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Once Christmas has come and gone, and it's time to store the decorations, there are some tips that can make the process easier. There is a temptation to throw everything into boxes as quickly as possible, and be done with the job. However, the more organized you are now, the easier Christmas decorating will be next year. Storing decorations, more than anything else, comes down to the following tips:

ORGANIZATION

Have a standard place where you always store your Christmas ornaments and decorations each year. Keep everything in one place. Having items stored in myriad locations will make it more challenging to unpack and locate Christmas decorations next year. Keep like things together: keep ornaments with ornaments, stockings all together, lights separated by indoors and outdoors.

USE APPROPRIATE CONTAINERS

Today's home stores (such as Home Depot and Lowe's) and big box discount stores (such as Target and WalMart) offer a wide variety of plastic storage bins, suitable for storing everything from gift wrap to individual ornaments to wreaths. In fact, you could spend a fortune just storing your Christmas decorations. While cardboard boxes may not be as glamorous, they work well. The critical issue is making sure that the boxes are still in good shape and that you keep the individual ornament containers, which you can then pack into the larger boxes. Try and limit the size of small boxes, storing everything in a few sturdy larger containers.

STORE CHRISTMAS ITEMS IN APPROPRIATE WAYS

There are any number of different decorations that combine to make up the Christmas season, and not all of them should be stored the same way. For example, Christmas linens and tablecloths have longer lives when not stored in plastic, but instead are kept in airy linen closets. Ornaments need more cushioning (via bubble wrap or tissue paper) than candle holders, for example. Also ornaments should never be wrapped in newspaper, where ink from the paper can transfer to ornaments, while newspaper may be just fine for wrapping other goods. Lights are best stored by wrapping strings of lights around a piece of cardboard or plastic, if the original packaging is gone. Be sure to pack items from heaviest to lightest, just as you would groceries to avoid crushing delicate items.

AVOID EXTREME TEMPERATURES

The best storage methods are universal: Keep items in a cool, dry place. Whether you are talking about wine or Christmas candles, this advice prevails. Extreme temperatures take a toll on any item, Christmas decorations included. The exception here is with outdoor decorations. These can be stored outside in garages or storage sheds that have great temperature fluctuation.

SORT AND LABEL

Finally, once you have everything packed up and ready to store, make sure that containers for storing your Christmas decorations are appropriately labeled. Clear out worn items, decide which might be best for garage sales or donations and keep separated. Group new after-Christmas sale items with old favorites, again keeping like items together.

Although the organizing process may take a little more time than you'd prefer, in the end, these tips for storing Christmas decorations will make setting up for Christmas next year a holly, jolly process.

Learn more about this author, Christine Zibas.
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