Decorating for the holidays is practically a professional sport, and, for a lot of people, “more is more” is their guiding principle. If you love to decorate for the holidays, it probably brings you a lot of joy and helps you spread joy to your family and friends. Decorating the yard or putting lights outside can extend that cheer to whoever drives by.
The downside of decorating is taking everything down and putting it away after the holiday. Many people acquire more decorations every year and find that the storage space or storage system that worked just fine (or just barely) the previous year will no longer cut it.
It can also be tempting to toss everything into a bunch of totes and boxes and shut the decorations away behind closed doors until next year’s holidays roll around. Do your future self a favor and vow to take the time to put everything away the right way and organize your decorations to make decking the halls a joy next time around. Keep reading for some tips on making space and organizing your holiday storage.
It’s fun to add to your collection of holiday decorations every year, but it’s no fun to try to cram the new additions into the same space when the holiday season is over. Take the time to assess your decor and your space when you take everything down at the end of the season.
If you never even took something out of the box or the storage closet this year, be realistic about whether or not you’ll display that item in the future. It can be hard to let go of hand me downs or old gifts, but if you’re not taking them out of storage, they’re just taking up space.
For everything you did display this time around, think about how you felt every time your eyes fell upon each decoration. Did the sight of a wreath or a gingerbread house fill you with cheer, or were you wondering why you still have that item?
Be honest with yourself too about gifts of decor you received during this holiday season. If you know that you’d never display a gift on your mantle, do yourself a favor and put that brand new item into the donations pile so someone else can enjoy it, and you can save yourself the guilt trip next year.
Recycle strings of lights that no longer twinkle merrily. Many home improvement stores take strings of lights for recycling throughout January or contact your city to find out how to recycle yours safely.
Do not play a dirty trick on yourself by failing to organize your decorations as you put them away. It’s tempting, but you know you’ll have to deal with the consequences yourself in about eleven months.
Take a look around your house, and at all the shipping boxes and bubble wrap envelopes you just received throughout the season. Some of them might be the perfect sizes to store new and old decor. Little ornaments can be stored in egg cartons, and all those bubble wrap sheets can make soft beds for breakables.
Wrap lights around sheets of cardboard instead of creating an impenetrable tangle. If your storage space is a dedicated storage room, hang wreaths on hooks from the walls or invest in a garment rack to store hanging wreaths and garlands.
Make a keepsake out of the most memorable or meaningful children’s art project by putting in a simple frame now for next year. Store these framed objects with your decorations so you’ll always remember to display them. Rorate a few pieces from your gallery wall or your mantle every year to display some keepsakes.
It might seem like you’ve outgrown your available holiday storage space, but with some well-thought-out storage solutions, you may be able to gain some extra space. Add wire shelving to the closet or the storage room. Wire shelving systems can be customized to accommodate whatever you need to store. The beauty of seasonal decor is that you need to get to it very rarely so it can be stored in an inconvenient location such as overhead. Install shelving as high as your ceiling allows and take advantage of vertical space.
Storage systems can be customized to include hanging rods to accommodate wreaths, garlands, and holiday linens on hangers, and carefully spaced hooks or shelves can hold holiday wrapping paper for next time.
It can be overwhelming to look at your storage space and see possibilities when you’re so used to seeing all the ways it doesn’t work. Consult with a professional to get a fresh set of eyes and to unlock the potential of a pro’s expertise. Storage experts can create space seemingly from thin air by understanding how things fit in a space and maximizing the efficiency of the storage solutions.
Contact Harkraft today to discuss your storage space needs, whether you’re interested in a wire shelving system or an entire buildout of a garage or storage room with a customized laminate system. Let us help you see the possibilities. You’ll thank yourself next year!
