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Holiday Storage

If you have ever been faced with the task of decorating for the holidays then you know the struggle. Finding broken ornaments, untangling decorations, tinsel everywhere, and you have not even gotten to the wrapping paper? Yes, decorating for the holidays can quickly go from fun to frustrating in seconds. So, how can you avoid the frustration? Think of your storage unit as an extension of your closet or garage. Is it organized so you can easily access everything you need? Or is it chaotic with mystery boxes stacked to the brim? While some frustrations are unavoidable during the holiday season, here are tips and tricks to hopefully help make decorating and un-decorating…a little less stressful time of the year. 

Artificial Tree Storage

Did you know that with the proper care artificial trees can last up to 10 years? According to Consumerreports.org, the average cost of a real Christmas tree in the United States in 2020 was $80 and a fake Christmas tree was $104 in 2019. While this price may be different in your location, if we take the average in 2020 you could save $80/year or $800 in ten years just from switching from a real tree to a fake tree and never need to water it. 

So how do you properly store a Christmas tree for ten years? You could just use the box it came in and label it “Christmas Tree” then toss it back in storage; it may get lost with the rest of the irregular shaped boxes stacked on top of each other and then lose sight of the label “Christmas Tree” altogether. However, the appropriate thing to do would be to get a storage bag. There are countless storage bags for Christmas Trees but here are some we found that will do the job and save you money and a headache. 

On a budget

Try the ZOBER Large Christmas Tree Storage Bag that can fit up to a 9FT tall tree. It’s waterproof and protects against dust, moisture, and insects. You can choose from 4 different colors. This bag has 4.5 stars out of 24,839 reviews. View on Amazon

On a budget but want wheels? Try ZOBER Tear Proof 600D 

Not really interested in putting your tree back in a box? Try the Tiny Tim Totes Green Premium Upright Christmas Tree Canvas Storage Cover. It covers the entire tree so that you do not have to take the tree apart. 4.5 stars out of 1,252 reviews. View on Amazon

Want to Splurge? If you are looking for something that has wheels, compression straps, and is sturdy check out the TreeKeeper, which holds up to a 9FT Christmas tree. View on Amazon.

Christmas Lights Storage

Do you despise the wad of Christmas lights that form for what seems like no reason at all? We hear you. There are many options for holiday light storage. Whether you are on a budget or want to splurge, here are some options that can help you with your holiday light storage options.

On a Budget

If you do not want to spend money on storage for your Christmas lights, we have three solutions for you. You can wrap your Christmas lights around a coat hanger, the lights themselves, or a piece of cardboard. These are fantastic ways to save you money and still get the organization you need. It may not be pretty but it’ll do the job. 

Wrapping them using the lights themselves, wrap them around a hanger or a piece of cardboard. This is a great idea if you have a small set of lights but we wouldn’t recommend this if you have a large set of holiday lights. If you want something that provides the same storage but looks a bit nicer try these, light cord wraps. Another Idea if you want to keep your lights visible but wrapped, try extension cord holders. Try a heavy-duty version if you have a large set of lights. These are an excellent way to hang your lights up and out of the way.

Christmas Light Storage Bag

If you want something that provides a way to wrap your lights but you also want to hide them away in a bag, try a Christmas storage bag that is made just for that purpose. The best storage and way to wrap your lights are using a spinning reel. Spinning reels make unraveling and wrapping lights a breeze. If you are not interested in a bag how about a storage box? You can still wrap the lights for storage but they would be stored in a box. 

Christmas Ornaments Storage

Christmas ornaments are an iconic symbol of holiday joy. If you’re like me, some ornaments have been purchased, some handed down and gifted, and others managed to just appear. However, these little wonderful items of cheer have been part of families for over 500 years and originated in the 16th century, Germany. Back then ornaments were more like candles, apples, nuts, and berries, which in retrospect was a horrible fire hazard and probably brought a lot of pests around. Read the brief story of ornaments here. If you want to keep your special ornaments for decades to come view these recommendations for storing your ornaments. 

If you are on a budget there are still storage options to keep your ornaments from breaking. If you have a hot glue gun (or glue) cardboard and plastic cups we’ve got a trick for you. 

All you need is a hot glue gun (or glue), cardboard, a box, and plastic drink cups. Cut the cardboard into pieces that will fit inside the storage box. Glue the bottom of the cups to the cardboard and let dry. Place one of the cardboard pieces with cups in the box and fill it with ornaments. Fill empty space with strings of beads and lightweight, non-breakable decorations. Continue to stack and fill layers until your box is full. Avoid overfilling each layer so the next has a flat surface to rest on. Try this video if you need a visual. 

If you want to splurge a little or you don’t feel like doing arts and crafts projects, be sure to look for these four tips provided by the-cover-store. 

Acid-Free Lining: Acidic materials will cause tarnishing and color loss over time. If using a hard-sided plastic box, wrap your ornaments in acid-free tissue paper or other packing material.

Built-in Labels: Find a storage solution with a built-in ID window that you can slip a piece of paper into. Label your boxes with the type of decoration or what the decorations are for.

Dividers: Sectioning off each ornament is key in storage. Look for firm, non-scratch dividers to keep your Christmas ornaments from sliding around. If you find a box you love that doesn’t include dividers, you can always make your own out of cardboard.

Carrying handles: Check that your chosen container will be easy to move around.

Here are some great options we found for Christmas Ornament Storage:

Ornament Storage Box which holds up to 128 Ornaments

Acid-Free Lining Ornament Storage Box which holds up to 72 ornaments 

Acid-Free Lining Ornament Storage Box which holds up to 64 ornaments 

Premium Acid-Free Christmas Ornament Storage Box which holds up to 72 ornaments

Have a ton of ornaments? Walmart online sells a 6 pack of ornament storage boxes that holds up to 270 ornaments for $119.99 (at time of writing) which would be roughly $20 a box. 

Now that we have covered holiday light storage and holiday ornament storage, we can discuss proper storage for our wrapping paper, tape, and bows. Hide them behind doors, cabinets, out in the open or find their own storage box, you can find numerous storage options out there for these simple things. 

The DIY options

         Use Command Hoods and Brackets – Hang them up in your office or craft room and get them up and out of the way. Or if you want to use storage bins and hide them from sight, try this blog about turning a closet into a tidy crafter’s dream. If you don’t have a lot of space at home, but you have a storage unit or have a corner at home for just a little extra room, then try a box and some elastic. Just use a piece of elastic around each roll and store them in a box. This will keep them tightly wrapped and stored for the next birthday or holiday event. We found a pack of 12 elastic bands for only $7.12 (at time of article). Try this blog article for more DIY options on storage for Christmas wrapping. 

If you do not have the time to spare on a dedicated wrapping location, then try a whole storage box that fits up to 20 standard rolls with clear compartments for more of your wrapping needs.   

Don’t have a corner to spare in your home? Try this storage container that hangs in your closet. It’s crazy cheap, holds everything you’ll need, and hangs neatly in your closet. 

We hope we have provided ample storage ideas for your Christmas tree, lights, ornaments, and wrapping paper this year. So, whatever shenanigans you get into this holiday season, the great part about being organized is that you know exactly where things are, which also means you spend less time on tedious tasks like sorting through ripped wrapping paper rolls, trying to find the tape, or scissors and more time on other things like sipping Smores Hot Chocolate by the fireplace. 

If you are anything like me, organizing can feel like a drain at first but once it is completed, things look neat, run much more smoothly and you will thank yourself for putting the time and energy into organizing your Holiday storage. Experts also state that having an organized, cleaned space actually affects us on a subconscious psychological level. So, for this holiday season, if you do not have the space at home find your portable storage unit at Cool Box Portable Storage. We have a 3 different size container options and our friendly staff are always here to help if you are not quite sure what storage unit size you need. The great part about portable storage is that you can have it delivery to your home. This means you do not have to get in your car, dive to your storage facility, enter a code, and find your unit. You save time when its right at home. Find your next portable storage container at Cool Box Portable Storage. We have many locations, see if we are serving your location here.