Storing Christmas Tree decorations

Laithwaites wine boxes for baubles.
??? We need lots of boxes ???

I just put them in an old shopping bag till next year.

I have some small china angels and bells which we bought when we got married.
I store them in a large egg box, labelled with the name of the dairy where we lived all those years ago.
Double nostalgia!

TillyTrotter

It’s a good solution Josieann.
DH received wine in a wooden crate type box (3 bottles inside) and I’ll ask if he has it earmarked for any other use. If not, I can turn that into a useful storage box for decs.

Full of good ideas here.on GN!
Hope the wine was nice!

He’s surrendered it to me ?. It’s perfect - even sectioned inside Josieann.

It’s a good solution Josieann.
DH received wine in a wooden crate type box (3 bottles inside) and I’ll ask if he has it earmarked for any other use. If not, I can turn that into a useful storage box for decs.

Tillytrotter I had a bit of an idea last night that I am going to try today for the extra baubles who don't have their boxes. It avoids plastic.
With the several of the strong paper wine bottle present bags I recieved, I am going to stack the baubles on top of one another with a square of cardboard and kitchen roll in between each one.

Deedaa and Maybee I will look in Lidl and Dunelm for what you have described.
I would prefer to use cardboard rather than plastic storage boxes in an effort to be less reliant on plastic.
Witzend does your little potted tree survive a year outside?

B and Q have plastic boxes with dividers for individual baubles.

A few years ago I bought lots of lovely Christmas boxes in the Dunelm Mill sale. I packed everything away so neatly and put them in the wardrobe in the spare room that I haven’t decorated the tree since.

Sundry bags and boxes shoved into the loft. Delicate glass baubles are just put carefully into a bag with the rest, it seems to work all right.
Tree is always real, so no need to store that, except for the little potted one outside the front door, which will live in the garden until next year.

I saw this on my GS tik tok (whatever that is!)' You basically get an old sheet, cut it in half and fold it over so you end up with two long pieces, sort of like a scarf. You lay the lights as they come off the tree along the sheet, you then roll it up gently so you end up with a soft Swiss roll, tie string or ribbon round it and Bob's your uncle. Next year you just unroll it to reveal your nice straight Xmas lights, not a knot in sight. This is the theory, I havn't done it yet but it sounds good to me.

Thank you Josieann and TillyTrotter!

I try to be organised, so I don't stress too much - which I am prone to doing!

One other tip is to take photos of your decorations in place. Print them out and either add into the box of decorations for the relevant room, or put in a ring binder. I print mine out ( x4 to an A4 sheet) and keep in plastic pockets at the front of my Christmas file ( where I also keep notes on what goes where ,what worked/didn't work this year, gift lists, and meal plannings/timings). Use the photos as a guide next year, saves having to think - "where does this go?"

Hope this helps, take care xx

Oops sorry that should be Purpledaffodil

Purplepixie I have in the past wrapped tree lights around empty pringles cartons ?.

My Christmas tree decorations are kept in a purpose made cardboard box from Lidl. It has a lift out tray so you can pack two layers in and it lives in the cupboard under the stairs.

Does anyone have a good method for storing lights to prevent a terrible woven knot?

We just rolled up the flat sides of a cardboard box and taped it into a tube. The lights get wrapped around it when we take them down and they just get unrolled the next year when they go back up

Tree and door wreath in original boxes and taped shut.

Long strings of lights are wrapped around tubes of cardboard so they don't get tangled and are easy to store.

Baubles and other small decorations go into shoe boxes or old plastic chocolate containers, then into big plastic stackable boxes along with artificial foliage, candles, etc. Anything 'special' gets a bit of it's own wrapping too.

Try Freecycle for extra bubble wrap, wrappings - I have loads and I'm always trying to offload it through Freecycle ?

Plastic storage boxes, fortunately have lots of cupboard space for them, but before next Christmas I will have a good sort out!

TillyTrotter

More good tips …… I will write a note to say where the stand to the Christmas tree has been put (always searching for that),
and the metal hanger which goes over the front door and the wreath hangs from it.

I like to keep the wreath and its hanger together, I have a huge, flattish box that holds an IKEA light ring, the wreath just fits inside it.

TillyTrotter

Every year I break or misplace the tree decorations due to storing them haphazardly.
I’d like to be more careful in keeping them together and wondered what your tips are for the best containers you have bought or adapted? ?

Not the decorations but I save the sturdy inner tubes from kitchen rolls etc and wind the lights round them, saves untangling them every years. I've also been saving the oblong boxed that hold washing capules, they're also useful for lights.

The * tips * … from you knowledgeable grans, I meant to say

More good tips …… I will write a note to say where the stand to the Christmas tree has been put (always searching for that),
and the metal hanger which goes over the front door and the wreath hangs from it.

Purpledaffodil

In addition I have a list on my phone reminding me of things I will have forgotten by next Christmas. Eg put Outside lights up early. Should have taken more notice as they never did get put up this year ?
Does anyone have a good method for storing lights to prevent a terrible woven knot? Unwillingness to unravel it certainly contributed to lack of outside lights. ?

Years ago I bought a plastic reel specifically designed to Wray strings of lights around without tangling, I now use them every year. I also wrap lights around a shoe box if they are not too long. My outdoor lights have very thick wires between them so I can wrap them around my arm creating a ring then use string to secure it, that seems to hold them tight with no tangles.

I do not have a proper loft as my bungalow has a dormer bedroom extension so I keep my indoor decorations and tree ( only five foot) on a high shelf in a wardrobe. I just need a small step stool to reach them.

My Christmas decorations are stored in boxes, placed inside large plastic storage boxes. I have 3 large boxes, one for breakable tree decorations, and the other two for the rest.
The delicate tree decorations are put into their original packaging and placed carefully in the storage box.
Then they all go away into the crawl space along the side of the house until next year.