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Now that the Christmas season is over you’re left with the daunting task of packing up and storing all of your Christmas decorations until next year. In most households the garage is the designated space for storing your ornaments, lights, garlands and other seasonal decorations.

However, the garage can also be a cold and messy place which means that making sure all your décor is safely stored and protected during the entire year is a must.  These tips can help you find the best solutions for storing and protecting your Christmas decorations in the garage.

Storing Ornaments

1.    Use Clear Containers and Resealable Bags

Storing all of your ornaments in clear containers sorted by color in resealable bags does two jobs: One, it makes it easy for you to see where everything is which will make it much easier to access the ornaments you need when it’s time to decorate again next year and two, the bags help keep all of the ornaments protected from temperature changes and dampness while the container adds a layer of protection for breakage.

2.    Hang Them On Rods

Hanging your ornaments on wooden or plastic rods in a sturdy container will not only protect them throughout the year but they will also be ready to be hung as soon as you pull them out of the box next year. Simply loop the ornament’s ribbon around the rod and you’re all set! This storage method is especially useful for storing large amounts of your ‘shatter-proof’ ornaments while your more delicate, glass or heirloom ornaments should be packed away in separate containers.

3.    Get Thrifty

If you don’t have large plastic bins to serve as storage for your ornaments, and their original boxes have been damaged or thrown out you can store your baubles in a variety of storage containers sourced from your home or local stores. Most liquor stores and groceries will be able to provide you with cardboard boxes and dividers (usually free of charge) which you can then cut and fold to fit your collection.

Using tissue paper you can stack several layers of ornaments into each box, or place them in individual plastic cups which will provide added protection. Make sure that your heaviest pieces are on the bottom layer and get gradually lighter as you fill up the box.

Egg cartons can be fantastic storage solutions for smaller pieces while shoeboxes and produce containers can store any additional or oddly shaped pieces. However, since cardboard is much less durable than plastic make sure you store your ornaments in an elevated place to avoid any damage for a damp garage floor.

Storing Your Artificial Tree

1.    Shrink Wrap

Wrapping your artificial Christmas tree in shrink wrap will make sure it stays clean, dry and protected for the entire year it’s stored in your garage. You’ll simply need to slice off the wrap and fluff up the branches and it will be in perfect shape for the next holiday season.

2.    Dust Sheets

If you’re not a fan of shrink wrap, you can sew a cover for your tree using dust sheets. Create separate bags for all the pieces of your tree and store them either in a box or hang the bags from sturdy hooks.

Storing Lights and Garlands

1.    Wrap Them Around Cardboard

The best way to avoid a tangled mess of string lights and garlands is to wrap each individual strand around a piece of cardboard, which can then all be stored together. You can also wrap them around paper towel tubes and stand them up in a box for easy access next year.

2.     Use water bottles

Another option for storing string lights and garlands is to place them in plastic water bottles. Most bottles will hold more than one strand and they will keep your decorations safer than cardboard.

Storing Wreaths

1.    Hang Them on a Rod

In order to make sure your holiday wreaths keep their shape you should avoid stacking them on top of each other or placing them in a box. Instead hang them on a rod, either in your wardrobe, on your garage wall or a storage cabinet.

2.    Use a Clothing Rack

If you’re someone who likes to go all out when it comes to wreaths and you don’t have the space to store them, consider investing in a clothing rack which you can place in your garage. Wrap each wreath in plastic and hang them from the rack to prevent them from going flat or getting damaged.