Wrapping the Holiday Season Up

Posted by Janice Benoit Jan 3, 2007

Ok -- I know that it's anticlimactic to put away all your holiday decorations and specialty items, but honestly, the best way to prepare for next year's decorating is by how you pack things up now.

Take advantage of the seasonal storage container sales going on now to protect and store your decor and linens for next year. Use clear or color coded plastic, stackable containers for your most efficient use of space. I affix a clear plastic envelope (like the ones that UPS uses on its packages) and put a list of the box's contents in it. This will save a lot of time and effort next year!

Pack like items together --- all the greenery in one container, all the statuary in another, etc.

Do not pack candles or other items that are susceptible to heat or cold damage, if the boxes will be exposed to extremes. (I learned the hard way, when I lost an entire array of seasonal candles to my attic's extreme summer temperatures --- the collection was a fascinating yet grotesque mass of goo by the following season!)

You may want to separate out items that can be used throughout the year. For instance, I have an entire box of bead strands. Many of these beads are Mardi Gras beads, but they can be used throughout the year --- green for St. Patrick's Day, purple for Easter, gold for New Year's, red for Christmas, etc. Rather than dig through my seasonal boxes when I want to create a quick tablescape, I can just access my Bead Box and pull out the right accessory for the table.

Take the time to organize your goods in the manner that makes the most sense for your needs. Don't rush the job, just to get rid of the trimmings of the holiday. Do the job right the first time -- even if it takes a little longer -- and you will have created a duplicatable system for the future.