Okay, I know, Christmas hasn’t even happened and I am already talking about storage

for your Christmas decorations, wrapping paper, lights, and ornaments. But this is the time when you’re buying those things and the storage options to contain them are plentiful, in the stores, and you are too.

If you consider your gift-wrap and decorations necessities, consider this a necessity too. If you’re going to spend the money for these things, they will last years longer if you pack them up easily and effortlessly in protective containers. The other financial bonus is they are usually on sale. Jo-Ann’s Fabric and Crafts have their 60% off holiday sale going on. This includes holiday storage containers too. Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Target all have good assortments as well.

Originally I used to think this is one more way to get my money at holiday time. Yes, the cutesy colors to match the holidays (orange and black for Halloween, red and green for Christmas) made me want to hurl. But you know what? When I needed to get them out year after year, it was so easy to spot which holiday I needed. Most of the clients I’ve had decorate for Christmas the week after Thanksgiving. Everyone knows the bins come out, the handyman is scheduled to come, and everything is clearly marked. The Thanksgiving decorations go back into their bins and the Christmas ones are rotated out. Doing this for your clients is one more way to impress them with your organization skills. It is one small tool from my core basic system to “idiot proof everything.” This system saves you expensive man-hours of explaining where things are and which boxes to pull year-after-year. Packing and unpacking is a breeze because everything has a place.

As for the containers themselves, I recommend staying away from the bags, as they don’t offer much protection when your kids are tossing them around in the attic. However, they are great for under bed storage if you do not have space for the large plastic bins. Here are a few links to some of my favorite containers.

Wreath Storage

http://www.homzproducts.com/Scripts/Wreath-Storage-2-Prodview.html

Christmas Wrapping Paper Storage

http://www.homzproducts.com/Scripts/Wrap-Storage-2-Prodview.html

Outdoor light storage

http://www.homzproducts.com/Scripts/Holiday-Snaplock-light-wrap-box-Prodview.html

Ornament or Gift Decoration Box

http://www.snapware.com/products/home-storage-ornament-box-1098785

Love Snapware Snap “N Stack. Not just for holidays and it keeps like items together.

Make sure to store areas you decorate together. Keep all the tree lights with the tree items. Extension cords, power surge plugs, lights, ornaments and tree topper, should all go together in one bin. Patriots of organization be fearless! Mix it up. You can take the bins for the tree lights and put it inside of a larger plastic bin that holds everything for the tree.

One last note on buying and packing up your Christmas decorations, mark your bins with a large paper with large print on the short and long side of your bins; “tree,” “outdoor decorations,” “mantel decorations,” etc.  Tape them on or better yet, slip them in a fed ex label holder (these have the best peel and stick adhesive) and viola!

You’ll thank me next year.