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At least when we’re trimming the tree we have that holiday spirit to keep us going. Packing up is different, but unless you want to be the house with a Christmas tree up at Valentine’s day, it has to happen. Roll up your sleeves and get to work with Modernistic’s tips for storing seasonal decorations.
It is so tempting to toss yards and yards of Christmas lights in a box. Still, if you do, you guarantee broken bulbs, tangled wires, and a serious headache next Thanksgiving. There are better options both to DIY and inexpensively purchase. Wrap the strands around a few stiff sheets of cardboard, or an empty coffee canister, and then lay them gently in a storage box. You can also purchase Christmas light reels if you are interested in a more sophisticated solution. The handy zippered bags hold several strands per reel.
There are a variety of ornament storage boxes on the market. These handy containers have individual spaces that hold each ornament securely so that glass balls and figurines don’t knock against each other. Although you may still want to wrap particularly delicate pieces in tissue paper, this makes stripping the tree and storing ornaments a much faster process. If you don’t feel like investing in special storage boxes, try making your own by using egg cartons for small ornaments and apple cartons for larger balls.
There’s nothing more irritating that finding that the piece you need to beginning setting up your holiday decorations is at the very bottom of the last box. Label one box “Unpack First,” and fill it with things like your Christmas tree stand, your favorite decorations, and your boxes of ornament hooks and hangers. That way you’ll start your decorating off on the right foot next year.
Keeping things in hanging vacuum-sealed garment bags saves space, and it also protects stored linens while they are in your basement or attic. If air doesn’t get in, neither will moths, moisture, mold or dust. Since any of these can damage fabric beyond repair, a few of these inexpensive bags are a smart investment. Your famous red reindeer tree skirt will safely rest in storage for another year.
Wreaths take up a lot of space on shelves and tend to get crushed in boxes. There are special wreath storage boxes, but an easy and cheap solution is to loop the wreath hook over the neck of a hanger, and then cover the wreath with a garment bag. Hang them in an empty closet. Dust will stay out and the wreath will keep its shape until next Christmas. If you don’t have extra space to hang things in your closets, get a clothing rack to put in the corner of the basement or the attic. They’re affordable and incredibly handy.
Garlands and bows, and electric candles for the windows, anything that isn’t too fragile can be quickly sorted into the pre-divided spaces. The clear box lets you see what’s in there, so next year when you can’t remember where you tucked the artificial poinsettia, they’ll be easy to spot. If you’re really feeling inspired, try sorting decorations by color, making the most of the transparent storage container.
Wrapping paper and ribbons are surprisingly expensive. They also are fragile to store, ripping and crumpling easily. Luckily, there a few handy products on the market that make saving your wrapping paper much easier. A wrapping paper caddy will easily slide under a bed and keeps out dust and paper-chewing bugs. Next year you’ll save some money using up those old rolls.
If you plan to keep your decorations in the attic or the basement keep the humidity between thirty and fifty percent. Any higher and you risk mold and mildew spreading. Mold will grow on almost any surface, including your Christmas decorations and the boxes in which they are stored. Not only can this destroy your decorations, it can pose a genuine health hazard, particularly as you unpack the decorations next year. Mold spores can trigger respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies and some strains release dangerous toxins into the air. If you find you do have a mold problem, contact Modernistic for professional mold remediation services. We can identify the problem and work with you on a comprehensive restoration plan, which can include air sampling and testing, disposing of affected materials, and removing all the mold growth. Our rapid response team is on call any time of day or night. Let us be your first call. Serving Comstock Park and Plainfield, MI for 40 years.
