Life with Preethi

Just like that the holidays are over and it’s time to start taking down all your decorations. It can get quite overwhelming as you bring out all the boxes and you look at that beautifully decorated tree and wonder where do I start. Every tree decor is unique but here are some steps you can take to ensure a clean and safe take down of your decoration.

1. Start with the outer most layer and work your way to an empty tree, but first remove your tree topper. I usually store my topper in the same container it came in or you can store it in a larger box.
2. Remove any pine picks or decorative stems you may have inserted into your tree. If you have placed an artificial snow (cotton balls or fur) remove these as well.
3. Next take down the ribbons and/or beaded chain garland. I usually roll all my ribbons back and tie it with an elastic hold so it doesn’t unfold in storage. For the beaded ribbon I use a rectangular piece of cardboard and roll the garland around.
4. Now remove any clipped on ornaments and delicate ornaments. You can either store these in the boxes they came in or use ornament boxes.
5. Take down the rest of the ornaments and separate the hook as you remove them. I usually place my hooks in a Ziploc bag to re-use them for next year.
6. There are various types of storage boxes available for ornaments and they come in assorted sizes. I have a mix of ornament sizes. To store the large ornaments (about 6 inches) I used this box below meant for 3 inch ornaments but I made the sizes bigger. So if you’re having a hard time finding boxes that fit your ornaments you can always customize the boxes.
7. Some of the smaller ornaments I reused the same box it came in since they fit into the tote boxes for easy storage. However, you can use the ornaments boxes to store all your ornaments depending on how you want to organize them.
8. If you are storing ornaments in their original box, I’d place them in a large storage container so they’re all in one location and nothing gets lost for the following year. Start by placing the non-shatter ornaments and anything heavy at the bottom and leave the more delicate items for the top. Feel free to place the ribbons in the space between or if on one side if you have a collection of them.
9. Now that we have removed all the items on the tree, go ahead and remove any lights you may have on it. Storing lights can be a hassle! Our tree is pre-lit so we don’t have that issue. However, we do have porch string lights. The trick here is the same as the garlands, I use a piece of cardboard to roll the lights. Easy storage and no tangle when you want to re-use it!
10. Now we are left with just the tree. Time to fold and scrunch the branches so it can fit into the tree storage. You can opt to buy a tree storage I have linked below or if your box is in good condition you can re-use that (as you see below).
11. With the Christmas tree packed, I start to collect any and all other Christmas decor in my house and place them in the storage boxes. Again, easier to have everything in one place.
12. For re-usable wreaths I have a wreath bag that I place them (as seen below). These bags come in assorted sizes so easy to find one to fit yours. I find this the easiest way to store the wreath since they can be a delicate. These bags are also waterproof and will protect against dust.

All done! Doesn’t that feel good? Everything is organized and ready to go for next year! You have any additional tips you use for your Christmas decor organization and storage feel free to leave a comment below.