by Zach Crepeau

Created on: December 16, 2008   Last Updated: September 02, 2011

For many people, Christmas decorations are worth much more than what was spent on them. They give us a glimpse back into some of our fondest childhood memories, serving as a memento of time spent with loved ones. These shiny, little guys and gals that hang from our trees each year have seen us grow up, and some have even seen our parents grow up. Needless to say, it's very important to find a safe and effective way to store them.

Many people might just take normal cardboard boxes, fill them to the brim and then toss them into the attic. This can work if your attic is well insulated and isn't cluttered. But I would suggest against such lazy packing...assuming you're interested in preserving these memories for years to come. For most of us, either our basements or attics are full of all sorts of boxes and random knick-knacks. If we just throw our ornaments in any old box and stuff it into the fray, it's likely going to take some time and frustration to find them come the holidays. If keeping your ornaments in tip-top shape is your goal, read on.

Put forth the small investment to go to your local UPS store and buy some good boxes. They sell all shapes and sizes, so try to find some big, sturdy boxes. If you can find some that aren't the usual brown color of cardboard, this will be helpful in telling which boxes are which. While you're here, pick up two or three large, normal cardboard boxes. If you have especially fragile decorations, you may consider investing in the clear plastic storage bins found at just about any Target or Walmart. These are much more stable and will keep things just that much safer. If you're careful this shouldn't be too much of an issue, so what you use is up to you. Bubble wrap is going to be your best friend, so swing by an Office Depot or Staples and pick up a decent amount; however much you think it will take to cover up your shiny friends. While you're there, be sure to pick up some packing tape and scissors if you don't have any already.

Now that you've got all the supplies together, it's almost time to wrap up your ornaments. Do you remember those plain old cardboard boxes you picked up at the UPS store? Take them and cut them into lengths that can fit into the boxes you'll be using to store your decorations. These will serve as layers which help keep things safe and organized - not to mention much easier to unpack. Wrapping up your decorations can easily be a family ordeal, but one way or another you need to get them wrapped and ready to go.

Place the least fragile things on the bottom layer, then work your way up to the top. Put the most fragile things one layer down from the top, just in case anything were to somehow fall on the box. Once you're all packed up, seal up your boxes and mark them all over so that you know for sure these are your decorations. Head up to the attic or down to the basement and clear out a section just for these boxes. Try and avoid corners, because they tend to collect moisture quicker. Now that everything's all put away, lay a blanket or plastic cloth over them for one last layer of protection. When the holidays roll around you'll be ready to pull out your perfectly-preserved memories and get right to work.

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