Wouldn't it be great if your basement were organized in such a way that each holiday wasn’t a scavenger hunt and everything was clearly marked, inventoried and easy to rotate each year? Maybe you're in the minority that has your act together but for many others, organizing your holiday decorations is probably low on your to-do list.
Whether you separate your holiday decorations by each of the four seasons or the handful of holidays throughout the year, fear not – simple storage solutions can make your life easy and sometimes give you peace of mind which sometimes runs thin during the holidays.
Stackable bins
Plastic bins are probably the easiest way to sort and store holiday decorations. Though not the best solution for Christmas tree ornaments or fragile items, these are the workhorses of any storage plan. If you're feeling particularly creative, you can use different colors for each holiday: red for Christmas, orange for Halloween, pink for Easter, and blue for Independence Day.
Invest in a label maker
Since decorations vary in size, you'll find that there are plenty of smaller items that require smaller inventory containers. While using large stackable bins meet most of your needs, there are times that you'll need to clearly mark smaller containers. That's not to say you won't need to label large bins – but you can get a lot of mileage from a simple label maker for all of your decorations. Chances are you'll make labels that you didn't even know you needed!
Bag and Tag
Awkward items that don't fit neatly into square plastic bin are sometimes best served by using nylon bags made for specialty items: wreaths, trees, platters, candles, oversized ornaments – your general bric-a-brac.
Grrr – those lights!
The annual battle of untangling Christmas tree lighting is upon us. Make or invest in spools to wrap and properly store your stings of holiday lights. Whether you use lights to decorate indoors or out, stop fighting with the tangled ball of frustration and save yourself some aggravation. Go now.
Bubble wrap: Fun and functional
Bringing it all together is the always popular bubble wrap. When storing your decorations in bins, bags or shelves, bubble wrap will add more protection in the end and provide hours of entertainment for your cat.
There are many storage solutions that can help bring order to your holiday decorations and help make them easy to manage. As your decorations grow – and they always do – you'll be equipped to keep them all in proper order. Happy holidays!