Learn the best holiday decor storage tips from a professional organizer and help your future self decorate easier next year. Updated January 2023
There’s nothing worse than opening up a box of holiday decorations and finding some of the items broken, scratched, or moldy. Talk about a mood killer, right? But there are ways to prevent that from happening, and it all starts right now. Before you pack up your decorations this year, snag some of the tips below to make sure your decor collection looks brand new next holiday season.
Gather And Clean ALL Your Decor At Once
As you take down your decorations, put them all in one place. Grab them from every room of the house and move them to a large place like a dining room table, big bed, or even just an area rug in the floor. I know it seems like an extra step of touching everything twice, but I promise it’s worth it.
By putting all your decor together, you can see your entire collection as a whole. You can also clean them all at once so no piece gets missed. Launder linens and fabrics, wipe down knick-knacks, make any needed repairs or paint touch-ups, and purge anything you didn’t really love seeing this year.
The “Loner” Purge & Donation Ideas
Speaking of purging, as you round up your decor storage totes from the garage or attic, you might find some items still in the buckets. AKA, they didn’t make the cut to be seen this year. If you notice that those items haven’t seen the light of day in more than two holiday seasons, it’s time to let them go.
Before you load up a box of unwanted decor and head to the nearest Goodwill, I want to encourage you to consider other options. Nobody is out buying holiday decorations at these thrift stores after the new year, and a lot of that donated decor ends up getting trashed. These stores rarely hang onto them for next year. Instead, call local nursing homes, senior centers, homeless shelters, and youth centers to see if they’d like the decor.
Smart Storage
As you pack up each item in your storage bins, make sure you give breakable items some extra cushioning to keep them safe. Skip the bubble wrap and wrap decor inside fabric items like stockings, blankets, kitchen towels, tree skirts, and curtains. You’re packing those seasonal items up anyway, so you might as well use them as padding.
While we’re talking about storage containers, it’s important to consider where you store you bins. If you keep your holiday decor in a hot attic or a humid garage, spring for plastic tote bins with gaskets around the lids to make sure the contents are airtight. You can just use boxes if you keep your decor in an air-conditioned room or garage, but make sure the boxes are strong enough to not get crushed.
DIY Storage Hacks
Organizing your holiday decor doesn’t have to be expensive. There are so many DIY dividers and organizers you can make for free to keep your decorations safe and easy to unpack next year. I love wrapping string lights around cardboard box lids cut to fit inside totes. I have a tutorial here if you want to copy my DIY light organizers.
I also like to make my own ornament organizers. The affordable ones on the market are flimsy, and the sturdy ones cost an arm and a leg (and don’t really hold much). I just take a piece of cardboard that’s been cut to fit inside a tote bin and hot glue disposable cups to it. Two bauble ornaments fit inside each cup, and you can stack them in layers like a cake. A glittery, fragile cake…
Fill Totes By Category
There are a few different ways you can fill holiday storage totes, and there isn’t a right or wrong way. Here are the two methods I recommend:
By Decor Type. Fill each container with a specific type of decor. Ex. Figurines, Entertaining, Garland, Candles, Linens, etc. This method works well if you like to change up your decor every year because you can scatter them around the house based on what you feel like each room needs.
By Room. Each container is specific for each room. Ex. Kitchen, Guest Room, Primary Bathroom, Dining Room, etc. This method is for you if you keep your decor placements the same every year. It makes unpacking easy because you can drop off each container in the room they belong and decorate quickly.
Watch My Takedown Videos
Watch my new 2023 holiday decoration takedown and pack up video on Youtube for more tips, ideas, and DIYs, and be sure to subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss upcoming videos, too.
Heather says
The black shelves with the clear totes – do you have a link for both? Ready to purchase new shelving and totes but having a surprisingly difficult time matching tote and shelf sizes.
Brad Gandy says
Hi Heather, both of those are linked on this Shop My Garage page. Look under the 2023 section for the items named “Freestanding Shelves” and “Large Clear Totes.” Happy to help!
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