Budget-Friendly Ways To Organize And Store Christmas Decorations

One of my family’s favorite traditions is decorating for Christmas. We all share a love for decking the halls and have been enjoying this hobby for the past 18 years. Unfortunately, what goes up, must come down. 🙂  This tutorial includes some helpful ideas I’ve learned over the years to organize and store Christmas decorations. 

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You may want to put on some of your favorite music and have a trash can/donation bin handy. Remove all batteries from lights or other miscellaneous decor to prevent corrosion.

STORAGE BINS ARE ESSENTIAL

While I share many tips and ideas to store your decorations with items you already have, I strongly suggest you purchase some sturdy storage bins.

If you only have money to invest in one item, make it storage bins. You can use cardboard boxes, but I advise that you purchase bins to keep your ornaments and lights safe. Christmas decor is an investment that you can enjoy for years to come, if you take care of it properly.

I use Sterilite 22 Gallon bins. They are durable and large enough to hold most of my Christmas Decor, including my outdoor wreaths. I could not find these exact bins this year. But Walmart carries similar 20 gallon bins.  These bins are a seasonal item, so when they are out, the store no longer stocks them. For my larger items (Christmas Village & Garland) Rubbermaid 28.8 gallon bins (the ones with the green lids) work well.  The wrapping paper storage is available at most stores.

HOW TO STORE LIGHTS & ORNAMENTS

The original ornament boxes keep the decorations safe, so I place these boxes at the bottom of the bin.  Next, place special individual ornaments, without a box, in the bottom of plastic grocery bags and wrap the excess bag around them a few times.  Unbreakable (plastic or cardboard) ornaments are placed in a separate smaller bin to keep them together. The Christmas lights are wrapped around cardboard that has been cut to the size of the bin.

HOW TO STORE WREATHS & BOWS

I always remove my bows from the wreaths and place them in a separate bin to keep them from getting smashed. The 22 Gallon bins will hold three wreaths along with the wreath holders in the bottom of the bin.  To find out how I hang my outdoor wreaths, visit this post. 

GIFT WRAP STORAGE

The first bin has all my shirt boxes, gift bags and gift card holders. I keep a smaller box on top to hold tape, scissors and miscellaneous items. The second bin holds ribbon and bows. Storing bows in old cookie tins will keep them from getting smashed and rubber-bands prevent ribbon from unrolling. Storing gift wrap in an upright container keeps it from getting damaged, allows for easy selection, and smaller rolls can be stored inside of larger ones. Small rubber-bands will keep the rolls closed. 

KITCHEN SUPPLIES AND PILLOW STORAGE

Again, I try to keep the original packaging for kitchen items. It allows for better storage. I place all of my pillows and throws together in the same bin.

CANDLE STORAGE

Wrapping candles in tissue paper prevents them from sticking together. Always store candles in a cool space like a basement. Taper Candles should be stored flat in their original packaging.  I usually place a pillow or something lightweight in the top of this bin.

FREE STORAGE BIN PRINTABLES

Round Christmas Wreath image is from freepik.

To protect the bin labels, make sleeves from page protectors.  Place the printable in the sleeve and use a paper trimmer to cut the edge (with the holes) off.  Next, hot glue the the sleeve to the bin.  Using this method will allow you to easily replace the labels next year.

You can also use job ticket holders for your bin labels. The vinyl is more durable, but you only get 10 sleeves per pack.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE STORAGE BIN PRINTABLES

To access the storage bin printables and many other freebies from my library, just subscribe at the bottom of this page. You’ll receive a welcome letter and regular updates on my blog posts, along with the password to my FREE PRINTABLES AND CUT FILES LIBRARY.

Do you like learning budget friendly ways to spruce up your home? Follow me on PINTEREST. Did you know that you can hover over the images below, click on the red Pinterest circle and save this idea for later? Give it a try below and save these ideas to your Christmas Organization or Holiday Ideas Board on Pinterest.

Putting away Christmas decorations at the end of the holiday season can be a daunting task. I hope these tips and tricks to store Christmas decorations were helpful and make the job easier for you.

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