Last week I knew it was time to take down the Christmas tree and put away the holiday decorations. This is a task I do not look forward to, for many reasons. It's kind of depressing, this time of year, the end of the holidays with nothing to look forward to but gray dreary days and freezing cold weather for months to come.
As I have gotten older, this task it kind of like a game of hide and seek. I take all the holiday wall decorations off the walls, and then it is time to try to remember where I put the regular decor when I took it down to put up the Christmas stuff! I start thinking.....did I put that in hubby's office? In the bedroom, under the bed? No, I put that in the front coat closet, and when I look, it's not there. It's so frustrating!
The main reason I dislike taking down Christmas decorations is the mess of boxes, bags, and totes that I have to sort through to find the right place to put everything. Old dusty cardboard boxes, cracked plastic totes with ill fitting lids, ripped paper bags and garbage bags. Just looking at that jumble of awful looking containers was enough to make me want to just leave the decorations up!
That is when I decided that I was going to organize my decorations! I started looking through my boxes and realized I had probably never thrown away any decorations or ornaments since I moved into my first house in 1993! All the changes of decor over the years.......country, Victorian, contemporary, and now Americana and I never got rid of any decorations, just added new stuff and more boxes. Wow!
It was a daunting task, but I was determined! I went through each box, this was the stuff in the boxes that I had not put out this year, or to be honest, for a few to many years. I put all the items that a never use anymore into a big cardboard box and marked it for charity pick up. I have to be honest, it was hard.
After that was done, I knew the first thing I was going to need was some new Christmas decoration storage containers. I didn't really feel like going out, so I got a cup of coffee and sat down at my computer to do some shopping online. I started with my usual go to, Amazon. As I started looking, I was surprised at the large price range in organizers. It was strange because they all looked close to the same. But being a veteran shopper of Amazon, I knew to stay away from the really inexpensive stuff, because it would probably not last more than a few years. If I was going to buy storage, I only wanted to buy it once! So an hour later, I made my selections and placed the order. It was less expensive that I have first thought.
This is what I bought:
When shopping, the first organizer I looked for was for wrapping paper. I am so tired of keeping my wrap and tools in a garbage bag! Always digging in the bottom for tape or ribbon. I found this one and I knew that I had hit gold! It has a movable divider so you can shape it how you like, and dual zippers, and two large pockets for tags and tissue paper. It holds up to 27 rolls and has lots of room left for scissors, tape, spools of ribbon and bows.
This is the organizer that I love the most! Worth every penny!
Next came wreath storage. I usually keep mine in garbage bags and by the time they make it up stairs the next year they look like they have been run over by a truck. This round container with two sets of handles is perfect for keeping my wreaths in great condition year to year. They are big enough to store two wreath or more, but I decided on one for each of my large wreaths so they would not get mashed. I bought the 36" size, but they also come in 24" and 30".
They are very inexpensive and so worth it, trust me!
I really loved this container for several reasons. It is large, so all my ornaments fit in one place. The sides are sturdy so my valuable items are protected. The top opens from either side and inside are 8 separate trays, each of which lift out with handles! I think this will make tree decorating so much easier. There are even two large pockets on the outside to store other things. I put Christmas cards in one and ornament hangers and extra tree light bulbs in the other. It holds up to 128 ornaments.
All that storage in such a compact box. I really recommend this container!
I use these totes for the rest of the decorations. I was happy they came in a four pack, as I needed all four of them. I have a lot of wall decor and snow globes and other crafted decorations. I use one tote for table top stuff, one for very fragile glass things, one for wall decorations and the last one for my Christmas village. I am happy that these totes are tall, my large stuff fits so I don't have any odds and ends laying around in bags to get misplaced. But the best thing about them is the latch handle. It keeps the top on tight!
With these totes you never have to wonder "what is in this box?"
Last on my list was a tree storage box. I am so tired of that frayed, dusty tree box! I dread seeing it every year, so now I don't ever have to again! I bought this tree storage box because I liked the fact it had wheels. When filled with a tree, it is heavy! This year my husband loved the ease of moving it when he took it to the basement. I also like that it has dual zippers and a sturdy handle. I believe it will last for many years.
So these are the organizers I got after Christmas. There were so many others I would love to have but I will probably get a few more next year. I am so happy with my purchases, they all match and they take up very little room in the basement. No more dreading bringing up the Christmas decorations! I can hardly wait till next year!
Oh, and one more thing. The sturdy plastic totes are perfect to put my regular home decor in when I have to remove it to put up the Christmas stuff. I just put it all in the totes and after Christmas it is all right there, waiting to be put back up. No more hide and seek!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
