How to Store Christmas Decorations

When the festive season approaches, many people look forward to decorating the Christmas tree. It’s the tree that brings a unique, joyful atmosphere to the home. For children, the decorated tree signals the countdown to Christmas morning, when their long-awaited presents will appear underneath. For some, decorating the tree is a fun family tradition, while for others, it’s a challenge of untangling lights and sorting through old, damaged baubles. How can you make sure it’s always an enjoyable family activity? Here’s how!

Take Time for Decorations... Twice a Year!

The key rule to remember is to never rush when decorating or taking down the Christmas tree. It’s important to set aside enough time to carefully go through each decoration.

Before hanging your Christmas baubles, sort them into two groups. The first group should be decorations that need to be thrown away. If you have cracked glass baubles or scratched plastic ones, and you’re not the DIY type who enjoys fixing them, simply get rid of them. There’s no point in keeping damaged baubles, as they’ll only clutter your collection. Also, check your Christmas lights—if some of them no longer work (and it’s not just a matter of replacing a bulb), it’s time to discard them too.

For the plasticand glass baubles, you plan to hang on the tree, make sure to clean them thoroughly. Use a damp cloth, and for tougher stains, dip it in water mixed with mild detergent or a little vinegar. Is the metal hook on your bauble rusty? No problem—clean it with a rust remover, which will not only remove the rust but also protect the metal from future corrosion. Have a belovedpersonalised name bauble with chipped paint? Simply touch it up with a glitter marker or permanent pen in a matching colour —it’ll look good as new!

When taking down the tree, follow the same steps. Throw away any decorations you don’t plan to repair, dust off the ones you want to keep, and fix any baubles that will be used again next year.

How to Store Baubles, Lights, and Other Christmas Decorations

How you store your Christmas decorations depends on their material and how fragile they are. Plastic baubles are the most durable and can be stored together in a single bag without any issues. However, be sure to put them away immediately in a cupboard, garage, or attic, and avoid moving them around too much. The fewer chances the baubles have to knock against each other, the less risk there is of damage.

How to Store Delicate, Handcrafted Glass Baubles? For handmade glass Christmas baubles, it’s best to keep them in the original boxes they came in, as these are designed to protect them during storage. If you no longer have the original packaging, you can create a similar setup using shoe boxes. Make a nest for each bauble using cotton wool or tissue paper to keep it in place. To prevent them from hitting each other, you can use cardboard dividers or wrap each bauble in newspaper.

How to Store Christmas Lights It’s easiest to store Christmas lights by wrapping them around something like a cardboard tube or an old magazine. This will prevent them from tangling and make it much easier to hang them on the tree next year.

Where to Store Christmas Decorations

It’s best to store your decorations in a place that’s rarely used, to avoid the risk of someone stepping on or knocking over the boxes or placing something heavy on top of them. It doesn’t matter if theChristmas decorations are stored on a high shelf in a wardrobe or in the garage, as long as they’re kept dry.

Choose a location where the boxes can be easily retrieved and put back. If a box slips or tilts, the baubles inside could be damaged. At the same time, try to store your handmade baubles out of children’s reach. In their eagerness to find their own things, kids might accidentally knock the box over or drop it, damaging the delicate, glass baubles. These fragilehandmade baubles need to be handled with care!

What About Other Christmas Decorations?

In addition to baubles and Christmas lights, other items such as garlands, tree toppers, and decorative figures also need to be stored after the festive season. Fortunately, most of these don’t require the same level of care asglass baubles, but they should still be handled carefully when setting up and taking down the tree.

Just as with baubles, sort the decorations into those that need to be thrown away and those that can be repaired or reused. Clean them regularly to prevent dust buildup, which could be a problem for anyone with allergies in the household. You can store these decorations in bags or boxes, just as you would with plastic baubles, but try to avoid moving the boxes around too often. Large decorations should be wrapped in paper or plastic to prevent them from getting dusty while in storage. When stacking boxes, place the most durable items at the bottom and the more fragile ones at the top.