Community Corner

Holiday Ornament, Decoration Packing Tips from Pros

The holidays are over and it's time to pack away decorations and ornaments. Here are some tips to ensure items are safe and sound for next year.

The holidays are over and if looking at those holiday decorations and their clutter is starting to make you crazy (it is for me), the time may be right to pack them away for another year.

While packing away items can be a tedious task, doing it right will ensure ornaments and other holiday collectibles stay safe for another year.

The packing professionals at Two Men and a Truck have tips to ensure holiday items are stored safely.

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“Carefully packing and organizing items can prevent damage or even worse, breakage,” Two Men and a Truck franchise owner Paul Brown said in a news release. “Take the time to make sure the job is carefully done in order to preserve decorations for next year.”

Here are some safe packing tips from Two Men and a Truck:

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Delicate items:

  • Wrap breakables in tissue or packing paper. Do not use newspaper — the print may wear off on ornaments. Shred used paper and recycle it as packing filler.
  • Decorations with photographs or food should be sealed in a bag to keep them intact and prevent insects or mice getting into them.
  • Boxes with dividers are best to pack ornaments. Check with local moving companies for these kinds of boxes with adjustable inserts.
  • Keep extra hangers, hooks and ornament parts in a labeled bag or box.

Holiday lights:

  • Wrap lights around empty wrapping paper tubes to keep them from tangling.
  • Leave the plug accessible by taping the ends of the light strands to the end of the tube. That way you can quickly test the lights before unwinding them next year.
  • Store colored lights in a dark place to prevent fading, especially blues, greens and purples.

Wrapping paper:

  • Hanging garment bags provides good storage for wrapping paper rolls. Use outside pockets for gift tags, cards and tissue paper.
  • Cut an empty wrapping paper tube from end to end and slide it over a used roll to protect it until next year.
  • Save ribbons and bows by packing them loosely to keep their shape.

Miscellaneous items:

  • Wrap holiday candles individually in cellophane. Store in a cool place so they don’t melt.
  • Pack an “open first” box for the decorations needed right away, like extension cords.
  • Take special care if items are stored in a damp area, such as a basement. Keep boxes away from sources of heat and moisture.
  • Label every box. The more detailed the description, the easier it is to find items. Use different colors to distinguish different holidays, such as orange for Halloween, brown for Thanksgiving, and red or green for Christmas.

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