37 Smart Tips to Pack Up Your Christmas Decor (and Actually Find It Next Year)

Let’s be honest – packing away Christmas decorations is nobody’s favorite after-Christmas tradition. The tree sheds needles with every ornament you remove, the tangled lights mock you, and somehow you have twice as many boxes as you started with. That’s why I’m sharing 37 smart tips to pack up your Christmas decor so that you will actually find it next year.

Taking a little extra time now to pack up your Christmas decor thoughtfully means you’ll thank yourself next December when everything unpacks smoothly and nothing’s broken. These 19 practical suggestions will help you organize, protect, and store your holiday treasures so they’re ready to bring joy again next year.

I know that you may have just finished decorating your home for the holidays. Packing all those decorations is not on your mind.

Even as you are enjoying your Christmas decorations, it’s smart to have a plan for packing them away. I love to start a new year with a clean slate. That begins with a holiday decor-free home.

What helps you pack away your Christmas decorations most efficiently is a system and a list of to-do tips. So get ready for your Christmas Packing System.

Before you can clean up and decorate your home for the coming seasons and months, you have to pack up all the Christmas decorations. Depending on how much you decorate your home, which can take a few days or a week.

I guarantee that these 37 tips on this packing system will make packing up (and unpacking next year) your Christmas decorations so much easier, and get your new year off to a better start.

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Our Packing System

Do you have a system for packing up your Christmas decor? I do have an order of attack that works well for us.

Over the years, through trial and error, we have learned the best and most efficient way to pack up the Christmas decorations. This is the approximate order that we follow:

1. Bring in all the bins from the garage/attic and distribute them throughout the house.
2. Gather all the smaller decorations, such as Santas, trees, stuffed figures, etc. and pack those. I place those on the dining room table and kitchen island.
3. Remove and gather delicate items, such as ornaments/embellishments/bows on the tree. Carefully wrap them in tissue and/or bubble wrap. Organize by color, size, style – whichever works best for you.
4. Take down the wreaths and garland. Remove any decorations, such as ornaments and embellishments.
5. Wrap and pack the decorations. Organize by color, size, style – whichever works best for you.
6. Remove all the strings of lights from the trees, wreaths, garlands, and other decor. Organize by colored lights/white lights.
7. Remove all the batteries and place them in a bag for proper disposal. (Check with your city guidelines.)
8. Place the wreaths in their wreath containers and the garland in plastic zippered bags or plastic bins.
9. Set aside any wreaths or garland that will work for winter decorating.
10. Pack tabletop trees in their individual boxes.
11. Pack all the Christmas glasses and dishes into their boxes, then place them in plastic bins. Use smaller bins because glassware/dishes can be very heavy.
12. Remove decorations/lights from the bushes/trees outside!
13. Remove the Christmas bedding from your bed; wash the sheets and pillows. Shake out and fold the comforters and shams. Pack in clear plastic bags or bins.
14. Remove the inserts (to be reused throughout the year) from Christmas accent pillows. Shake out the throws and fold. If necessary, wash or send to dry cleaners them now.
15. Place all pillow covers, throws, Christmas dishtowels, and linens in bedding containers.
16. Make sure all containers are clearly labeled.
17. Organize all the containers by size and shape.
18. Place the containers on shelves in your closet, garage, or attic.

Did I forget anything?

Do you find that there is always one thing that gets overlooked?

How to Pack Up Your Holiday Decorations: 19 Suggestions

Just as we follow a set order when packing our Christmas decorations, I have some tried-and-true suggestions for packing up your Christmas decor and getting ready for next year.

1. Determine if you need more storage containers for things you will need to pack away until next year. If needed, purchase packing paper or bubble wrap for securely packing delicate ornaments or other fragile Christmas decorations.
2. Remove all the batteries from battery-operated lights or decorations. Place the old batteries in a sack and research how and where to properly dispose of them.
3. If any lights have gone kaput, don’t keep them in the hopes that they will miraculously work again next year. They won’t. Discard and make a note of how many you need to replace for next year.
4. I like to wrap each battery fairy light individually and then organize by them by color (either multi-colored or white). Place like colors/type of light in zip-lock bags before placing all the lights in a bin labeled “lights”. NOTE: We have so many fairy lights that I’ve started packing them in plastic shoe boxes by color. I like this size for a variety of small items. Then I put several into one larger bin.
5. Have garbage bags handy for the things you will be throwing away.
6. Have plastic gloves ready to protect your hands when removing ornaments from the Christmas tree and general packing.
7. When packing up your Christmas decorations, discard any that have broken parts, pieces missing or ones that just look old.
8. If some decorations need some super glue to be “good as new” fix them now before packing them.
9. Pack up and set aside decorations that are in good condition, but you no longer want. Donate them to schools, churches, or women’s shelters. Your kids may want ones that were special to them.
10. Organize your ornaments and decorations by type or color. I’ve learned that as I pack up ornaments, I should organize them by color. All our silver bells and balls go into one bin. All our Mark Robert’s Elves take up two bins.
11. Remember to distribute the weight of your containers. Just because you can fill your containers doesn’t mean that you should. Lifting heavy containers can be dangerous. Items like candles can be very heavy.
12. Use containers made specifically for wreaths. They have straps and handles that make them easy to hang while in storage.
13. If appropriate, repack items in the boxes they came in. We do this for wreaths, table-top trees, and candles.
14. Label every box and container, even if you can see what’s inside. I know digital systems are available, but I use a big black marker. I just find it the simplest method.
15. Discard old wrapping paper that has been reused since your kids were toddlers.
16. Remove the inserts from Christmas pillows to reuse throughout the year. I store our Christmas pillow covers, sheets, and throws in plastic blanket and duvet containers.
17. If you have bows that will need freshening for next year, take them apart now.
18. Use cardboard rolls from toilet paper or paper towels to roll and store ribbons to reuse next year.
19. After all the Christmas boxes are put away, give your home a good dusting and vacuuming. Have a Swiffer duster and polish, dust buster, broom and dust pan (I just bought this one.) and vacuum cleaner ready to remove the dust and debris left from all the decorations.

After all the Christmas decorations are packed away and the house has been dusted and tidied up, getting our home ready for the short winter months is the first task of the new year. We can now focus on adding winter decor accessories. 

Are you short on the supplies you need to pack up your holiday decorations? Here is a collection to help you.

I hope you gained many ideas for packing up your Christmas decor for next year. Did you learn some new suggestions for packing up your holiday decor? This system is great to save for future years.

Want more Organization ideas? Here are office organization ideas: Home Office Reorganization and Tips for an Office Decluttering.

Check out my Organization Board on Pinterest.