How to Store Christmas Decorations: A Numbered Bin Plan
To store Christmas decorations so they are easy to use next year, sort out what you will not keep, pack each type of item in its own way, and number the bins in the order you will open them. A short contents list taped inside each lid does the rest of the work when December comes back.
The plan below covers the takedown, a packing table by item type, a labeling system, where to put the bins and a hypothetical two-session example.
Decide what goes back before you pack
Every decoration you pack takes space for another eleven months, so sort before you wrap. Make four piles as each piece comes down.
- Keep: pieces you used this year and want again.
- Repair: a loose hook, a chipped figure, a wreath losing its bow. Put these in one small box labeled "fix".
- Give away: decorations that stayed in the bin all season. A donation station at home gives them a place to wait for drop-off.
- Toss: broken items with no plan to fix them, empty packaging you will never reuse and anything stained or crushed.
Before an item goes into the keep pile, wipe off dust and make sure it is dry. Take batteries out of battery-operated pieces and store them separately, so next year starts with a fresh set and no corroded contacts.
Pack each type of decoration its own way
Most damage in storage comes from mixing heavy and fragile pieces in one box. Group by type first, then choose the container.
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to see all three columns.
| Item | How to pack it | Container |
|---|---|---|
| String lights | Wind each strand around a piece of stiff cardboard or an empty wrapping paper tube, plug end first. | Lidded bin, strands standing on edge |
| Glass and fragile ornaments | One ornament per cell, hooks removed. Wrap the most delicate pieces in tissue paper before they go in. | Divided ornament box or egg cartons inside a bin |
| Shatterproof ornaments | Group by color or by tree section so decorating next year goes in one pass. | Zip bags inside a shallow bin |
| Ornament hooks | Collect every hook in one place as ornaments come off the tree. | Small jar or pill box taped inside the ornament bin lid |
| Artificial tree | Fold branches up toward the trunk section by section and keep the stand with the tree. | Original box or a tree storage bag |
| Wreaths | Fluff and dry, then store flat or hanging so nothing presses on the bow. | Round wreath box or a hanger in a closet |
| Garland | Coil loosely rather than folding, to keep it from flattening. | Large bag or a wide bin |
| Tabletop and mantel pieces | Wrap figures and candle holders in tissue or old linens; stand them upright. | Bin with heavier pieces at the bottom |
| Stockings and textiles | Wash or air out, fold flat and use them as padding around fragile pieces. | Fabric bag or the gaps in other bins |
Several medium bins are easier to lift, stack and move than one large tote.
Number the bins in the order you will open them
Labels that only say "Christmas" leave you opening every bin to find the tree stand. Give each bin a number that matches the decorating order next year, and pack with that order in mind.
- Bin 1, open first: tree stand, tree skirt, lights and the hook jar. Everything you need before an ornament can go up.
- Bin 2: ornaments, fragile ones on top.
- Bin 3: wreaths, garland and door decorations.
- Bin 4: tabletop, mantel and shelf pieces.
- Last bin: anything you put out only some years.
Write the number and two or three words on two sides of the bin, not just the lid, so it reads when bins are stacked. Inside the lid, tape a short list of what is in the bin and which room it goes to. Keep a copy of all the lists on one page, so you can check what you own before buying more.
Choose a storage spot that stays dry
A closet shelf, under a bed, a basement rack or a garage shelf can all work. What matters is that the spot stays dry, does not swing between very hot and very cold, and keeps bins off the floor.
- Put the heaviest bins on the bottom and fragile ornaments on a shelf at chest height, away from paths where they get bumped.
- Store the tree bag upright if floor space is tight, with nothing stacked on it.
- Leave bin 1 at the front, so next year you can start decorating without moving the rest.
- Avoid cardboard boxes on a concrete floor; they soak up moisture. The garage cleaning schedule and basement cleaning schedule cover keeping those spaces in shape.
If the bins go into a bedroom or hall closet, clear a shelf first rather than squeezing them in. The closet cleaning schedule shows how to make room without a full overhaul.
Example: a two-session takedown
This hypothetical household has an artificial tree, a wreath on the front door, garland on the stairs and a few mantel pieces. They split the takedown into two short sessions instead of one long afternoon.
- Saturday morning, about 90 minutes: remove ornaments into the four sort piles, collect hooks in the jar, wind the lights onto cardboard and pack bins 1 and 2.
- Sunday, about an hour: take the tree apart into its bag, pack the wreath, garland and mantel pieces into bins 3 and 4, write the lid lists and carry everything to the storage shelf with bin 1 in front.
- Following weekend: drop off the give-away pile and handle the "fix" box.
What to skip
- Buying new bins before sorting. Count what you are keeping first, then buy only the containers you need.
- Saving every original box. Keep the ones that protect fragile ornaments well and recycle the rest.
- Packing anything damp, including a wreath that hung outside or a stocking that needs washing.
- Mixing gift wrap into the decoration bins. It is used at different times of year; the gift wrap storage guide gives it a separate kit.
Reset the rooms after the decorations come down
Once the bins are away, the rooms that held the tree and garland usually need a pass: needles and glitter on the floor, dust where decorations stood and furniture to move back. The after-guests reset in the holiday cleaning schedule covers the rest of the house.
Natty House organizes cleaning tasks by room; the screenshot below shows each room with when it was last cleaned and how many tasks are due. Its official App Store listing also describes a daily cleaning schedule and cleaning-task notifications. Natty is a free download with in-app subscriptions.
Keep the bin lists and the takedown plan on paper or in your own notes. Natty covers the regular room routine that picks up once the season is packed away.
Christmas decoration storage FAQ
How do you keep Christmas lights from tangling in storage?
Wind each strand around a piece of stiff cardboard or an empty wrapping paper tube, starting with the plug end, and stand the wound strands on edge in a lidded bin. A taped note with the strand's length or its place on the tree saves sorting next year.
Can I store Christmas decorations in the garage or attic?
Yes, if the spot stays dry and does not swing between very hot and very cold. Use lidded plastic bins instead of cardboard, keep them off the floor and put fragile ornaments where they will not be bumped or crushed.
What is the best way to label Christmas storage bins?
Number the bins in the order you will open them, starting with the tree stand, lights and hooks. Write the number on two sides of each bin and tape a short contents list inside the lid, with a copy of all the lists kept in one place.
Editorial note: the sorting piles, packing table, bin order and takedown example were prepared for this article on November 5, 2026. The example household is hypothetical.