Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash
With the holiday season winding down, it’s time to start thinking about your post-holiday season pack-up.
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be draining, which makes it easier to take a few shortcuts by packing things away quickly and storing them anywhere.
Sure, that gets the job over with faster, but it only makes the task of finding and unpacking all of your disorganized holiday decorations more time-consuming next year.
Have a smart holiday decoration storage plan
By putting a little extra thought into how and where your holiday decorations will be stored, you can save yourself from some future headaches.
Garages are ideal for a lot of your holiday decoration storage needs, whether you’re storing decorations for Christmas, Halloween, birthday parties, or holidays like the Fourth of July or Canada Day.
The garage has to be used the right way when storing your holiday decorations, however, in order to maintain the functionality of the space.
Plastic storage bins are perfect for most decorations
Whether you’re storing your holiday decorations in the garage or elsewhere in your home, plastic storage bins and containers make more sense than cardboard boxes.
Plastic storage bins are sturdier, stack easier and more safely, are easier to move around, and provide superior moisture protection compared to cardboard boxes. They’re also not a fire hazard.
Some people prefer using clear plastic storage bins because it helps them to identify stored items quickly. That may sound practical, but it’s probably a better idea to use non-clear, solid color containers with labels.
Holiday ornaments and lights, especially ones you’re keeping for many years, can lose their color faster if they’re exposed to too much light when stored.
Fabric bags specifically made for storing holiday decorations should be stored indoors if possible, due to the higher moisture levels garages commonly have.
Use overhead racks for your holiday decoration storage
For the most effective use of your garage as a holiday decoration storage space, add some overhead storage racks.
Ceiling-mounted overhead racks take advantage of the vertical storage space in your garage’s upper reaches that is typically underutilized.
In addition to maximizing your garage’s storage space, overhead racks are also ideal for storing bulky items and things that are infrequently used – which describes unneeded holiday decorations pretty much perfectly!
Storage bins filled with things like tree ornaments, artificial Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, holiday lights, and holiday lawn inflatables can be stashed up high.
Your daily routine can even run a little smoother simply by using this out-of-the-way storage space for your holiday decorations. There won’t be bulky storage bins taking up valuable garage floor space, which makes parking more difficult.
And less floor clutter means extra space for keeping tools, sports equipment, and other items you use regularly more efficiently stored and easier to access.
Bulky storage bins holding your holiday decorations are ideal for keeping in a garage’s overhead racks.
Don’t store these types of holiday decorations in the garage
While the garage is a perfect spot for many of your holiday decoration storage requirements, it’s not the best storage area for certain items unless it’s climate-controlled.
The temperature fluctuations and excess moisture found in many garage environments makes them less than ideal for storing these types of holiday decorations:
- fabric-based festive decorations and adornments (examples: tablecloths, Christmas stockings and hats, tree skirts)
- candles (store them somewhere cool)
- very delicate glass, crystal, and antique ornaments
- food-based decorations
If you absolutely have to keep some fabric-based decorative items stored in the garage for any reason, make sure they’re sealed tightly in a plastic container. Wrapping items in acid-free paper or using silica packets to absorb moisture can help preserve the storage bin’s contents.
Another reason to avoid storing fabric-based and food-based decorations in the garage is that they can attract pests.
Label your holiday decoration storage items
Try to keep all your stored holiday decorations together in order to make everything easier to find.
Many organization experts recommend using color-coded storage containers or container lids to simplify things (such as green for Christmas decorations or orange for Halloween decorations).
And even if you’re being diligent and using color-coded containers, always be sure that everything is labelled.
Labelled containers eliminate the time-consuming guesswork that inevitably occurs when it’s time to unpack your decorations and find what you need when decorating your home next holiday season.
Additional holiday decoration storage tips
When preparing your holiday decorations for storage, here are a few final tips you might find useful:
- use bubble wrap or decoration storage containers (avoid wrapping decorations in newspaper, as the ink rubs off)
- fragile decorations such as bauble balls will be less prone to breaking if they’re stored in boxes with dividers or egg cartons that are kept in tightly sealed plastic containers
- prevent string light tangles by using string light reels or even wrapping them around discarded wrapping paper tubes
- declutter holiday decorations you haven’t used for a few years (donate any items that are still in good condition)
- make a list of what broken holiday decorations need to be replaced for next year
Cardboard boxes with dividers or egg cartons can help prevent damage to your fragile decorative bauble balls and keep them organized.
Storing an artificial Christmas tree in the garage
Because of its bulkiness, an artificial Christmas tree’s go-to storage spot in most homes will probably be the garage.
Don’t leave an artificial Christmas tree uncovered in the garage because it’ll naturally gather a lot of dust over the course of a year. Why add an artificial tree cleaning to your busy holiday to-do list 11 months (or so) from now?
When storing an artificial Christmas tree in the garage, definitely ditch the cardboard box it came in and invest in a proper plastic tree storage bin. Look for a container with wheels so it’s easier to transport.
Tree storage bags are also popular, although they’re less suited for a garage environment. Also note that white artificial trees or trees with those snow dusting treatments are prone to yellowing and shorter lifespans if temperature and humidity storage conditions aren’t optimal.
While this garage is clean and organized, that poor artificial Christmas tree could really use a proper storage container.
Get organized to start the new year
If you have a New Year’s resolution that includes tidying up your home, start by storing your holiday decorations in an organized manner and somewhere that’s out of your way.
We can help you create more storage space for your holiday decorations and anything else you need to store in the garage, in addition to making the space look much nicer.
Schedule a free design consultation with Garage Living today.
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