Isaac Newton’s third law of motion states, “What goes up, must come down.” And that’s true for most of us when it comes to our Christmas decorations. (Kudos to the dedicated decorators who leave their Christmas trees up all year long! We salute you! We do that here, too!)
For many of us, taking down our Christmas tree and decorations is a chore, a not-so-pleasant one at that. The team here at Bronner’s would like to make it a little easier for you by sharing our top ten storage tips for your Christmas treasures.
Let’s start with ornaments.
1. Any room or building that experiences an extreme in heat or moisture is a no-no for ornament storage since extremes in heat or moisture can cause discoloration and mold or mildew. That eliminates attics and many basements.
2. An ornament storage box is ideal for storing your ornaments.
3. Remove hooks from your ornaments before packing them for storage so the hooks don’t scratch the finish of your ornaments.
4.. Wrap each ornament in tissue paper for added protection.
5. Place some silica gel in the ornament storage box to absorb any moisture that may make its way into the box.
Storage solution ideas for other Christmas decorations:
6. Consider a Christmas-light storage bag with reels for storing your lights.
No lights to untangle next year! The set that Bronner’s sells includes a hook that allows you to hang a reel on your gutter or ladder. The lights unwind as you string them along! The reel set is also great for storing extension cords and/or garland.
7. Consider a tree storage bag for storing your tree. (Can anyone actually pack their tree back in its original box?)
8. Don’t have time to set up and take down your tree? That would be me! Working at the World’s Largest Christmas Store means your Christmas season is very busy! So last year I decided I needed a better plan. Enter the upright tree storage bag! But I wanted to see it in action to make sure it would truly simplify my life. Noah agreed to demonstrate it for me … and you … and I was sold!
I leave all my ornaments on it year-round except for about a half dozen treasured ones. I loved the bundled, wrapped look of the bag at the bottom of the tree and didn’t even put my tree skirt out this year! Two people are required to work the bag up (and down) the tree and move the tree to its storage spot, but my husband doesn’t mind helping with that. The tree only has a short distance to go from our living room to a corner of the guest bedroom. Half dragging/half carrying it to the guest bedroom is awkward, though. So next year I am investing in a wheeled tree stand – I can’t wait!
9. What to do with a wreath? If you purchased it here at Bronner’s, our checkout team likely packed it in a sturdy wreath box that will last you for several years.
10. If you don’t have a Bronner’s wreath box or yours has seen better days, I recommend our fabric wreath storage bag. It features an interior metal hanger for direct suspension of the wreath, a heavy-duty zipper and padded carrying handle.
Will any of these tips meet a storage need at your house? Let us know in the comments below!