Decorating for the holidays can be a frustrating, nerve-racking and beyond stressful. Especially if you havent organized all those strings of lights, extension cords, bulbs and ornaments that you put away last year in haste. Every year I use to dig that stuff out and groan. Where to begin¦what went where?
Then I had the brilliant idea (Im sure no one else had this idea before, right?) to ORGANIZE that stuff so it was easier to deal with. Go figure!
photo credit: kimberlyfaye
Organizing Strings of Christmas Lights
After I got all the light strings in place, I went around to each strand and wrapped a mailing label around the cord near the plug end. Like a little white flag.
I wrote on the label in a permanent marker where it was hanging.Bushes by the front door orgarage left #1. Then the one that plugs in to that one or goes next would beflagged asgarage left #2 and so on.
Then if I changed things up the next year (some new and fancy lights I HAD to have) then that set of lights would begarage left #1 v2 (version 2).
Christmas Light 92435-16 3 pack Red Storage Reel Bag
Storage Reels 3-pk. in Bag – Burgundy
Create a Christmas Decorating Memory Jogger
On top oflabeling my lights and decorations a great way to help keep your sanity when it comes times to get out those things and decorate is to have taken a picture of them UP the year before. I can never remember where I put each of those signs or (especially in the house) did the reindeer collection go in the family room or the living? On the book shelves or on the entertainment center?
Snap some pictures of your home, all nicely decorated, and then print the pictures out and put the picture in the tub (you do store your decorations in those fabulous plastic tubs, dont you?) with those particular decorations.
You can do this the day you finish decorating your home so i done, and then you simply put the decorations in the tub that contains the picture. Print two. One for the bottom of the tub and one to put on top of the decorations when you put them in the tub.
On the outside of the tub write “ on two sides “ what goes in the tub. Often you stack your tubs and you cant read the top and at least one side is touching another tub or a wall. Writing on two sides gives you a chance to be able to see wha inside without having to open it.
Organized Ornaments Oh My!
Do you have all your ornaments piled into one box? Me too! I do wrap each one in a wrinkle old piece of paper (because I keep reusing the same old paper and tissue year after year. What a mess.
Plus… over the years I have collected several “themed” sets of ornaments. A fancy set, a country set and a rustic set. I also have ornaments that I just “have” to use every year ( the ornaments my grandmother made 35 years ago are a good example of this).
My problem is… I can’t tell which ornaments are located where? So I end up unwrapping almost every ornament and then re-wrapping all the ornaments I didn’t use. Seems like a lot of extra work, huh?
Check these storage tubs out: (perfect solution)
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT STORAGE BOX
And for all those special (Can You Say Hallmark?) ornaments… like the ones my grandma made so many years ago… what a perfect – perfect storage idea. I’ll never loose those “must use every year” Christmas ornaments again!
Ornament Safe (Red) Will Ship SAME DAY If Order Placed By 12:00 Noon EST
What About Storing That Tree?
This is FABULOUS! Decorate your artificial tree on this base (small picture) withbag rolled down over the wheels “ inside out. Put your tree skirt over the black bag and it all looks perfect.
Christmas is over and you take the skirt off, slowly pull the blackbag up and over your tree and close it. DONE. Wheel your tree in to your closet or wherever you want to store it until next year. How cool is that?
Tree Keeper Pro Large Christmas Tree Storage Bag with Rolling Cart – Up to 9 foot Tree
Did you know so many options existed? I admit – I did not… but I love them all! I think it’s important to have all the storage solutions you might need on hand as soon as possible. Christmas “take down – un-decorating” day will be here before you know it. And… won’t it be great that you have all your organizing of Holiday Decorations for 2009 - Done!
