6 Practical Tips for Storing Holiday Decorations in Your Shed

Save yourself the hassle of tripping over boxes of holiday decorations and free up indoor space during the off-season by storing seasonal items in a backyard shed. Here are a few practical tips to organize and store holiday decorations in your shed.

• Invest in containers. It's crucial to keep your decorations organized when using a shed for storage. Containers allow you to see which seasonal decorations are inside and protect delicate decorations from damage, since your shed is likely also used to store bulky items such as lawn equipment and tools. Storage containers also protect items from dust and make stacking easy for more efficient use of space. Stock up on containers designed specifically for artificial trees, wreaths, lights and ornaments after Christmas, when stores put them on sale.
• Put used wrapping paper to good use. Instead of throwing away the wrapping paper from holiday gifts, crumple or shred the paper and use it to protect delicate ornaments from jostling and breakage when storing. You can also use shredded paper to line gift baskets or boxes throughout the year. It's a better use of material that would otherwise end up in a landfill, and gives you peace of mind.
• Find a home for hooks. Have you ever lost the hook on an ornament, only to find it days later – when you stepped on it? Make it easy to keep track of hooks by storing them in a clear tackle box, craft organizer or utility container. In addition to organizing hooks, these containers are also great for extra tree light bulbs and other easily-lost items.
• Care for candles. To store holiday pillar candles, wrap them in cellophane (not plastic wrap) to help prevent them from changing shape or transferring color during the warmer months. Slim taper candles are more prone to warping, so be sure to store those in a climate-controlled area.
• Group interior and exterior decorations. Instead of storing holiday decorations randomly, first group them by use, whether interior or exterior. Label each container clearly, then store exterior and interior containers together. When it's time to decorate next Christmas, you won't have to sort through containers to find what you're looking for.
• Store holiday decorations up high. Many storage buildings include rafters or upper-level space. If your shed has this space, use it for storage of holiday decorations. You won't need them for another year, so it makes sense to stash them where they won't be in the way when you need to find your summer gardening tools.

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