The Christmas season makes our houses bright, colorful and cheerful. And yet, after the celebrations, it seems daunting to dismantle and pack up all those decorations. Correct storage, arrangement and planning can mean a great deal in storing up your holiday decorations to use in the years to come. You will save time, money and efforts the next season with the appropriate approach.
Planning ahead on how you are going to store and reuse your decorations is one of the smartest things you can do. It doesn’t matter whether you have some decorations indoors or outside lights, special seasonal displays, a bit of organization is always helpful. Homeowners that take time to put their decor in the right places will find it a lot easier to create their favorite festive looks each year.
Indiana is also home to many homeowners that use professional services of setting up and storing holiday lights. For example, trusted providers of Christmas light installation in Carmel IN often include optional storage services as part of their package. This makes the process hustle-free and your lights dry, clean and bright again in the next winter.
Why Proper Storage Matters
Holiday decorations should be packed safely, failure to which they will be lost, broken, or tangled. Delicate ornaments and string lights can be destroyed by climate changes, moisture and poor labeling. Putting the things where they belong makes them last longer, appear more attractive, and perform as desired. It also eliminates the anger of searching through cluttered boxes in the coming years.
It is also a good idea to take time to put away your decorations in a smart way, thus eliminating clutter. New adornments are piled up by many individuals every year resulting into cluttered garages and wardrobes. With good storage habits, it is easy to locate what you are in search of and know what you are no longer using.
Use Labeled Storage Bins
The best method of being organized is using clear labeled bins. Clear containers can be used to observe what is inside without having to open all the boxes. Labeling also ensures that you can identify certain items very easily, when you have a number of bins with various holidays or rooms.
- Apply waterproof labels that will not come off in wet places.
- Label your bins with color-codes according to holiday (Red is Christmas, Orange is Halloween, Green is spring).
- Divided boxes should be used to store delicate objects such as ornaments or a second line of defense is a layer of bubble wrap.
- To keep the lights untangled on cardboard or plastic reels, wrap them around.
- Place extension cords in distinct containers in order not to mix them with the decorations.
Choose Climate-Controlled Storage
Your decorations may be ruined because of temperature and humidity changes. Textiles, inflatables and electronics are particularly delicate. Your decor is stored in a climate-controlled place to ensure that it is in the best possible condition all year long.
Most of the space at home will be limited and in this case, you can rent a small climate-controlled space. This alternative is cheap and gives the assurance that your goods are kept in a dry and stable place. In the case of homeowners who prefer professional lighting services, there are a lot of companies where people can have safe off-site storage where lights and materials remain in an excellent condition till the next installation.
Declutter After the Holidays
The best moment to sort out your decoration is after a holiday. When you are packing, look carefully at what you did use and enjoyed this season. When you no longer use it or it is no longer fitting your style, then perhaps it is time to make a donation or recycle it.
Decluttering also helps in the saving of storage space and also makes it easier to decorate next year. Also, it makes it less stressful in terms of remembering about a great number of things. It is also easy to know what requires changing or upgrading as the products are categorized by category such as Lights, ornaments, wreaths, and inflatables.
Keep Fragile Items Safe
Paper items such as glass ornaments and ceramic figures require special attention. Store in a piece of tissue paper or a bubble wrap. Newspaper should not be used because the ink may be transferred and leave some stains to delicate surfaces. These are to be placed in strong containers with compartments to ensure that they do not hit one another.
Label them with fragile in bold and place these boxes on the top of the heavy bins. Where possible, store them in a controlled environment to eliminate damage due to temperature.
Store Artificial Trees Correctly
When well kept, the artificial trees have a lifespan that can take years. Rather than stuffing your tree back into its original box, a tree storage bag that is heavy-duty can be used. These bags shield the branches and enable one to carry or roll the tree into store easily.
Be sure that the tree is absolutely dry before packing, to avoid mould or odour. Take out all lights except those that are pre-attached in order to prevent wire breakages. In case your tree falls apart in bits, mark them so that you can put them back together quickly the following year.
Consider Professional Storage Options
There are professional Christmas lighting companies that can provide end-to-end services that involve installation, removal, and storage. This may be particularly useful when you are using custom lighting or you have complicated outdoor displays. When you store your lights with professionals, you would not have to struggle with all the strings of lights, broken light bulbs, or lost materials.
Holiday decor storage companies such as these make sure that your lights are sorted, tested and have been arranged and prepared to go next year. This helps to minimize the possibility of being damaged during transportation as well as ensuring that your investment remains in place. In case you already have a local lighting company, inquire with them about whether they have any storage options that can be included in their yearly package.
Make a Holiday Storage Checklist
Writing a checklist, you will be kept in order and nothing will be left out. Add all types of decoration- Lights, garlands, ornaments, wreaths, inflatables and accessories. When packing, cross every item on the list and indicate the location. This will save you hours in case you are again prepared to decorate.
Store a duplicate of the checklist in clipboard or on computer. You are also able to capture your decoration set up prior to its removal. The photos act as a reminder of the setup that needs to be done next year and it is also much easier to recreate your display.
Maintain Your Decorations Throughout the Year
Decorations can also be subjected to a periodical check even during the time they are kept. Inspect your bins once or twice a year, checking them in to dampness, pests, damage. Change containers that are broken and change labels when necessary. The rapid maintenance will also assist in maintaining your decor in an excellent state.
With the next season, you will know that you worked hard by getting organized in terms of storage. You will waste less time and hours being on the hunt and more time being in the mood of the holidays.
Conclusion
The smart solution to storing and reusing holiday decorations is all about planning, organization and care. Labelled bins, climate-controlled areas, and a series of other steps will keep your investment safe and will allow you to easily decorate without stress. Always remember to tidy up after holidays so that you only have what you like and use. Assuming that you would like to be a hands-off customer, you should not forget that numerous professional Christmas light installers also provide secure storage.
With these tips in mind, you will be able to enjoy your holidays with ease and a lot of joy every year.