Hey guys! i hope all of my American readers had an awesome Thanksgiving last week! We always set up our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, so I figured it would be fun to share how we store and organize all of our holiday decorations!
Living in a small house means that storage space is at a premium, and it has really made us evaluate what’s important. I love decorating for the holidays, and we have managed to fit ALL of our Christmas decorations into a few small boxes.
Similar wreath box, ornament boxes, similar tree storage here and here (A word of caution: I love my ornament boxes, but they have cracked over the years. Nothing a little clear packing tape won’t fix! I found a different plastic ornament storage box here. If you don’t need hard plastic storage boxes for stacking, there are lovely cloth ornament boxes here.)
- All of my Christmas storage boxes are color coded in red & green for easy identification.
- The big box on the bottom holds our artificial Christmas tree.
- The ornament boxes hold our ornaments, their hangers, and Christmas tree lights.
- You can see the wreath for our front door in the wreath box, and the red box holds everything else: outdoor lights, linens, and other little holiday decorations.
If you read my post about small space decorating in Autumn, you’ll know that I don’t store a lot of extra decorations specifically for Christmas. Instead, I create decorations by re-purposing what we have and mixing it in with a few key pieces. Fabric, vases, and cake stands can go a LONG way! (Don’t worry, I’ll share more of my small space decorating ideas for Christmas soon!)
Here’s a little peek into my ornament storage box. One of the sections stores the lights for our Christmas tree. I just used some of the extra cardboard separators to wrap the lights & keep them tangle-free!
I try to keep all of my ornaments separated by color & size so that I can easily see what I have left while decorating the tree. I wrap cloth around the few sentimental ornaments we own to keep them protected.
Speaking of color-coding, here’s another little tip! We have an artificial Christmas tree, and we have to break it down for storage during the rest of the year. Here’s what we do:
- Each section of the base requires a different branch length, so they are color coded for easy match-ups.
- We use stickers to color code each branch.
- I group all of the similar branches into one bundle & tie it with a matching velcro zip tie.
No more sorting through stacks and stacks of tangled branches for this girl! We may not have a fancy tree, but I can set this bad boy up in two minutes thanks to my little color code system!
One more tip, courtesy of my brilliant grandmother:
- If you have a small tree, you can leave the lights & decorations right on there.
- Cover it in a plastic bag & stick it in the attic.
- When Christmastime rolls around next year, just pull it out of the bag, give it a fluff, and BOOM: Festive! Thanks, Mom-Mom!
I’ll be posting a few more decorating & organizing ideas this holiday season, so please stay tuned! What’s YOUR favorite small space or organizing solution for the holidays?
UPDATE:
Here are a few awesome tips from our fabulous readers!
Serena @ PrettyFluffy.com: “For multiple items in one box, I always pack in the order they will go on the Christmas tree – no digging around for ornaments.”
Robin: “Put your lights on as you are putting together the tree. I place the bottom row of branches, then lay a couple of rows of lights on top, put in another row of branches, then lay another layer of lights, etc. This spreads the lights into the interior of the tree and is so much easier than wrapping after the tree is put together. Then reverse the process when you take the tree apart!”
GENIUS!! Thanks for the tips, ladies! I will definitely be using them!
We have a TINY house, so these tips are great. I’m so impressed with your grandmother’s tips too – SO EASY!
For multiple items in one box I always pack in the order they will go on the Christmas tree – no digging around for ornaments.
Oooh, that is such a smart idea!! Thanks, Serena! I’m going to have to try that this year!
Here’s another tip:
Put your lights on as you are putting together the tree. I place the bottom row of branches, then lay a couple of rows of lights on top, put in another row of branches, then lay another layer of lights, etc. This spreads the lights into the interior of the tree and is so much easier than wrapping after the tree is put together.
Then reverse the process when you take the tree apart!
That is BRILLIANT!!! I bet it cuts down on getting scratched reaching through the branches, too! Fabulous idea, Robin — thank you so much for sharing! I will be trying that one for sure!
Love it! I’m going to do that tomorrow, when I put our tree up. Thanks for the tip!!
Thanks so much, Chris! Hope it helps!
I fill clear boxes with some corn packing peanuts, and put the ornaments in them. Also, I have a special box marked Advent — here is the stuff that goes around the house in the beginning of December.
I just discovered your blog and am in love! Looking forward for more!
Great ideas!! Thanks so much!