Lights - I just wind my strings of Christmas lights loosely around my hand, but you can now buy plastic light holders that keep string neatly organized. Put your strings of lights together in a large plastic tub. If you have lights on artificial garlands or wreaths, leave them attached. You won't have to put them back on next year. If you use a special string of lights for a special purpose, put them in Zip-lock storage bags and mark their use on the bag. Once you've put all the lights in a box, put the extension cords you use in the top of the box. Mark the extension cords for the string they go with, and make a note of where they go. You won't have to do more measuring next year.
Ribbons and Bows - If you pack bows and ribbons loosely, they might survive til the next year, expecially if they're the wired type. But be careful if you live in a humid area. The wires from one bow might rust and stain the fabric of another bow. The best thing is to take the bows apart, iron the ribbons, and wrap the ribbons around cardboard (from toilet paper or paper towels) rolls. Gently wrap each roll in tissue paper to keep it from unrolling, (don't use rubber bands or pins) and place it in your"Ribbons and Bows" box.
Wreaths - It's easy to store artificial wreaths from year to year. If there's a danger of rust, remove wired or metal decorations and store them in a plastic bag. Place the wreath in a convenient wreath box, in a large square box, or even in a large plastic trash bag. If you have room, you can hang your wreaths on a wall in your garage or basement. Be sure to cover it securely with plastic to keep it dust-free.
Make an Ornament "Hanger Parts" Box - Use a shoebox size plastic bin to store ornament hangers. Keep it handy in your "Open First for Christmas" box and fill it with hooks, rolls of small ribbon, cording, scissors, tags, twist ties, and craft wire. You'll have everything in one place to replace broken ornament ties or freshen up current ones. You might also add a dash of color and uniformity to your tree by replacing all ornament ties with a special color.
Ornament Tip- You might not want to do this now, but you'll love yourself in years to come. Before you put your ornaments away, take a few minutes to label the special ones with a gold paint pen or permanent marker. Make a note of the year the ornament was received and from whom. You may even want to note where you spent that special holiday. Be sure to write the year and the names in an inconspicuous spot.
Glass Ball Ornaments - If they're sturdy enough, use the boxes the ornaments came in. Otherwise, your glass ornaments will be safest if you use a divided storage box that you can buy in discount or home centers. The most important thing to remember with glass ornaments is to keep them apart and to cushion them getting bumped.
Individual Ornaments- Even if you're collected all you need to decorate your tree, you've probably purchased or received special, one-a-kind ornaments from year to year. If you have the room, it's helpful to separate these special ornaments by theme (angels, travels, bears, elegant, handcrafted,etc.) and store like ornaments together in plastic boxes. Be sure to use plenty of white tissue paper to cushion each layer. This method is especially good for long, tall, or unusual shaped decorations that might not fit easily into a regular ornament box. Mark the boxes by theme or leave a few decorations visible through the plastic box so you can tell what's inside.
It may seem as though there are a lot of things to keep in mind, but you'll find that, from year to year, the job of unpacking and packing your holiday ornaments is easier and easier if you follow these suggestions for storing your holiday decorations.
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