The most important safety tips is to Store decorations in a dry location out of the reach of children and pets, as well as heat sources and open flames. Unless you are using stable metal shelving systems, never stack boxes higher than eye level to avoid injury or damage from toppling.
Keep children away from all batteries, especially the small ones, which can cause life-threatening injuries if swallowed. I secure all batteries, thin string lights in zip-lock bags, and store them together with the other flameless candles and other small battery related items.
Sure, you could toss your ornaments in a bag or shoebox, but chances are they’ll end up in a mess and some will break. That’s why I recommend to use dedicated ornament storage boxes. If the budget is tight, make sure you keep the original boxes, but place those inside plastic containers to protect them and to make the storage easier and stackable to save space.
Invest in plastic containers because protect items from dust and make stacking easy for more efficient use of space. Stock up on containers designed specifically for artificial trees, wreaths, lights and ornaments after Christmas, when stores put them on sale.
Group similar items together in labeled bins Christmas tree decor, mantle decor, living room decor, basement decor – and keep these items stored indoors.
If the budget is tight, use Egg Cartons and Drink Carriers to protect ornaments. Stack the drink carriers and egg cartons inside of storage containers to keep items organized. Wrap fragile decorations in tissue paper, coffee filters, or bubble wrap for an extra layer of protection.
Use stackable plastic storage totes and/or inexpensive word rope boxes for the larger outdoor decorations to make it easy to store inflatables. The word rope boxes are good for larger non-flexible decorations, but make sure the boxes are not placed directly on the garage or basement cement because the humidity of these areas can damage the decorations.
Use a wreath water-resistant bag to protect your investment from water, humidity and dust until the next holidays.