 | Label all boxes carefully. This saves time and
frustration. Better yet, label one box "Open First." Include in
that box all items you need before setting up everything else. |
| Pack and label boxes according to the room in which they
will go. |
| Separate outdoor and indoor decorations. You could even
color code the boxes for easy identification. |
| Try to pack like items together. Have individual
containers for ribbons, fragile ornaments, decorations, nativity sets,
etc. |
| Separate light and heavy decorations, making certain to
store the heavier items on the bottom and lighter boxes on top. To protect
your fragile ornaments, consider storing them in a plastic container
rather than a cardboard box. |
| Take pictures of your decorations, and/or include
instructions with the decorations to save time next year. |
| Use old socks or nylons to pack fragile ornaments. If all
your socks have mates and you can’t spare any, try small zip-top plastic
bags. Blow air into the bag with a straw and seal to protect. |
| Use disposable plastic cups for fragile items. Place in a
box with shredded paper around the cups to protect from damage. You can
even use egg cartons for small fragile items. |
| If you don’t have shredded paper, reuse old wrapping
paper or tissue paper as packaging between items in boxes. You can also
wrap ornaments in recycled tissue paper from Christmas presents. |
| By storing ornament hangers separately from the
ornaments, you can prevent damage to your ornaments and prevent losing the
hangers. (Use small plastic containers, such as pill bottles or margarine
containers, to store small ornament hangers.) |
| You can buy garland and Christmas light holders, or wrap
them around an empty paper towel tube. Store tubes in a cylindrical
container (such as an oatmeal box) for protection. |
| Roll ironed holiday tablecloths and napkins around the
cardboard tubes from your wrapping paper. Wrap it in tissue paper and a
garbage bag. This keeps your tablecloth in perfect condition for the next
time. You can also place linens inside a suitcase or plastic container
with some scented sachets or a dryer softener sheet to keep fresh. |
| To store your wreath, tie it to a hanger. Cut a small
hole in the bottom of a drawstring bag and pull the hanger through the
hole. Pull the string closed at the bottom and hang the wreath on a nail
in the attic or garage. If you have nowhere to hang it, lay it flat in a
box. You can also buy special containers made just for storing wreaths. |
| Try reusing those plastic dry cleaning bags to cover all
hanging decorations. Hang safely to prevent damage. |
| After wrapping candles individually in cellophane or wax
paper, lay flat in a box. Do not store in an attic or other hot location! |
| If you live in a humid climate, remove any metal
decorations that may rust and store in a plastic container. |
