Storage Hacks for Holiday Decor

I don’t know about you, but the holidays went by in a flash. And despite the joy, peace and hope the holidays bring, they also bring lots of–you guessed it–stuff. Now that it’s all over, it’s time to pack up all your holiday trimmings and find homes for your shiny new gifts. It’s work, yes, but with a little ingenuity and the right supplies, you can easily create the perfect storage solutions to help you manage holiday clutter.

This article shows you how to organize and store indoor holiday decor when you’re working with a small space–perfect for bachelor units, apartment or condo living, and tiny houses.

Living in a small home is ideal for keeping rent low, cleaning time down and clutter to a minimum–but it also reduces or eliminates storage options. A great way to manage your small living space is to make your holiday storage a beautiful part of your daily decor by using attractive boxes and hooks from places like the Container Store or Target.

Back in the day, I did a segment for HGTV where I created a holiday storage space using bookcases.

If you want to try this at your house, start off by tracking down a strong bookcase. Next, gather your tools and supplies. Here’s a helpful list of essential home organizing supplies that I recommend.

Choose 1-2 different colored acid-free boxes that you like. Keeping your decorative boxes to 1 or 2 different colors is less clutter on the eyes, and will look more aesthetically pleasing as a display on your bookshelves. You might also decide to alternate 1 color of boxes with a printed set of boxes for added visual interest. Choose acid free paper and boxes to package up your holiday decorations instead of newsprint, wood or cardboard. These materials can yellow, discolor, streak, mold or otherwise damage your belongings.

Use small to medium size boxes to store your holiday napkins, towels, tablecloths and stockings. Make sure to keep like items together. Larger boxes or trunks can be used for storing your holiday garland, lights and ornaments. Recycle old gift wrap and shredding paper. Gift wrap will act as cushion at the top and bottom of a box. Shredded paper is great for packing material between items for extra protection.

Here are some quick and easy tips for handling bulky items like these. Work backwards, meaning that as you tackle the tree, organize the last thing you put on the tree, first–which is your garland. You can purchase a handheld light spool at any hardware store for approximately $5. Use this to wind up your garland and keep it even.

Use a large, round light spool for your string lights. Often these come in a nylon zipper bag for convenient storage. Once you’ve packed your lights away, label all sides of the nylon bag so that you know at a glance exactly what’s inside. This handy tip goes for all storage containers.

Now, the ornaments. You may decide to invest in clear, stackable cases with dividers that are just perfect for organizing and storing ornaments. Alternatively, you can use an old wine box, which also has built-in dividers to help keep your ornaments contained. For smaller, more delicate ornaments, you can repurpose an egg carton.

Finally, it’s time to go fishing.. for your tackle box, that is. This is the perfect container for miscellaneous fuses and extra light bulbs. Make sure to label your tackle box, Holiday Light Accessories for easy reference.

I hope I’ve made the dreaded task of clearing your holiday clutter at least easier if not a little bit fun. Now you’re all set to usher in the New Year with clarity, confidence and a clean home!

Do you have other spaces in your home that are collecting clutter?

Spring cleaning season is right around the corner. Get your organizing kit together now!
Here’s how.