Organizing your Christmas items is the most effective way to preserve them for the years to come. While some of your Christmas decorations may simply be items used to fill an empty spot, for many of us, each item carries special memories. Whether it is a paper wreath made by a child, or an ornament purchased on your honeymoon, these items deserve special treatment. While any item can be broken or damaged while on display, items that are damaged while in storage are heartbreaking. To prevent this from happening, it is important to carefully plan how you are going to store your holiday treasures and take the time to store them properly.

So what is the best way to protect your precious memories? The first step is to know which dangers are present that can damage your decorations. While you know that the main concern for your Christmas decorations is breakage, but it is not the only threat present that can damage your ornaments. Others important dangers to your decorations are moisture and sunlight. Understanding each of these dangers can help you store your decorations properly to prevent any serious damage.

Protect From Breakage

Protecting your Christmas ornaments from breakage is the main concern of many. There are several ways to do this. The first is to invest in storage containers that are specifically made for Christmas storage. Ornament boxes are made of a sturdy plastic and have spaces for each ornament individually. This prevents the ornaments from hitting against each other and prevents the box from being smashed if it is stacked in the garage or basement. If your storage containers have empty room in them after careful packing, fill the space with crumpled newspaper or tissue paper. This prevents the items from banging against each other, which can lead to breakage.

Protect From Moisture

While breakage is an obvious problem, moisture is a more insidious one. You may not realize that moisture is damaging your ornaments until it is too late. Moisture is particularly damaging to soft items but can damage anything. If you must store your Christmas items in a damp area, there are several things that you can do to minimize the damage. Store your decorations in plastic containers; raise them a few inches off the ground and add silica gel to packing containers that contain wreathes and soft decorations. This can help prevent moisture from damaging your decorations. .

Protect From UV Damage

Prevent damage from ultraviolet rays by storing your decorations in colored, non-clear containers. UV rays not only bleach out fabric but can weaken it as well. Many plastic containers that are used for storage are clear or opaque. While these are acceptable for storage in a basement, if the storage area receives light through windows, you should invest in colored plastic containers.

Once you know what the threats are to your Christmas decorations, you can protect them much more effectively. Proper organization of your holiday items allows you to find them easily and know that they are protected. While the initial investment in specially designed storage containers may cost more than storing the items in cardboard boxes or trying to fit them back into their original containers it is in an investment that will pay off. You will increase the life of your holiday ornaments, and make the decorating process one you enjoy rather than dread each year. Purchasing the proper storage containers for items such as wrapping paper, ceramic collectibles and candles is a treat that you deserve. The person that does the majority of the decorating should have the option of choosing which storage solutions would work best for the family. They are familiar with not only the decorations, but also the areas where the decorations are stored. This provides them with the most insight into what problems the area of the house may have such as moisture, rodent problems, or intense sunlight.

Once you have invested in these storage containers, they should last as long as your keepsakes. Avoid over packing to prevent the boxes from stretching out. This can cause problems with the seals in your lids, and handle with common sense for the longest life. While there is no reason to be overly gently with these storage containers, do not stack heavy boxes more than three high, and do not throw them around. Just because your items are tucked securely into, their storage container does not mean you can throw the boxes around as if you would other, unbreakable, loads. Ornament storage is important because each decoration has many memories that go with it and learning the proper way to store these decorations can be very beneficial. Consider these tips during the next holiday season and you can safely store your decorations for many years to come.