Make the traditions last with the right Christmas ornament storage
Each year you wait with anticipation for the moment that you can bring out your Christmas decorations and begin to celebrate the season. However, when the time finally comes to put away your Christmas décor the process can feel a bit less magical. You might find yourself under a pile of decorations unsure of how or where to put everything away. Without a plan of action for the storage and care of your artificial tree, lights and Christmas ornaments, you could end up with an overwhelming mess to sort through next year or worse, damaged and broken decorations. Luckily, there are several options to keep your Christmas décor organized, safe, and out of the way until next season.
Why Should You Properly Store Your Christmas Tree and Ornaments?
Every Christmas is an opportunity to expand your collection of collectibles, decorations, and tree ornaments. Whether it is a significant milestone, a new member of the family, or a favorite vacation destination, each Christmas tree decoration can be a unique representation of our lives and preferences. While you may add to your collection each season, it is still important to keep your additions young and old safe from year to year.
Keep The Tradition Alive For Years to Come
Each year when it is time to decorate your tree it is a journey down memory lane. Special ornaments, figurines, and other accessories are filled with your family memories and history. Protecting these memories with the right storage options can ensure you are able to not only use these ornaments each year, but you are also able to pass down these special mementos to family and friends in the future.
Protect Your Investment & Expand Your Collection
While a generic glass ball ornament can be easily replaced, more unique and personalized pieces can be more difficult to find in the future. When you use high-quality Christmas storage solutions you are protecting your investment in your ornament and figurine collection. Family Christmas ornament collections are often amassed over the years and can add up to quite an investment. A bit of effort and care can go a long way to ensure these special decorations can continue to bring you and your family joy from year to year.
How Can You Properly Store Your Christmas Tree?
An artificial Christmas tree is a great investment that can last you for many years, however, there are some steps you should take to make sure your tree is stored safely and looking great each Christmas season.
Remove Decorations & Additional Lighting
The first step in taking down your Christmas tree is to remove all the decorations including any additional lighting you may have used on your tree. If your artificial tree is pre-lit you can store it away as it came, but if you have added any additional strings of light it is advisable to remove them before storage. Use a light reel to make wrapping up the lights a cinch and preventing broken bulbs during storage.
Dust, Clean, & Let Dry
Once your tree is free from all décor, take a cloth to lightly wipe down your branches. A Christmas tree that has been up for a few weeks (or a few months, if you're an early decorator) can accumulate quite a bit of dust. A quick cleaning before storage can keep your tree looking its best for the next year. If your tree is looking extra dingy or needs a little more cleaning action than just a light dusting; use a solution of mild dish soap and water to spray your tree and then wipe down and let dry.
Disassemble & Bag it up
Once your tree is clean and clear, choose a proper-sized Christmas storage bag to preserve your tree while stowed away. Oftentimes, people will be tempted to store their tree in the box it came in, but these cardboard boxes offer no protection for your tree from dust, debris, moisture, and other outside elements that can damage or destroy your Christmas tree over time. Choose a water-resistant and tear-resistant Christmas tree storage solution to keep your tree in tip-top shape for next year's holiday season.
Find a Safe Location for Your Christmas Tree Bag
Find a secure location to put away your tree where it is out of the way and poses no risk of injury to anyone. Ideally an interior closet or pantry where the temperature stays fairly consistent over the year. Keep in mind that larger trees can be very heavy and pose a risk to children and/or pets if not properly secured in place.
How to Safely Put Away Your Ornaments and Figurines
Not all ornaments and decorations are the same and not all require the same level of storage and protection. When organizing your ornaments for storage, separate your more fragile items from decorations that are sturdier and easier to handle.
Fragile Ornaments Need a Safe Space
Glass baubles, collectible figurines, porcelain ornaments, are all beautiful elements of any Christmas collection, but they are also extremely fragile and require great care to make sure they survive until the next Christmas. For fragile ornaments consider using ornament storage bags with compartments to keep each piece separate and secure. For extremely fragile pieces or ornaments with moving elements that may shatter, use tissue paper to wrap each piece before placing in their slot.
Separate & Organize Other Ornaments Using Re-sealable Bags or Containers
For ornaments that pose little risk of breakage during storage, consider using resealable bags or containers to organize them by type or color and make them easier to access the next year. Use a holiday storage bag or sturdy plastic container to keep the resalable bags or containers secure and safe from moisture and other elements.
