Store originals and any certified copies in a locked filing cabinet or bank safe-deposit box.
Store decorations by season in stackable plastic containers with lids. Cardboard is okay, but plastic offers better protection from dirt, insects and rodents, water, and other potential damage. Clear plastic is always a good idea but you can also choose different colors for different seasons or bins with different-color lids. Label the front of every bin and all four sides while you’re at it, so you can turn and rearrange boxes if needed.
You may want to number boxes and create a master index of stored items that includes the box number where they are stored and location of the box. You can do this on a spreadsheet and store it on your computer and/or in a storage area to make it easy to find specific items.
If space allows, designate a single location for storage of seasonal decorations. Store bins so that the upcoming season’s decorations are most accessible. That means moving those bins toward the front or top of your storage area when putting away the most recent decorations, which should be stored at the bottom of the stack or at the back.
OUT OF THE BOX
Organizer
Transforming Common Items into Storage Solutions
Protective foam egg cartons are perfect for storing small holiday tree ornaments, especially delicate ornaments.
They are also good for sorting buttons and beads or small hardware supplies.
Children can paint cardboard ones in bright colors and use them to sort tiny treasures.
Reuse foam ones as painting trays or the paper kind to sprout seedlings.
Egg cartons can be cut to fit in a desk drawer with as many units as you need to hold paper clips, thumbtacks, and other supplies.
Pack holiday decorations and ornaments as if you might be moving because … well, you never know. Put away items in the reverse order that you will need them next year. For example, pack the Christmas tree lights on top of the garlands and ornaments.
Ornaments: Invest in a couple of sturdy, stackable ornament boxes with dividers. Or use a cardboard wine box and wrap fragile ornaments in tissue paper. It’s best to store special keepsake ornaments in the original packaging for maximum protection.
Another method for storing fragile ornaments is to put a layer of shredded paper in the bottom of a box. Don’t use newspaper — the ink makes a mess. Add a layer of ornaments, making sure they aren’t touching, and then another layer of paper, and continue, finishing with a thick layer of paper on top.
You may want to store ornaments in boxes by type of ornament such as fabric, wood and metal, and glass.
Lights: To keep holiday lights from tangling, wrap strands around a piece of cardboard, starting with the connector end and finishing with the plug. Tuck the plug under a string to secure it. Avoid having to figure out which light strings go where by labeling the cardboard with a description, such as mantel or tree. Wrap with tissue or packing paper to protect against breakage and store in a box with other holiday decorations. If lights are the first holiday decorations you put up, store them at the top of the box or in a separate box stored on top of the others for easy access. Reel-type organizers are highly recommended for easy storage of lights, especially for long strings.
Artificial tree: I find it tedious to set up and dismantle an artificial tree. That’s why I recommend plastic tree storage bags. You put the tree into the bag, zip it up, and carry it to your garage, basement, or attic. When the holidays come around, just carry it back into the house, unzip the bag, and pull out a ready-to-decorate or even partially decorated tree! Yes, it requires a little more storage space, but if you’ve got the room, this is a real timesaver. And unlike the original cardboard box, the plastic bag protects against dust as well as insect and rodent infestation.
Make good use of vertical storage space. You can find wall-mounted organizers to hang everything from brooms and mops in the utility room, to cooking utensils and spices in the kitchen, to bicycles in the garage.
Wreaths: Place artificial wreaths in a special wreath box or bag with tissue paper or newspaper lightly stuffed around them to help preserve their shape and store them lying flat. Or cover wreaths securely with a trash bag and hang on a wall in your seasonal storage area.
(see also Storage Solution, page 153)
Store in a fire- and burglar-resistant safe or in a safe-deposit box; may be discarded 10 years after property is sold. Cemetery deeds should be kept forever. Give a copy to your heir(s).
(see also Storage Solution, page 32)
Store originals in a bank safe-deposit box or fire- and burglar-resistant safe. If you would like to display them, frame and hang copies.
Store everyday dishes on shelves in a cabinet near the dishwasher or your table — whatever makes it easier for you to put them away and retrieve them. You can buy special dividers to store dishes in drawers if that is more convenient.
Special-occasion and heirloom dishes should be stored in china storage boxes with cushioned dividers between plates.
Store original in your bank safe-deposit box.
(see Pet Paraphernalia)
Keep a donations box in a central location in your home into which you and other family members can toss items to be given to charity, including clothing, electronic equipment, games, toys, and books. Keep a running list, including detailed description (brand name, color, size), of the items you put in the box and approximate second-hand value. When the box gets full, take it to the charity of your choice. Staple your list to the receipt and file with your current-year tax records.
A very effective technique with children is to put a donation box in each child’s room and give them a choice: either put their things away or toss them into the donation box.
(see Clothing: Dresses)
(see CDs and DVDs)
