Tips 4 - 7

Take a few minutes to organize strings of holiday lights before storing them away. Wind them around a sheet of sturdy cardboard or tubing, or simply gather the string into your hand in sections and secure with a twist tie. Or look for storage products at a discount or organizing store.

Place all of your light strings in a large clear storage bin where they'll be easy to find. However, if some strings are used for special decorations, such as a mantel garland or over the door, then mark and keep them along with the other things needed for that particular display -- extension cords, timers, step-on switches, and so on.

 

The size and shape of holiday ornaments will determine how to store these decorations. Flat items such as icicles, flat snowflakes, and wooden cutouts can be stacked between layers of tissue and stored in clear shoe boxes or labeled gift boxes.

Medium-sized ball ornaments may fit nicely back into their original boxes or in a special divided-tray ornament container available at discount and home centers. Large or unusually shaped items may require separate boxes and additional protection using tissue, foam, or bubble wrap.

Marking items is a great way to help distinguish similar accessories when you pull them out from year to year. Have you cut artificial garlands to fit a stair railing, mantel, and sideboard? Hang a labeled tag from each section for easy identification. Or store them separately in clearly marked bags.

 

Reusable decorations can save lots of time and effort. Collect pinecones or glass ornaments attached to wires that can be placed into centerpieces, wreaths, and garlands. Look for pretty garlands and holiday picks (such as artificial evergreen sprays) at craft stores.

Purchase bolts of wired ribbon and make bows, crimping a florists' wire around each one so they can be attached to candlesticks, chandeliers, wreaths, or doorknobs, as needed. Wired ribbon will allow you to fluff and rearrange the ribbon to make it hang just the way you'd like.