These Holiday Storage Ideas Will Make Your Life So Much Easier Next Year

Here’s how to pack, stack, and rack your holiday decor using inexpensive, versatile storage basics.

The gifts are opened, the cookies are eaten, and the eggnog is long gone. All those tchotchkes that filled you with glee last fall are now just a reminder of how much work it will be to put them all away. We wouldn’t blame you if you crammed everything into the nearest plastic bin and called it a day.

But don’t do that! Instead, take a beat and use this chance to get rid of anything you don’t love or didn’t use this season. Why store it one more year? Donate it—somebody might be thrilled with the find.

Once you’ve edited down to the keepers, you can use versatile basics like bankers boxes and garment bags (rather than buying a bunch of holiday-specific organizers) to store your treasures. When you pull out your decor next year, you’ll feel like a kid on Christmas morning.

1. Carefully Choose a Destination

Having a dedicated area for holiday decorations is the first step to making this process less stressful. Depending on the size of your space, climate of your location, and extent of your stuff, a garage, basement, shed, or attic is ideal to house it all. This keeps items that you need access to just one month of the year out of your way for the rest of it.

If your home lacks these bonus spaces, or the temperature isn’t ideal, consider using a guest bedroom or storage closet, such as one under a staircase. Alternatively, you might have to separate indoor and outdoor decor if you don’t have room to store everything in one place.

If you have the space for it, a garment rack on wheels becomes a portable Christmas closet. Hang pants and belt/tie hangers to store items like string lights and garland and then cover with garment bags. Stack bins and boxes on the bottom of the rack. Once you've designated an area, it’s time to sort and store Christmas decorations.

"The big idea here is to hang what you would normally stuff in a bin. Hanging keeps faux garlands fluffier and tree skirts unwrinkled.
"

Janna Lufkin, organizing expert

2. Take Care of Your Artificial Tree

If you put up a faux tree each year, it's likely the largest thing you’ll have to store. Invest in a zippered cover. Once you've removed all the decor, fold the branches and place the tree in the bag. Then keep it upright in a storage closet to maintain its condition. While you can also lay it horizontally, it can get crushed over time. Additionally, avoid using the original box, which can deteriorate, especially in humid conditions.

For a DIY solution to storing a Christmas tree, stick an extra large trash bag over the tree and tie it at the bottom or use a roll of plastic to shrink-wrap it, then carefully cut it open the following year.

Related: The 7 Best Artificial Christmas Trees of 2023 to Deck the Halls This Season

3. Organize Ornaments Safely

Ornaments are some of the most fragile and sentimental decor items, so it’s important to treat them as such. The original boxes that they come in will protect them, however, they’re not great at saving space. Consider using an ornament box with dividers or build your own using cardboard boxes.

To make your own ornament storage, cut cardboard grid inserts from wine cases to the right height for a bankers box. (Check with a grocery store for empty cases.) To cushion the ornaments, layer a long, thin strip of dish-packing foam (available at home improvement stores) between them as you load them into the cubbies.

A craft box with compartments can hold tiny ornaments. For exceptionally delicate ornaments, use its original box or roll it in tissue paper or bubble wrap before placing it into a divider.

Related: These Holiday Ornament Organizers Are Next-Level—No Really, They Have Multiple Levels

4. Wrangle Wreaths

Safely tuck a wreath into a canvas bag or a plastic case with latches. This is a particularly good idea if it has fragile embellishments. For multiple wreaths, install sturdy hooks to create a wall display or use large S hooks to hang them from the rod in a closet. Similar to faux trees, artificial wreaths can be placed in garbage bags or plastic wrap for further protection prior to hanging them in storage.

5. Gather Garlands

Regardless of its material, garland can get tangled easily if not properly stored. A simple solution is to corral garland in a wreath organizer or a garland keeper, which usually comes with a hook. This is a good idea for bulky, heavy garland, such as artificial pine. You can also loop a garland around itself (like you would with a hose), use a piece of hook-and-loop tape to hold it together, and store it in a tote. Thinner garland strands, like those made of beads or fabric, are a bit easier to tackle. Fold up the fabric and loop the beads, then seal the garland in a clear, large plastic bag before placing it in a bin. If you have a handy place to hang the garland, loop faux garlands over wood pants hangers (plastic ones aren’t sturdy enough).

6. Sort String Lights

Similar to garland, strings of Christmas lights can quickly become a cluttered mess without a suitable storage solution. Consider a plastic wind-up wheel or holder, especially for extra-long or jumbo sets of lights. For shorter or smaller sets, try these two inexpensive DIY methods. One requires a rectangular piece of cardboard and the other a thick hanger. Starting at one end of the strand, begin wrapping the lights around either the cardboard or the hanger until it’s fully coiled. The cardboard can fit upright in a storage bin and the hanger can sit on a rod in the closet or on a garment rack.

To prevent tangles, wind light strands into long ovals, then cinch with cable ties and hang. For fairy lights, save paper towel rolls, wind the tiny lights around them, and tuck the plug into the tube.

7. Give Gift Wrap a Proper Home

While you might use gift wrap year-round for birthdays or showers, holiday supplies don’t necessarily need to be accessible at all times. Sort out your seasonal wrapping paper, gift bags, boxes, bows, and tags to stay with the rest of your holiday decor. An all-in-one organizer bag, in a festive color if you prefer, is likely all you need to contain gift-wrapping materials. An underbed bin can easily hold smaller containers tucked among rolls of wrapping paper to keep ribbon, scissors, and bows orderly.

Another option is a back-of-the-door rack with customizable compartments, which can maximize space in a small storage closet. A mobile cart, with a side attachment for rolls of wrapping paper, is another option, especially if you like to take your supplies out to a table or the living room floor to wrap.

8. Protect Holiday Dishware

Whether you host during the holidays and have settings for thirty or more, or only own a cookie plate and milk glass for Santa Claus, breakable items should be stored separately. It's also better to tuck them out of the way rather than clutter up your kitchen all year round. Use quilted boxes to store holiday plates alongside salad and soup bowls. Use boxes with dividers for wine glasses and mugs. Large serving platters should be carefully wrapped and placed on a shelf or in a bin to stay dust-free and prevent damage. If you own Christmas cookie cutters, cookbooks, candles, or napkins, keep these together in a storage tote with a label so you can find them quickly when next year’s first holiday party sneaks up.

9. Store Your Decorating Tools

Craft bags work great for keeping all of your seasonal and non-seasonal decorating tools in place. Stock your tool kit with batteries, suction hooks, florists wire, and clippers. You’ll also want a light tester and replacement bulbs. With this handy organizing hack, you'll be ready for any task throughout the holiday season.

Produced by Janna Lufkin

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