When the Christmas season arrives, it’s time to fetch, with great joy, the decorations from previous years, see those that can be reused and buy some new decorations that bring newness to the Christmas decorations. But when this season comes to an end and all the ornaments need to be put back in, it’s necessary to know how to organize and tidy everything up, to ensure that, next year, everything is kept in good condition.
1- Rule number one to keep: analysis and screening
It’s normal that during the festive season some decorations have gone bad, either because you have small children who love to play with the tree, or because you have curious pets that think pine balls are a toy. Before putting everything away, inspect all the ornaments and see which ones can be effectively saved for next Christmas and which ones are too damaged to be used again. So not only do you have next year’s sorting done, you save precious storage space!
2- Original boxes
If you’ve purchased new decorations to decorate your home, keep the original boxes – this is the easiest way to safely store Christmas decorations until next year. But keep only those that are of sufficient consistency so as not to dent while they are stored, thus avoiding any possible damage to the decorations.
3- Small boxes
Divide the balls, ornaments and small ornaments into smaller boxes which you will then store inside a larger box. Enjoy the cans of cookies or boxes of chocolates received and enjoyed during Christmas!
4- Sturdy boxes
Find plastic or hardboard storage boxes that are neatly organized but do not deform when put away. If you don’t want to invest in these types of plastic boxes, get hard cardboard boxes in supermarkets or take advantage of old shoe boxes or even boxes from the very Christmas gifts you are about to throw away.
5- The importance of cleanliness
If you used natural moss for the nativity scene, if you chose a natural pine tree or used spray snow to decorate the tree, it is important to clean the ornaments before putting them away, in order to avoid them being stored with this type of waste. Clean them carefully with a damp cloth, letting them dry well before storing them in their respective boxes.
6- The importance of the organization
Do not put balls mixed with bows, or nativity figures with stars. This is precisely what the smallest boxes are for – they can be specific to each type of decoration. Thus, the balls must all be together in one box and the loops in another. If, for example, the ornaments don’t all fit in the same box, sort them by color: red balls together, gold stars together!
7- Watch out, it’s fragile!
If you have glass ornaments, vintage ornaments or other fragile material, wrap them in newsprint or use leftover Christmas gift wrapping paper and place them in a box with styrofoam balls or crumpled sheets of newspaper, to lessen the probability of breaking.
8- To tag!
Label boxes on all sides so you know what they contain, regardless of which side of the box will be visible. You can write “Christmas” or “Christmas decoration”, or if you want a more specific description write something like “Christmas: balls and bows”.
9- How to store candles?
If you use themed candles in your Christmas decoration, keep them wrapped in a sheet of newspaper and an old cloth so they don’t lose their shape and get damaged from one year to the next.
10- Goodbye Christmas tree, see you next year
If using an artificial Christmas tree, it must be disassembled correctly, the branches all bent in the same direction and preferably stored in the original box. Tape the box closed and write “Christmas tree” on the outside.
11- And the crowns?
Crowns should be protected with newsprint or soft paper, covering the entire piece. Then put them in a plastic bag, keeping them lying down inside a box that supports their diameter. You can even put crumpled sheets of newspaper or styrofoam balls around it.
12- Lights off
Christmas lights should be rolled up carefully so they don’t get damaged. Use a finished paperboard roll, for example, and wrap the lights around it. Secure with an elastic band loosely so as not to damage the electrical cord and store in a box suitable for the size.
13- Best place to pack everything?
Since you won’t be seeing and using the Christmas decorations again for many months, try to keep them in a place in the storeroom or pantry that you don’t use often, such as the shelves above, making room for more regularly used items in those places. easily accessible. When arranging Christmas ornaments, be careful not to place them in damp places or places that might catch water, especially if you chose to store them in cardboard boxes.
