Christmas is fast approaching. And before long, it will be time to think about how to store away Christmas decorations. Sorry, we don’t mean to spoil the fun and give off bah humbug vibes, but a little planning goes a long way and can turn a boring, slightly depressing post-Christmas task into an easy pack down.

You want to store away your household Christmas decorations in an organised fashion so they can be reused next year. At Now Storage, we have come up with some tips on storing away your Christmas decorations properly. You don’t want them cluttering up your home living space all of January!

Pack each item away carefully for future use

The inclination to be hasty when tidying up your Christmas decorations can cause you to lump every item together into a large container and get it out of sight. However, you’ll extend the shelf life of your decorations if you pack away each item carefully.

Christmas decorations need to be wrapped and placed in a box or storage container. Put ornaments, tinsel, and baubles in containers which divide each one separately. Colour code and label boxes with descriptions on the outside so you can easily find the decorations you need next year.

Christmas tree (artificial only)

Make sure there’s no moisture left on the tree before packing it away. Dismantle it into sections and store the pieces separately in boxes so they’re protected from dust. Don’t forget to label the containers so they can be easily identified next Christmas time.

Christmas lights

As tempting as it might be to take down your lights quickly and throw them into a bag, it’s worth doing it properly – you’ll thank yourself next year!

• Take an inventory of your lights and count how many strands you have before putting them into storage
• Untangle the light strands and be gentle to avoid damaging them or worsening any knots
• Test the untangled light strands. There’s no point in storing burned-out lights, so make sure each one works by plugging them into the wall
• Wrap your lights ( a heavy-duty coat hanger usually works well) and store them in a hard-plastic box to avoid breakages

Gift wrap and gift bags

Salvage whatever gift wrap, gift bags and decorative boxes you can from the carnage of Christmas Day (including wrapping paper, ribbons, tissue paper etc). You can then reuse them next year – saving you money while also being better for the environment! Store them away in a secure container with a lid.

Many of our customers at Now Storage take advantage of our self storage facilities to pop seasonal items away and safely out of sight to be retrieved next year. If you’d like to do the same, get in touch with the Now Storage team by telephoning 0800 0787 110 or emailing info@www.nowstorage.co.uk.