How to Store Holiday Decorations (Without Breaking the Bank)

Once the holidays are over, you're left with one big question: how to store holiday decorations without turning your home into a storage unit. 

If you're someone who has always stuffed your holiday decor into mixed-and-matched boxes and tote bags, then packed them into an overflowing closet or cluttered, unfinished basement, it's time for a change. Storing Christmas decorations properly not only helps keep your home in order, but it also protects your valuable, sentimental, or fragile belongings. Unlike other holiday decorations or home decor, the Christmas holiday season includes items that are particularly tricky to pack and easy to break, such as delicate ornaments, wreaths, artificial trees, and strings of lights.

In this guide, we're breaking down our top holiday decoration storage tips and affordable seasonal storage ideas to help make your post-holiday organization easier.

Declutter Before You Store

The less you have to pack, the easier it is. This is true of any decor, but especially Christmas decorations. If you're like many families, you add a few pieces each year. Whether it's a new Christmas tree or Christmas ornaments, the items add up fast, leaving you to purchase more storage bins and find room for it all once the holiday is over.

To help save space, before you start putting things away, begin by decluttering. Donate or toss any items that are broken or outdated, or decor presents you've received this year that just aren't your style.

If you don't have a shelf in the garage, attic, closet, or space under the bed to store your decor, decluttering also means that you won't need to pay for as much storage space.

To begin the decluttering process, start making stacks of ornaments, lights, and other decor, separated by piles or in boxes labeled "keep," "donate," and "replace next year." This will make it easier to get organized and give you a better idea of how much storage space you'll need when you do start packing.

Use the Right Containers

Whether you're filling a storage room in your basement or a storage unit, choosing the right containers is important. Cardboard boxes are less expensive and come in a variety of sizes. However, they can't hold as much weight or stand up to years of use like plastic storage bins. 

Another great way to get organized, make more space, and protect your fragile items is to use customized containers. There are tons of ornament storage ideas available, ranging from special boxes for ornaments to inserts for plastic storage containers to protect and organize them. 

Even if you're using special inserts, it's a good idea to pad particularly special ornaments with bubble wrap or make sure each is carefully wrapped in tissue paper. If you store your holiday decor in solid plastic bins that don't display what's inside, make sure to add labels. This can help you stay organized and quickly find what you need when you're ready to decorate next year.

You can also use storage bags to store Christmas trees or wreaths instead of the original cardboard boxes, which take up more space and break down over time. Just make sure you don't stack heavy items on your wreath or tree bags. If you have soft holiday decorations like pillows and blankets, use vacuum-sealed bags. Cord organizers are great for wrapping up lights and preventing tangling.

Investing in high-quality containers to store your belongings can help keep them safe in your house or storage unit from one season to the next. Getting creative with your storage and using special containers for ornaments or wreaths and trees not only makes them easier to store and keep organized, but also makes it easier to decorate your apartment or house next holiday season.

Muscular Moving Men sells sturdy boxes and packing kits that are great for putting away and storing seasonal decor.

Consider a Climate-Controlled Storage Unit

Unless you're lucky enough to have a huge walk-in closet that you can fully dedicate to your Christmas decor and other holiday storage, you're going to need to find a place to stash your storage containers and other decor.

Many families opt to store their holiday decor on a shelf in the garage, in the attic, or in any available space throughout their home, like a spare room, the top shelf of a pantry, or under the guest bed. But this can leave your home unnecessarily cluttered and make it hard to find your decor for the holidays next year. Your lights might end up in one room, your ornaments in the attic, and the rest of your bins piled in the garage.

One great alternative is to rent a climate-controlled storage unit instead of storing your decor in your own home. Not only does this mean less clutter in your house or apartment, but it also makes your decor more easily accessible next holiday season. Having a dedicated holiday decor storage unit means you can add more decorations from one year to the next, without worrying about running out of room to store them.

A climate-controlled storage unit will also help protect decorations that might be damaged by temperature changes. Storing candles or paper items in an outdoor closet or a shelf in your garage or basement can lead to melting and curling that can ruin your decorations. The same goes for items that are difficult to dust, like trees and wreaths.

Another benefit of renting a storage unit for your holiday decor storage is the ability to store wrapping items, like wrapping paper, bows, and gift tags. This means saving leftovers each year so you can save money on buying new, without dealing with unraveling rolls of paper in your closet all year.

Muscular Moving Men's secure, local, climate-controlled warehouse is a great option for Phoenix residents looking for storage after the holidays. Don't add more clutter to your apartment closet or your home's basement floor.

Maximize Space to Minimize Cost

If you do decide to rent a storage unit to store decorations and seasonal items, it's important to ensure you're maximizing your space. In a storage unit, every square foot counts. The more efficiently you pack, the smaller the space you’ll need and the more money you’ll save.

Here are some tips to help you maximize space when packing decorations:

• Disassemble artificial trees and store them in compact bags
• Stack multiple wreaths and store them in special bags to protect them and make them easier to store
• Use ornament bins with dividers to avoid wasting space on bulky packaging
• For delicate ornaments, consider wrapping in tissue paper for extra padding without adding bulk
• Vacuum-seal soft items like garlands, tree skirts, and holiday pillows and blankets
• Label everything clearly in your bins so you don’t waste time — or risk damage — digging out things to decorate next season
• Stack boxes by size and weight to avoid renting a larger unit than necessary
• Place your Christmas tree bag upright to take up less space and avoid damaging your tree while it's in storage
• Use cord organizers to store lights without tangling. Place these cord organizers in storage bins to prevent damage and keep them organized so you're ready to decorate next year.

Pro tip: Muscular Moving Men offers moving-grade boxes and storage kits designed for protecting delicate holiday items, which makes putting away bins even easier.

Bundle Your Move + Storage

Have an upcoming move this year? Instead of moving your holiday decorations from the closet in your apartment to the floor of your new home's basement, take advantage of your move to get a dedicated holiday storage unit.

Muscular Moving Men can pick up and store holiday bins directly without customers needing to haul them. You'll get a brand-new storage space that's organized and ready to go for the next holiday, as well as more closet space in your new home!

This also means you'll have fewer boxes to unpack or find a place to store when you get to your new home. A move is a great chance to get organized — why not finally cross organizing your holiday decorations off your list during your move?

Store Your Holiday Decor With Muscular Moving Men

Learning how to store holiday decorations doesn't have to be complicated. With a few simple tips, you can save money, get organized, and protect your family's special decorations year after year. From decluttering your holiday decor to using the right bins and investing in a storage unit if space is tight, these tips are a great start to storing your holiday decorations better.Don’t let your holiday decorations get ruined in the garage or lost in the attic. Phoenix movers like Muscular Moving Men offer safe, affordable storage options that keep your items in perfect shape for next year. Give us a call today at (877) 434-8668 to get started with a free quote.