Christmas is approaching…which means it won’t be long until it’s time to pack down (sorry, did someone say ‘Scrooge’?!). We don’t mean to spoil the fun, but a little planning goes a long way and can turn a boring, slightly depressing post-Christmas task into an easy pack down.
Here are some tips about how to store your Christmas items so they can be reused next year…
Christmas decorations
The temptation in haste after Christmas is 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, while making your life easier, if you pack each item carefully for future use. Christmas decorations need to be wrapped and placed in a box or storage container. Put ornaments and baubles in containers which divide each one separately. Colour code and label boxes with descriptions on the outside so you can easily find what you need next year.
Christmas tree (artificial only)
Make sure there’s no moisture 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 year.
Christmas lights
As tempting as it might be to quickly take down your lights and throw them into a bag, it’s worth doing it properly – you’ll thank yourself next year!
- Take an inventory of your lights. Before you prepare them for storage, count how many strands you have.
- Untangle the strands. Work from the plug and be gentle with your lights as you untangle to avoid damaging them or worsening any knots.
- Test the untangled light strands. There’s no point in storing burned-out lights. Make sure each one works by briefly plugging them into the wall.
- Wrap your lights (you can use a range of items, but a heavy-duty coat hanger works well) and store them in a hard-plastic box to avoid breaks.
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 and so on). You can reuse them all next year – saving you money while being better for the environment too! Store them away in a container.