As the holiday season draws to a close and the New Year begins, do you have a plan for storing you holiday decorations? Hint: plastic shopping bags don’t count! Read on for some simple no-cost ideas for clutter-free Christmas decoration storage, including ornaments, lights, and the wreath.

Storing Ornaments

Don’t have the original boxes your ornaments came in or fancy storage totes and containers? Not to worry! While the original ornament divider boxes are great for packing away glass balls, an alternative would be to keep the boxes that drinking glasses are sold in, or collect empty wine boxes from the liquor store. They have dividers that are perfect for cradling and storing delicate ornaments. Each slot can hold two or three wrapped ornaments – be sure to place heavier ornaments on the bottom, lighter ones on top.

Other no-cost alternatives for storing ornaments: egg cartons for tiny ornaments, shoe boxes or produce containers for larger ornaments, and paper towel rolls for garlands.

As you’re packing away decorations, evaluate their fitness for next year’s duty. Are they bent, broken, chipped, or just plain worn out? Let them go, keep the best of the best, hit the after Christmas sales with your gift cards and add a few new ones for next year.

Lighting

While Christmas tree lights aren’t as fragile as your glass ornaments, they should be stored with care to prevent breaking and tangling. Strands of lights can be wrapped around pieces of corrugated box or coffee cans to prevent tangling. Bonus: If you use coffee cans, the replacement bulbs can be stored inside the cans!

Wreath Storage

Place the hanger loop on the back of your wreath over a sturdy coat hanger, then cover with a dry-cleaning bag. Tie the bottom of the bag to keep dust-free. Hang from a nail or beam in your storage area.

Label, Label, Label

Once everything is packed, use 3M Post-It Super Sticky Removable Label Pads and a Sharpie marker to label the outside of your cartons with the contents. These super-sticky label pads, in assorted sizes and colors, are perfect for organizing and identifying your Christmas decoration cartons. Just write, peel, stick, and store! With the contents labeled on the outside of the cartons, there’ll be no more hunting through boxes to find the lights and ornaments next year.