When the holidays are over and you no longer have to worry about what casserole to bring to a party, what perfect gift to get a family member or how you are going to find room in your home for all of your guests, your next task is to put away all of the holiday decorations.
This may seem like an overwhelming job, but with these tips, it will become much easier.
Don’t throw away gift wrap or tissue paper
Instead of throwing these things in the trash, consider putting them through a paper shredder. Then, you can use the material as padding in boxes to keep delicate decorations safe and sound until you use them again.
Label everything
If you don’t plan on buying new ornaments, decorative accent pieces, or lights next year, then label what you have with the location you had the items hanging or sitting. This way, next year when you pull the decorations out, you know exactly where everything needs to go.
Don’t put food-based decorations with everything else
If your children have made macaroni or dough ornaments, put them in food storage bags. This way, they won’t crack or crumble as easily while in storage.
Keep the boxes for fragile ornaments
If you have delicate ornaments, make sure that you keep the boxes they came in. This way, when you put them away for the season, you will have a safe box to keep them in.
Dry clean your Santa outfit
If you have a Santa, Mrs. Claus, snowman, or reindeer costume you wore this year, get it dry cleaned before you store it. This way, food stains and dust aren’t sealed in, and you can get the costumes pressed neatly into a storage container.
Keep a list handy of all the decorations you have already
Write down in a notebook what you already have. This way, next year when the holidays roll around, you won’t go to the store to buy decorations you already own.
Place tablecloths, placemats, and the tree skirt on a hanger
When your holiday linens are hanging, they are less likely to develop stubborn wrinkles. If you have space in your storage closet to keep them, then this will work perfectly for you. If you don’t have the room in your closet, consider putting them in your laundry room.
These tips will help you to get all of your holiday decorations neatly organized and ready for next year.