This time of year, one of the most frequently asked questions in the world of organizing is something along the lines of…How do I store my wreaths?! Is a bag or box better for storing my tree? What on earth do I do with all of these ornaments?! Is it normal to spend 5 hours unraveling Christmas lights each year?

So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite hacks and the products needed for organizing your holiday decor just in time to take advantage of those big SALES starting on December 26! And better yet, a lot of these solutions utilize items you might already have on hand.

WRAPPING PAPER + SUPPLIES

• I recommend storing your holiday wrapping supplies (paper, gift tags, tape, scissors and ribbon/bows) with your holiday decor, since you only need to access them once a year. If you have sneaky kids who are trying to bust you on having the same wrapping paper as Santa, put the paper and wrapping supplies in a garment bag (and hang it on that trusty garment rack you’ve just invested in). I can almost guarantee your kids are never going to go sleuthing in there.

• For the wrapping supplies used the other 11 months of the year, I cannot express my love of the ELFA door system enough. For about $100, you can turn the inside of your closet door into your personal wrapping station.

WREATH + LINEN ORGANIZER

• If you’ve got a blank wall in your storage space begging to be filled, consider using Command Hooks to create a gallery wall of wreaths. Bonus points if you organize by season! Imagine a tidy grid of wreaths with Spring on the top, summer in the middle, and Fall/Winter below. I can envision it now and it has me E X C I T E D.

• Not all of us are lucky enough to have empty walls just waiting to be filled, so how about utilizing a garment rack? They are good for much more than your overflow wardrobe. Tie some ribbon around the hook on the back of your wreath and loop it around a hanger. From there, hang the wreaths in a row on your garment rack (an empty closet rod can do the trick too). If you are storing these in a dusty space, pull a trashbag around them and tie off at the top to keep them dust free.

• A garment rack (or closet rod) is also a fabulous place to hang your linens. While I can’t promise every wrinkle will steer clear, they will be much easier to iron out when hung versus being folded in a huge stack stuffed inside a drawer.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

• Seriously, some of the worst if not stored properly. Cut up one of the hundred Amazon boxes that was delivered to your house this December and wrap your lights around a square piece (taping each end). These can be stored upright inside of a large storage bin and will be SO much easier to deal with next year. Your future self is applauding you right about now!

ORNAMENTS

• I’m a huge fan of these ornament organizers for a couple of reasons. The cardboard inserts can be pulled out if you don’t have a use for them. They stack (mine were purchased as a two-level system, but I added another layer based on the height between my shelves).

• For ornaments that are flat, lay several on top of each other in a stack and place them in the bin. Or separate in layers using kraft paper or cardboard. We have a tree FULL of ornaments and all of them fit inside just two of these bins.

• From there, toss every single ornament box unless absolutely necessary. These take up so much extra space! This can be applied to the cardboard in your pantry and closets too.

CHRISTMAS TREES

• I wish I would have had this Christmas tree storage bag years ago. Your tree will be ready for storage in just a few minutes (and it is way more pleasant to deal with than that cardboard box you’ve been taping up for years).

• Again, if your space isn’t dusty and you have the room, consider just storing your tree up-right in your storage space (after you’ve removed all of the ornaments). It will save you all sorts of time since it will already be fluffed and ready to go!

And finally a PRO TIP that you can incorporate this year if you are still decorating, or next:

• Use natural elements to decorate such as branches, greenery, cranberries, pine cones, etc that you find around your home. You can arrange them on a mantel, create your own wreath, use them to fill vases or decorate platters, etc.

• If you have kiddies at home, use their seasonal craft projects as your decor. When determining where to store these items, my recommendation is to put them with your seasonal decor (holiday art gets stored with holiday decor).

• And a somewhat random tip that I just have to share, if you like to hang on to holiday cards, you can cut them up and turn them into gift tags for the next season too! I have to give credit to Caryn O’Sullivan from Drapery Street for that one.

Do you have a unique way for storing some of your holiday decor? Do share in the comments below! I love learning from you!!

The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces throughout Indianapolis. She’s on a quest to create meaningful holidays for her twins without going crazy on decorations…can it be done? Only time will tell. ;)

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