How to Pack Christmas Decorations: Tips for a Stress-Free Cleanup

Ah, the holidays. Twinkling lights, festive wreaths, and those ornaments you love so much. It’s all so magical… until the new year shows up and you realize it’s time to pack it all away.

Taking the time to pack your decorations properly now is a gift to your future self. There is nothing better than opening your bins next November and finding everything organized, safe, and ready to go.

We’ll walk you through the best ways to organize, protect, and store your holiday decor. Let’s make unboxing next year feel like opening a present rather than untangling a mess.

General Packing Tips

Before you start tossing tinsel into random boxes, take a deep breath. The goal isn’t just to get the items out of sight; it’s to make sure they are safe and easy to find when the holidays roll around again.

Use Clear Bins

Say goodbye to those old, mismatched cardboard boxes. Clear plastic bins are really the way to go for holiday storage. Why? Because you can see exactly what is inside without having to pop the lid. This saves you from digging through ten different boxes just to find the tree topper. Plastic bins also offer much better protection against moisture, dust, and pests compared to standard cardboard, which can break down over time in a garage or attic.

Group Similar Items

As you take things down, try to resist the urge to pack room by room. Instead, organize by category. It makes life so much simpler.

• Put all your indoor lights in one bin and your outdoor lights in another.
• Keep the mantel decor separate from the dining table centerpieces.

If you like to decorate the tree first, next year you’ll only need to grab the bins marked “Tree Decor.”

Label Everything

Even if you use clear bins, labels are your best friend. Be specific with them! Instead of just writing “Christmas,” try writing “Living Room Tree Ornaments” or “Front Porch Lights.” If you have multiple bins for one category, number them (e.g., “Village Set 1 of 3”). There’s a reason we always recommend using labels, no matter what you’re packing away!

Packing Specific Items

Different decorations have different needs. A shatterproof bauble can handle a little jostling, but your grandmother’s glass angel needs special treatment. Here is how to handle the tricky stuff.

Fragile Ornaments

Glass and ceramic ornaments are as delicate as they are beautiful. Never toss them loose into a bin. The best method is to wrap each one individually in tissue paper or bubble wrap, similarly to how you would pack glassware. For extra protection, place them in a specialized ornament storage box with dividers. If you don’t have one handy, you can make your own using plastic cups glued to cardboard sheets. Just place one ornament in each cup.

Lights

We all know the nightmare of the tangled light ball. To avoid spending hours untangling cords next year, never just throw lights into a box. A simple trick is to wrap the strands around a piece of cardboard. Just cut a notch at each end of a rectangular piece of cardboard to secure the plug, then wind the lights around the middle. You can also pick up plastic reels specifically made for light storage at most hardware stores.

Wreaths

Wreaths can be awkward to store because they are bulky and easily crushed. If you stack heavy items on top of them, they will look flat and sad next year. A hard-plastic wreath case is the best investment to keep its shape. If you want a more budget-friendly option, you can hang them on a nail in a closet or on a rack in your storage area. Just cover them with a large garbage bag (or a garment bag if you have one on hand) to keep the dust off.

Artificial Tree

Getting an artificial tree back into its original box is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. It rarely works well. The cardboard weakens over time, leaving your tree exposed to dust and bugs. Instead, consider investing in a canvas tree storage bag. These are durable, roomy, and often have handles that make moving the tree much easier. If your tree comes apart in sections, tie the branches of each section together with twine to make them more compact before sliding them into the bag.

Storage Best Practices

Now that everything is packed up, you need to make sure the storage environment keeps your items safe. How you store your boxes is just as important as how you pack them.

Use Packing Material

Don’t leave empty space in your bins. If items can shift around, they can break. Fill any gaps with crumpled packing paper, bubble wrap, or even old holiday linens like stockings and tree skirts. This cushioning acts as a shock absorber if a bin gets bumped or dropped.

Cardboard Dividers

For items that shouldn’t touch each other, like figurines or heavy snow globes, cardboard dividers are perfect. You can buy kits or make your own by cutting strips of cardboard and interlocking them to create a grid inside your box. This creates individual cells for each item, preventing them from knocking together.

Protect Surfaces

Where you store your bins matters. If you are stacking bins in a garage or attic, make sure the bottom bin isn’t sitting directly on a damp concrete floor. Place bins on shelving units or wooden pallets to keep them off the ground and protect against water damage and temperature fluctuations.

Need More Space for Your Holiday Cheer?

Sometimes, no matter how well you organize, you just run out of space. If your attic is overflowing or you want to reclaim your guest room closet, our sister company, Go Mini’s of Augusta, is the perfect solution. Their portable storage containers make it easy to safely store your holiday decorations and free up space at home.

Don’t let clutter steal your post-holiday peace. Get a free quote from Go Mini’s to learn more about our flexible storage options, and for your full-service moving needs in the new year, reach out to us at ADSI—we’re here to help!