How to organize holiday decorations

Key takeaways

• Keeping all holiday decor in one dedicated place and following a simple decorating plan each year makes both setup and storage faster and less stressful. 
• Quality containers and thoughtful organization protect decorations. Storing them in clear, labeled bins and grouping items by type — such as lights, ornaments and decor — helps prevent damage and makes items easier to find each year. 
• Careful packing extends the life of holiday decor. Properly wrapping lights, cushioning fragile ornaments and storing large items like trees and wreaths correctly ensures decorations stay in good condition and are ready to use next season. 

Christmas and holiday decor are only used for a few weeks each year, but clutter can accumulate quickly.

Keeping decor organized from year to year will make the process of decorating and storing goods easier.

“Always, always have a designated place to store all items together. It’s a nightmare if Christmas decorations are stored in different places,” said Barbara Brock, a New York City-based professional organizing, decluttering, downsizing, staging and moving expert.

This could be a spare closet, a section of a shed, a corner of your attic or even under the bed.

There are several ways to organize decorating, but Brock said her favorite method is the “1, 2, 3, 4” approach.

1. Gather all decorating items — lights, ornaments, accessories — together in one room. Discard old, unused and broken items.
2. Sketch out a plan for where you want items to go.
3. Shop for any needed materials.
4. Enlist help and begin to decorate.

Pro tip: Laying out all the items will allow you to see what you are working with. Maybe you put items in the same place year after year or you want to try something new; either way, have a plan.

If you are getting decorations for the first time, make sure you invest in good storage containers. Brock prefers clear bins so that she can see the items within.

“If there is not a designated box or bin to store holiday items, I suggest getting a rubber/plastic box with a lid or a corrugated, thick box,” Brock said.

Brock recommends grouping items by type: a box for lights, a box for ornaments and a box for picture frames. Once items are sorted, label the containers.

Before you decorate, consider storing your typical seasonal decor. Adding Christmas decorations to your daily knick-knacks and decor can look cluttered and detract from the overall effect. Once you've unpacked the Christmas items, repack your other decorations in the Christmas bins.

Christmas lights can get tangled very easily. Wrapping the string around something neatly will help protect the lights from damage in storage.

Brock has two methods for wrapping lights:

1. Wrapping them around a cardboard core, such as a paper towel core, helps to keep them untangled for the following year.
2. Wrap them in a figure 8 around your arm. Once wrapped, place each string in a plastic bag.

Neatly wrapping them will also make it easier to use them next year. "I don’t suggest lumping lights all together because they can end up in a tangled mess for next year,” Brock said.

Many holiday items are fragile, so packing them each year requires care.

“Christmas ornaments are increasingly fragile, made from woven, blown glass or plastic, molded ceramic or metal, or wood. In today’s market, they can be intricately carved or hand-painted. The more protection you can provide for an ornament in their individual space, the more you can enjoy them Christmas after Christmas,” Brock said.

Original packing is a great option to keep things protected and intact.

• Wrap in tissue paper, paper towels or brown packing paper. 
• Avoid newspapers directly on items (ink can rub off).
• Cushion items inside boxes to prevent shifting.

Pro tip: For fragile ornaments, set aside a few nice shoe boxes to store them in. Add extra tissues at the bottom and top of the shoebox. Ensure the box is labeled correctly and avoid stacking heavy items on top of it. Once packed, the shoe box can be moved into a bigger container.

Never, ever throw away the box that an artificial Christmas tree comes in. That is the best way to store a fake tree; however, if you don’t have the box, there are other storage solutions.

“Get a Christmas tree bag — these are specific to store a Christmas tree in,” Brock said. “Once it’s in this bag, it’s easier to carry to a closet, basement, garage or wherever.”

You could also wrap the tree in black plastic garbage bags, but this is less secure and harder to move.

• Place each wreath in a protective plastic bag, then in a box. 
• Remove ribbons and décor if possible. 
• Wrap garlands loosely and secure in plastic bags to prevent shedding.

• Select one place to store all holiday decor together. 
• Use a spare closet, attic space, shed, under-bed storage or garage corner. 
• Avoid splitting decorations across multiple locations. 

• Gather all holiday decor in one room before decorating. 
• Discard broken, outdated or unused items. 
• Decide where decorations will go before putting them up. 
• Make a list of supplies or containers you need. 
• Enlist help and decorate once the plan is set. 

• Use sturdy plastic or rubber bins with lids. 
• Choose clear bins when possible for easy visibility. 
• Group decorations by category, such as lights, ornaments or frames. 
• Label every container clearly. 
• Store everyday decor while holiday items are out to reduce clutter.
• Repack everyday decor into holiday bins once decorating is complete.

• Avoid storing lights loosely or tangled together. 
• Wrap lights around cardboard cores, such as paper towel tubes.
• Or wrap lights in a figure-eight around your arm. 
• Place each wrapped strand into its own plastic bag. 
• Store light bundles together in a labeled container. 

• Use original packaging when available. 
• Wrap ornaments in tissue paper, paper towels or brown packing paper.
• Avoid wrapping items in newspaper to prevent ink transfer. 
• Cushion items inside boxes to prevent shifting. 
• Use small shoe boxes for especially delicate ornaments. 
• Add padding above and below fragile items. 
• Label fragile boxes clearly. 
• Avoid stacking heavy items on top. 

Artificial Christmas trees

• Keep the original box whenever possible. 
• Use a Christmas tree storage bag if the box is unavailable. 
• Avoid loose plastic bags when possible, as they offer less protection.

Wreaths and garlands

• Place wreaths in plastic bags, then store them in boxes. 
• Remove ribbons or decorations when possible. 
• Wrap garlands loosely and store them in plastic bags to prevent shedding.