• Thursday 06 January 2022
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At the beginning of January, a great opportunity presents itself - the opportunity to sort out an efficient system for storing away all those Christmas decorations we’ve accumulated in the year so far.

Are you ready to take the next step?

We’ve put together some handy tips, hacks, and storage solutions to help you store your Christmas decorations in the most intelligent and useful way possible. Read on to find out more….

 

How to Stow Away Christmas Lights Safely

When it comes to storing your Christmas fairy lights, your main aim is to avoid the horrendous chore of untangling them next Christmas. You will be grateful come December, for the extra care you put in every January when it comes to storing fairy lights.

Here’s a quick guide:

• Start by sorting your lights by colour, type and shape for storing into separate spools/containers.
• Spool your lights around a pliable holder like a stiff piece of cardboard in the shape of a large rectangle. You can also use a large cardboard tube from a used-up gift wrap roll. 
• You can also use a length of styrofoam, a Pringles can or a hollow piece of tubing from an earlier DIY job. Some people even use an old hanger.
• For longer lengths especially if you are storing outdoor lighting, you may want to get a purpose built Power Cord Holder.
• Cut a small notch in the corner of your cardboard piece or cardboard tube - this will allow you to tuck the end of your string of fairy lights. If you’re using a hanger the end hooks are ideal for tucking in the last light bulb.
• Once you’ve wrapped the fairy lights around your makeshift spool, take care to wrap each resulting bundle of lights in bubble wrap, fabric, or tissue to protect them when stacking.
• Be wary of delicate glass lights that may be bigger in size.  Wrap them in extra tissue or spool them gently around a softer core like a piece of fabric or spongy base.
• Encase larger lightbulb sets into a structured box or tin. This protects them from being smashed when stacked.
• It is wise to keep the original box or packaging your Christmas lights were in, including the safety and electrical instructions just in case. Store them back into their original boxes. If you do not have the boxes handy, just use a reusable storage tote.
• Decorative lights also come with adapters, extensions and plugs. Be sure to wrap these separately and pair them with the appropriate lights when storing them.
• Last but not least, don’t forget to label each spool or box.

For a good visual guide on how to handle and  spool fairy lights take a look at this handy guide: 5 Ways to Store Christmas Lights

Replacing Parts

If you need to replace adapters or power cords, don’t forget to check into our Electrical Range to help you fill in the gaps. We have spare power cords, adaptors, and transformers to choose from, as well as a wide range of fairy lights should you need to replace a worn-out pair.

WEEE'll also Take It Back For Free!

Need to dispose of fairy lights or electrical decorations that are no longer working?

Under the EU WEEE directive, our Homevalue stores nationwide are proud to take back any old appliances or batteries from the general public free of charge. You can dispose of anything with a battery or a plugin in a safe, correct manner via us to ensure you are reducing any harmful effects on the environment.

How to Put Away Your Christmas Tree

 

Real Christmas Tree Disposal

It’s easy to recycle and dispose of real Christmas trees these days. A simple portable chainsaw or saw should help you render it down to reusable firewood and kindling. Or it can be chopped down into mulch and wood chips for the garden.

Artificial Christmas Tree Storage

When packing away your artificial Christmas tree there are some key things to remember. Make it easier with these tips:

When packing away - keep the branches pointing in the same direction depending on the tree type. Take care to not place undue pressure at the point where the branches connect with the artificial tree stem.

Use Long Cable Ties or String/Twine for each separate section. Use this to bind each segment more tightly into a more compact size. This saves you space and reduces the risk of inadvertently breaking off a branch whilst packing or gathering dust over time.

For those of us with artificial trees, reusing the original cardboard box that it came in is not a durable solution. Cardboard will decompose and break down as the years go by.

All you need is a sturdy water-resistant and resealable bag that will keep your tree dust-free whilst it sits out another year in the attic. A well-sealed bag will keep your plastic foliage free of moisture, dust, and bugs for the next 11 months, especially if you keep it in a cool dry place. Our Classic Christmas Tree Storage Bag is light and flexible enough for packing in your artificial Christmas tree. You could even consider using a resealable mattress bag as a hack.

 

How to Pack Up Christmas Baubles

Christmas Baubles may be the smallest item and the most easily replaceable Christmas decoration, but some baubles may be very valuable, fragile or of great sentimental value, especially if you have received them as family heirlooms.

So this is where we take extra special care when putting away our Christmas trinkets.

• Before storing, determine which decorations need to be recycled or disposed This is especially important if any edible or organic material was used to create any tree decorations.
• Separate the baubles by type, likely location and level of fragility.
• Wrap up the fragile baubles securely in soft material. Use bubble wrap ideally recycled from all those Amazon and online deliveries you would have been receiving. This is also a sustainable way to recycle styrofoam pellets, styrofoam sheets, tissue paper and any soft brown packaging paper that you would have unpacked from each delivery.
• Keep similar baubles together so they will be easier to allocate.
• Once individually wrapped these must be encased in a structured box or bag that will not crush under the weight of stacking.
• You could even recycle old Christmas biscuit tins to hold and protect batches of a baubles when stacking them.
• A clear, stackable, plastic storage box with a lid is ideal for storing them en masse. It is important to have a structured sturdy box that won’t buckle once stacked. A clear plastic version will also allow you to see what exactly has been stored in the container. You can get these in our storage range: available in different sizes including 30L, 42L and 60L & 24L and in a variety of heights.
• You can also recycle online packaging by turning cardboard packages into separator panels. Place panels inside your storage boxes as an added buffer between baubles.
• Last of all, label each box with a short inventory pasted on the outside listing its contents.

How to Store Soft Christmas Furnishings

In addition to all our fragile decorative items, we tend to have soft home accessories that only get used once a year. These include Christmas gift sacks, soft advent calendars, Christmas Tree skirts, Christmas Stockings, festive tablecloths, table runners, napkins, Christmas-themed cushion covers, festive throws and soft toys etc…

Here are some simple tips to remember:

• Put them through the washing machine for a once-over deep clean so that they’re nice and clean when you unpack them.
• Separate them into bundles based on the room they are used in and also in order of how early you will be unpacking them at Christmas time. For example, table settings get unpacked much later than you would unpack your decorations. You use these much closer to Christmas day…
• Source a clear set of vacuum storage bags that will save up to 75% of your storage space such as our Wenko Vacuum Cube These are also perfect for larger items like blankets, garden furniture cushions and much more.
• Make sure you get the mothballs in and maybe a Christmas-scented potpourri sachet into the bag for good measure so the soft Christmas decorations will feel as good as new.
• Label appropriately and repeat!

 

Shopping List

If you’re heading into any of our stores, find these and many more storage solutions to help you achieve the clutter-free Christmas storage you've always dreamed of.

• Classic Christmas Tree Storage Bag
• Storage boxes
• Masking Tape
• Scissors/Cutting blade that cuts through cardboard
• Labels
• Permanent Marker
• Twine or sturdy string
• Cable Ties

Sure, every home has some proven hacks and ingenious ideas for storing away generations of Christmas decorations. Have you any to share that go above and beyond our enclosed tips?

Share your Christmas Storage tips with us on Facebook and Instagram!

 

Thanks to Homevalue Hardware for the content