It is almost time to start thinking about getting out all of the holiday decorations. Fall is the official start of the holiday season for home decoration, with many homeowners kicking things off with autumn wreaths, candles, centerpieces and garland. Before you know it Halloween will be here, closely followed by Thanksgiving and then everyone will be decking the halls for winter season holidays as things head on into the New Year.
It can be pretty overwhelming to stay on top of so many changes that occur each year between September and January 1st. The best way to be organized is to make sure that all of your decorations are properly stored and ready to go in advance. Make things easy on yourself this year and start the season off with a structured plan. There are a lot of creative solutions available to help you keep your holiday decorations look great so they’ll be a part of your family’s seasonal memories for many years to come.
STEP ONE – Color Coordination
One of the most frustrating things about decking the halls is having to sort through all of those old boxes to find the stuff you’re looking for when you are ready to start decorating. Even if you label the boxes by holiday, it could still stand to be a lot easier. Large household goods stores, such as Target and Wal-Mart, frequently carry colorful, plastic storage boxes for each season. Pumpkin orange for fall decor and Halloween; turkey brown for Thanksgiving decorations; red-and-green for Christmas; traditional blue for Hanukkah; and an assortment of colorful options that would be great for New Years. The colorful boxes will stand out easily in your storage space so you can pull out the ones you want and start decorating without spending half your day searching for missing boxes.
STEP TWO – Label, Label, Label
Even if you are using colorful boxes, it is important to label your boxes. Use a thick Sharpie-style marker to clearly identify each box by holiday. You should also consider writing what holiday decorations are in each of the plastic storage boxes, so you can quickly find that one special thing you are looking for, without having to open them all up to find it. Some people also find that using letters or numbers to denote the order that the boxes should be opened and used is helpful. For example, the box that contains your Christmas tree or tree stand would need to be opened and used before the box that has your ornaments and lights. Use a system that works best for you and your needs.
STEP THREE – A Place for Everything
Specialty storage boxes can be very helpful. They might seem like an expensive waste of money, they are designed specifically to protect specific types of holiday decorations. While it might not be practically to get special plastic storage boxes for every single decoration you own, it can be advantageous for particularly fragile items. One example would be your holiday wreaths. Special wreath storage boxes are available at big box stores, home improvement stores and craft stores. If you have ever opened up a holiday decorations box only to find your favorite fall leaf wreath smashed or bent, you will appreciate the protection that this type of specialty box provides.
STEP FOUR – Get Creative
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to protect your special holiday decorations. Consider using alternative storage ideas that have been used and trusted by homeowners over the years.
- Egg cartons are great for storing holiday ornaments and other fragile pieces. While they are limited to smaller items, they can protect your decorations just like it protects fragile eggs.
- Rolled up newspapers or empty paper towel rolls work great for winding holiday lights to keep them safe and untangled for the next time you need to use them.
- Large plastic bags are great for storing candles to prevent them from sticking to other decorations and to preserve them, especially in the heat of the summer months.
- Garment bags are great for holding holiday garland. They can be zipped up and hung up to prevent them from getting smashed while in storage.
- Wine boxes are great for storing ornaments and ther odd-shaped items. The boxes are designed to protect fragile bottles, so they will work well for other fragile things.
STEP FIVE – Store Smart
Once you have figured out what type of plastic storage boxes and containers will work best to preserve and protect your holiday decorations, it is important to think about how and where those boxes will be stored. Affordable Storage in Fall River has a wide variety of storage spaces available in a number of different sizes, according to the amount of space you might need to keep your things. Consider bringing in shelving units to stack and store your plastic storage boxes according to season or holiday for easier retrieval and return storage. Stack fragile items on top of boxes that contain heavier items to reduce the chance of breaking. Avoid creating a tall stack of heavy boxes that might fall over when not in-use.
STEP SIX – Get More Space
If you don’t have enough room to properly store your holiday decorations at home, bring your things to Affordable Storage in Fall River, where you can safely keep your plastic storage boxes year-round. A lot of people use storage facilities to keep off-season items they aren’t using. This isn’t just limited to holiday decorations either, as there are even options to store boats, RVs, cars and other recreational vehicles. Check out Affordable Storage in Fall River for even more storage ideas that can help you maximize the space in your home.