.svg "bostongarage")
Usually, when it’s time to clean up the holiday decorations, you just want the job done. You don’t think much about how they are stored until your garage starts to get cluttered and cramped or until it’s time to get them out next year and everything is a tangled mess. This year, use these 7 simple steps to get your holiday decorations in order so your garage will be tidy and your decorations will last longer.
1. Separate by season.
Sort out all of your decorations by season so you won’t be digging through the Christmas lights to find the giant spider for Halloween. If you have other seasonal items like pool noodles and squirt guns cluttering up the garage, you can include them in this roundup, too.
2. Cull the clutter.
If you have anything that you have not used for the last two years, donate or recycle it. Toss anything that has frayed cords and wires or is otherwise in bad shape.
3. Store strings of lights properly.
No matter how nicely you try to coil that string of lights, when you get them out next year they will be tangled. Instead, wrap them around an empty paper towel roll or wrapping paper roll cut into shorter pieces. Cut a notch at the ends to hold the plugs in place so they don’t unravel. Protip: This also works for extension cords and garland.
4. Ornaments done right.
Ornament storage chests are the best way to store delicate decorations. Not only will they keep your ornaments safe, you won’t waste hours of your time carefully wrapping and packing each individual ornament.
5. Use clear plastic bins.
Get rid of the cardboard boxes and skip the holiday-themed totes. Instead, use clear plastic bins so you can immediately see what’s inside.
6. Load properly.
Reduce the likelihood of your decorations getting damaged as bins get shuffled around by loading them properly. Put heavy items on the bottom and light items on top. This will also make carrying and stacking your bins easier as they’ll be more stable and less likely to tip over.
7. Overhead storage.
Get everything out of your way by taking advantage of overhead storage. The extra space above your garage door is the perfect place for this. Everything is up off the floor and out of the way, and your clear plastic bins will make it easy to quickly locate what you need. Overhead storage is also the perfect place to stash your artificial tree.
Better Organization Means Better Spaces
Better storage means you’ll never have to shuffle seven bins of Christmas decorations to get to the Independence Day flags or drag the bin of zombies out of the way to get to the bikes in the spring. Your space will be more useful and more enjoyable for the entire family all year long.
