Holiday decor enthusiast Nicky also shared her favorite trick for putting away those sentimental ornaments
If you have larger ornaments lying around, you might want to start collecting cup holders on your coffee runs.
For your third coffee run of the day, don’t forget to save the cup holders as they serve as the perfect cushion for larger ornaments.
To store larger ornaments, place them in cup holders. For extra cushioning, place the ornaments in coffee filters before inserting them into the cup holders.
The cup holders fold together for the perfect storage solution.
Holiday decor enthusiast Nicky also shared her favorite trick for putting away those sentimental ornaments.
In a video posted to her TikTok, the Pennsylvania mother-of-two showed how she lay ornaments flat on a piece of bubble wrap before carefully rolling up the bubble wrap.
Cardboard scraps to the rescue! Use pieces of cardboard to create a storage coil for your lights
If you want to avoid messing with the masses of knotted tree lights, Lauren recommends “coiling” the lights when you put them away
You can buy a lightweight storage spool or make your own by cutting notches at the top and bottom of a piece of cardboard (stock image).
If you want to avoid messing with the masses of knotted tree lights, Lauren recommends “coiling” the lights when you put them away.
And while you can pick up a light coil on Amazon for between $10 and $20 if you’ve waited until the last minute to put away your decor or just want to avoid buying a little extra this year, the organization expert shared, how to DIY a light storage coil.
If you still have those extra boxes lying around from all your holiday shopping, you’re in luck.
Take a piece of cardboard and cut notches at the top and bottom and wrap your lights around the cardboard to “do your future self a favor”.
Lauren added, “Anyone can do it [this hack]’ and after you wrap them around scraps of cardboard you can stack them neatly in a bin until next year.
No more fuss! Use garbage bags to cover and store your Christmas tree
While you could just take the pieces of the tree apart and put them back in the box, Lauren shared an even easier method
Lauren suggested that you take a trash bag—or several, depending on the size of your tree—and cover your tree with it to keep dust or moisture from collecting
Putting away your tree is quite possibly the biggest challenge you’ll have to take on when storing your Christmas decorations.
While you could just take the pieces of the tree apart and put them back in the box, Lauren shared an even easier method.
She suggested that you take a garbage bag — or several, depending on the size of your tree — and cover your tree with it to keep dust or moisture from collecting.
That means you don’t have to take it apart and it doesn’t take up as much space.
When you’re ready to unload your decor, all you have to do is remove the bags and fluff up the branches, and you’re ready to go.
Give your dry cleaning bags a second chance and use them to store wreaths and garlands
To store your wreath, simply take the hanger from a dry cleaning bag and place your beloved wreath in the bag to protect it from dust
Decorating expert Jennifer also shared a genius garland storage trick, and this time you can use a garment bag to hang the garland pieces
Lauren went on to explain how to store these odd shaped items.
If you buy a new wreath every year due to poor storage practices causing them to become misshapen, the organizing expert shared how a simple hack can save you time and money.
While you’re doing your post-holiday cleaning, don’t throw away your pre-holiday dry cleaning bag just yet and use it to store your wreath.
You just take out the hanger and put your beloved wreath in the bag to protect it from dust.
You can even keep the wire hanger and bend the base around your wreath before hanging it in your closet so you never have a misshapen wreath again.
Decorating expert Jennifer also shared a genius trick for storing garlands.
Grab another dry cleaning bag, hang your garland on the wire hanger, close the garment bag and store it in your closet until next year.
Protect fabrics from dust and bugs with vacuum-sealed bags—and save paper with shoe organizers
To protect fabric decorations like stockings, pillows, and tablecloths, Lauren recommends purchasing vacuum seal bags
To organize packing supplies, Lauren recommends using a shoe organizer or basket with S-hooks to hang everything on the side.
To protect fabric decorations like stockings, pillows, and tablecloths, Lauren recommends purchasing vacuum seal bags.
This fountain protects them from dirt, bugs, moisture and dust and will be restored to perfect condition next holiday season.
If you don’t already own vacuum-sealed storage bags, you can buy them from Amazon for $20 and use them to store everything from holiday decor to seasonal clothing.
And after you’ve put away the rest of your decorations, it’s time to find something to do with all those gift wrapping supplies.
Giving gifts is one of the many joys of the holiday season, but storing the various rolls of wrapping paper, ribbon, and more is often a task that makes many skip presents all together.
To organize wrapping supplies, Lauren recommends using a shoe organizer or basket with S-hooks to hang everything on the side to keep all the wrapping paper ribbons and bows looking neat and tidy.
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