When you are ready to take the Christmas decorations down, here's a little idea I stumbled upon last year that will help you to find what you're looking for next year. Simply tape a folding Christmas tag to the container packed with decorations and list the items that are inside. This is especially helpful if you are using plain boxes (as opposed to the red and green storage bins) to store Christmas things. The Christmas tag helps you to locate the Christmas decorations quickly. 

Anyone else have any practical storage solutions?

 I usually store things in cardboard boxes and mark them with crayon or marker on the outside. However, a few fragile things have their own containers inside the boxes, and since they're in look alike containers, a tag would be a great way to identify them.

I  limit the Christmas stuff to one big Rubbermaid tote..anything new comes in, something's gotta go out : )

I have several clear totes that I have bought on clearance and that helps for storage. I used to have cardboard boxes but we have a damp basement. I still label the clear totes for easier storage. I do have 2 blue totes (marked with duct tape) that I put "winter" decorations in and I have them marked well so we don't put Christmas items inside. These winter things stay up past Christmas. I can keep evergreen trees, snowmen and snowflake decorations up past Christmas and it makes me feel better to not strip the house of every single thing.

I have a fragile Nativity set that has it's own unique tote and a wreath tote for my wreath.

I have a box of things that I will keep until next October and then donate to the Thrift Shop. I agree with a previous poster that if I get something new as a decoration, something else needs to be given away! I have some wooden decorations that have outgrown my decor (a little too country for me now) and will have a nice home somewhere else someday.

 I couldn't put all of mine in one tote, although I haven't bought anything new for several years, except some bead garlands bought after Christmas last year. I have a collection of Santa Claus's that takes up one big box all by itself. I love to decorate for Christmas and have quite a few decorations. I've used the same cardboard boxes for over 10 years now - not sure how much longer than that.

I agree that the plastic storage bins are the best idea for storage, especially in a basement. For things like bows and ribbon, I saved a couple of those zippered plastic packages that sheet sets come in and that seems to be working well. You could store some smaller, non-breakable ornaments like that, too.

 

i have one large red and green tote, my lights (the ones that have been opened) are wrapped around cut in half wrappingpaper tubes,  the unopened ones--like the set of bush lights i have, yet i have no bushes?? a huge light up star,i have only a handful of breakable ornaments (these are too heavy for a norfolk pine) i did get a few new ornaments this year, 2 from my little sister, and i bought one set of  6 silver/ribbon type balls aftr xmas, i have a few xmas dinner dishes, all fits in my tote, with the exception of wrapping paper, .....since my tree is a norfolk pine, i put those twist on red velvet bows on the tree limbs, these are in one of the empty lights boxes, and so are other small non breakable ornaments...then i have a tote that is just for wrapping paper, bags, .....i should keep scissors in there and tape, but i dont

I have all of mine in 6 or 7 rubbermaid tubs. I don't put it all out anymore, but rotate it from year to year. A good deal of things I have were gifts from co-workers over the years that I worked and were way too nice to get rid of. Last year I bought several small divided boxes that I found in the fishing/sports dept (meant for lures and hooks). to put the smallest ornaments in. I have several miniature ceramic pieces and wood pieces that are fragile, these boxes keep them safe. I thought of looking for some other kind of divided storage to keep things in as several things are getting crushed just lying in the tubs.

One bit of advise here: Don't pack away anything with wax in it if you don't have air conditioned storage. I did, not thinking in December about the high heat of summer melting anything stored in the shed. I had a candle jar that smelled of a burning pine fire from Glade. I packed it away with everything else, and it melted all over everything else.  That was one mess to clean up. Some ornaments couldn't be saved. E

Latte, I put scissors and tape, and gold marker in there last year..woohoo...opening the box this year was like getting a present in and of itself. This year, i even put leftover holiday postage stamps in there...next year, I might faint from shock : )