Life hacks: Storing Christmas decorations correctly
Getting rid of your Christmas tree and the decorations need to disappear again soon? What can you do differently this time so that next Christmas you won't spend hours untangling fairy lights again, picking up broken Christmas ornament shards and inventing new swear words? We’ll show you how easy and cheap it is to become a storage professional when it comes to Christmas decorations.
The Epiphany has already taken place and it's getting harder to fit the last biscuits into our overstuffed stomachs. You need to get rid of your Christmas tree soon and your decorations need to give way to the looming longing for spring. But what can you do differently this time when storing the Christmas decorations so that next Christmas you won't spend hours untangling fairy lights again, picking up broken Christmas ornament shards and inventing new swear words? Relax. We have some simple tips for you that will spare you the anxiety.
Christmas ornaments
Let’s be honest: who hasn’t broken a Christmas ornament at least once? Exactly. To make sure your collection survives until next year, the rule is simple: each ornament needs its own space. For smaller ones, egg cartons are brilliant (free and surprisingly sturdy). Alternatively, you can use plastic inserts from chocolate kisses or paper cups to keep decorations apart. And tissue paper is your best friend: wrap, fill the gaps, done.
Once packed, simply place the filled compartments into shoe boxes or other cardboard boxes — ideally with cardboard sheets as layers, so nothing rubs against each other. For larger ornament, cardboard boxes or practical storage boxes work well. The real game changer is dividers, which you can easily cut from leftover cardboard — perfectly tailored to your collection. And if you’ve got a lot of ornaments: stack several cardboard layers neatly in a sturdy Eurobox and secure them properly. If you’re running out of space at home, you can also store seasonal decorations safely in a furniture storage unit.
Fairy lights
Untangling fairy lights is definitely not part of the festive magic. Luckily, there’s an easy fix: grab a piece of cardboard, cut a few notches at the top and bottom, secure one end — then wrap the lights neatly around the card, guiding the cable through the notches as you go. Done. No knots, no swearing.
Alternatively, you can “store-roll” your lights inside a PET bottle: carefully feed the string in, twisting it slightly so it stacks in a spiral inside the bottle. Cut a small opening and a notch into the bottle cap, clip the end in place — and your lights will stay tidy until next year.
Wrapping paper
When you finally have collected the gifts for your loved ones, there is nothing more annoying than realizing that all of the wrapping paper was crumpled when it was stored. You rush to the endless queues at the nearest shopping centre and already invent your next curse word. To avoid this annoyance, you can easily get yourself a cheap wrapping paper organiser. The transparent garment bag is another alternative, which you simply fill with the wrapping paper rolls.
Organisation
When packing away your Christmas decorations, a simple system makes all the difference. Your future festive self will thank you when you can tell at a glance what’s where next year. So group similar items together: one box for the nativity set, one for the tree topper and decorations, one for crafts and DIY bits.
And most importantly: label everything. Especially once small boxes start piling up and end up nested inside a bigger one, a quick label will save you loads of time (and frustration) later.
Got decorations you never use anymore? Give them away or sell them — you’ll make space for the things you actually love. And if you’re curious how much a tidy home can affect your mindset, have a look at our post “Declutter your home and your soul.”
