Storing Christmas decorations doesn’t have to be a chaotic nightmare! These simple organizing tips and storage hacks will help you declutter your holiday decor, protect your ornaments, and make next year’s decorating process SO much easier. Say goodbye to digging through endless bins and hello to stress-free storage!
You know that moment in early January when you’re standing in your living room surrounded by a mountain of Christmas decorations, wondering how you accumulated SO MUCH STUFF? And then you remember that next December, you’ll be dragging down all those storage bins from the attic, opening each one like it’s a game show mystery box, desperately searching for those specific ornament hooks you KNOW you saved?
Yeah, me too. For years, I had 12+ large plastic storage totes of Christmas decor crammed in our attic. Every holiday season, I’d haul them all down, only to use enough decorations to fill about 3-4 bins. The rest? Just taking up space and making me feel like I was failing at both organization AND decorating.
But here’s the thing – packing up Christmas decorations doesn’t have to be a chaotic nightmare that you dread every January. With a few simple organizing tricks, you can actually make next year’s decorating process SO much easier. I’m talking about finding what you need in seconds, not hours!
So grab a cup of coffee, and let’s dive into my favorite hacks for organizing and storing Christmas decorations!
1. Store Christmas Ribbon on the Spool
Let’s start with something super simple that will save you from the tangled ribbon nightmare we’ve all experienced. You know those ribbon spools that you toss in the trash after wrapping gifts or putting ribbon on your tree? SAVE THEM!
Once Christmas is over, re-wrap all your ribbon back onto those empty spools. This keeps your ribbon organized, tangle-free, and ready to use next year. No more wrestling with a knotted mess of ribbon that somehow tied itself into impossible knots in storage!
*PRO TIPS:
- Store your ribbon spools vertically in a plastic bin so you can easily see all your ribbon options at a glance. It’s like having your own little ribbon shop right in your storage area!
- If you use small 18-24″ pieces of ribbon on your tree like I do, then you can wrap those shorter pieces around the empty spools also. This keeps your decorative tree ribbon wrinkle-free.
2. Use Drawer Organizers for Ornament Storage
This hack is one of my absolute favorites because it’s so simple yet SO effective. Those soft fabric drawer organizers you use for underwear and socks? They’re PERFECT for storing fragile ornaments!
Just place these fabric organizers inside your plastic storage totes, and nestle one ornament into each compartment. The soft fabric cushions your precious ornaments and keeps them from banging into each other. Plus, these organizers are way cheaper than those fancy ornament storage boxes!
These are the drawer dividers that I use in both my underwear drawers AND for storing fragile Christmas ornaments. My daughter’s handmade ornaments from preschool? Safe and sound!
3. Leave the Lights on Your Faux Christmas Tree
Okay, this tip is a total game-changer if you have an artificial tree. Instead of spending hours unwrapping lights every year, just LEAVE THEM ON THE TREE!
Here’s the secret: Before you pack up your tree, tie brightly colored ribbon around the plug ends of your lights. This way, when you set up your tree next year, you can easily find the male and female plugs and connect them together in seconds.
No more crawling around on the floor trying to figure out which strand connects where. It’s like giving your future self the best gift ever!
4. Organize Christmas Decor in Labeled Storage Bins
This was the tipping point for me – the moment I finally got serious about organizing my Christmas chaos. I used to have those 12+ bins I mentioned earlier, but I would literally only use decorations from about 3-4 of them each year. That meant hauling down EIGHT extra bins from the attic for absolutely no reason.
So I finally decided to declutter and organize everything by category. Now I have clearly labeled bins for:
- Tree ornaments
- Garlands and greenery
- Outdoor decorations
- Stockings, tree skirt, and misc decor
- Wrapping supplies
Game. Changer. Now I can grab exactly what I need without digging through bins of random stuff!
*PRO TIPS:
- Use my free printable garage storage bin labels to make detailed labels for each bin. Trust me, “Christmas Stuff 1” is NOT helpful when you’re looking for your favorite tree topper!
- Store outdoor winter decor in a bin by itself… if you’re like me, you’ll need this storage bin to decorate the outside of your home WAY before you’ll need your stocking hangers.
5. Declutter and Donate Christmas Items You No Longer Use
Let’s be real for a second – how many of those decorations do you actually use? If you’re like me, there are probably decorations you haven’t touched in YEARS sitting in those storage bins.
Here’s my rule: If I didn’t use it this Christmas season, and I didn’t miss it, it’s time to let it go. Donate those items to a local charity, thrift store, or even offer them to friends who are just starting their Christmas decoration collection.
Not only will this free up storage space, but you’ll also make someone else’s holiday season a little brighter. And bonus – fewer bins to lug up and down from the attic!
6. Invest in Christmas Tree Bags
Oh my goodness, where do I even start with this one? For about 7 years, we struggled with the original cardboard box our 9-foot tree came in. Every year it would be more beat up and harder to pack. By year five, we were basically using duct tape to hold the thing together!
Then I discovered heavy-duty Christmas tree bags, and I will NEVER go back. We now store our 9-foot tree in two separate bags instead of wrestling with one gigantic, falling-apart cardboard box. The bags have sturdy handles, they’re SO much lighter to carry up to the attic, and they actually protect the tree from dust and moisture. These are the Christmas tree bags I have!
This is one of those investments that pays for itself in stress reduction alone. Your back (and your sanity) will thank you!
7. Store Long Christmas Decorations in Your Tree Bag
Here’s a bonus hack that I discovered by accident – those Christmas tree bags have extra room! Use that space to store your long, awkward decorations like front porch signs, tall decorative sprays, candy cane stakes for your yard, or even your wreath.
If you use two tree bags like we do, you’ve got even more room to work with. This keeps all your bulky items together and prevents them from getting bent or broken in storage.
8. Use Egg Cartons for Small Ornament Storage
This is such a simple hack but SO clever! Save your empty egg cartons and use them to store small, delicate ornaments. Each compartment is the perfect size for one small ornament, and the cardboard provides cushioning.
Stack several egg cartons in a larger storage bin, and you’ve got an organized system for your mini ornaments. Plus, it’s basically free storage using something you were going to throw away anyway!
9. Wrap Wreaths in Garment Bags
If you have real or expensive artificial wreaths, protect them by storing them in old garment bags. The bags keep dust off and prevent the greenery from getting crushed or misshapen during storage.
You can hang the garment bags in a closet or even lay them flat in a storage bin. Either way, your wreaths will look fresh and full when you pull them out next December!
*PRO TIP: If you don’t have garment bags, large contractor-style trash bags work in a pinch, though they’re not quite as sturdy.
10. Create a Wrapping Station Box
Instead of having wrapping paper, tape, scissors, and bows scattered everywhere, create one designated wrapping station box. Include everything you need:
- Wrapping paper (stored vertically!)
- Scissors
- Tape
- Christmas gift tags
- Bows and ribbons
- A pen
When the holidays roll around, you can grab one box and have everything ready to go. No more running around the house looking for scissors or discovering your tape dispenser is empty!
11. Use Cardboard Dividers for Ornaments
Cut pieces of cardboard to fit inside your storage bins and create custom dividers. This is especially great for larger, statement ornaments that need their own space.
You can make these dividers from old shipping boxes (hello, Amazon!), and they work just as well as expensive organizers. Just measure your bin, cut the cardboard to size, and create sections for each ornament.
12. Store Small Christmas Decor Items in Ziploc Bags
My daughter has a small 3 foot tree that she sets up in her bedroom each year, and she has TONS of small ornaments that she uses to decorate it. Those tiny decorations get lost in the shuffle when I store them in my large storage totes with my other main tree decorations, so I made her a few labeled gallon-sized bags just for her decor. This makes it easy for her to grab her smaller items at the start of each holiday season.
You can do the same with any of your smaller Christmas decorations, like your mini ornaments that you use as vase fillers or even strands of small beads that you use on your Christmas tree.
13. Use Toilet Paper Tubes for Delicate Decorations
Save those empty toilet paper tubes! They’re perfect for storing delicate items like small glass ornaments, vintage decorations, or even bundled strings of beads. Just place one item in each tube, pack the tubes upright in a box, and you’ve created custom protective packaging.
This is such an easy way to repurpose something you’d normally recycle, and it provides surprisingly good protection for your fragile items.
Have you tried any of these Christmas decoration storage tips? Share your favorite organizing hacks in the comments below!
And be sure to PIN this post to your board for Christmas organization ideas so you can find it later! This is a GREAT way to support us!
