Putting away the Christmas decorations can put you in a bit of a funk for a couple of reasons. First, all of the holiday “hoopla” is over and it’s back to work and your regular schedule. Second of all, tearing down and organizing all of those Christmas decorations (with no breakage!) can seem a bit daunting. So, here at Fifthroom.com, we’ve got a few suggestions to streamline and simplify this annual ritual.

One. Invest In Ornament Storage Bins. Back in the day, we all used to store our precious Christmas ornaments (often handed down through several generations) in cardboard boxes with a bit of tissue paper to keep them from rolling around. And, more often than not, each year, an ornament or two was damaged. If you haven’t already converted to a more modern ornament system, do so this year. A place for every ornament and every ornament in its place — safe until next Christmas!

Two. Label Everything. If you’re like me, you have a variety of holiday treasures. Because you will be putting many things in several different decoration storage boxes, make it easy on yourself. Put a label on each one so you’ll know where to find garlands, wreaths, ornaments and other special items.

Three. Use Clear Containers. Clear containers make it a breeze to identify everything. That way you can pull out exactly what you need when you need it for next year.

Four. Do It Right With Lights. Untangling strings of lights and/or finding out that half of that particular string of lights doesn’t even work is one of the most frustrating things about Christmas decorating. So, do yourself a favor and wrap this year’s lights around square sheets of sturdy cardboard. Not only will the cardboard keep the lights from tangling, you can also write notes to yourself like: “This string is for outside lights” etc.

Five. Hang Your Wreaths. The best way to store wreaths is to hang them on a rod in a designated closet. You can store multiple wreaths this way and they will be easy to find when December rolls around, plus, they’ll never get flattened out.

Six. Designate A Single Area for Storage. In our house, we have “The Christmas Closet” and it’s where everything from wreaths to wrapping paper are stored. Christmas decorations are the only thing stored in this closet and it’s truly fun to open the door when the holidays return. A closet works just fine but you can also designate a special area in your basement, attic or garage for the same purpose. Keeping everything together will definitely streamline your Christmas decoration storage.

Simple tips and smart storage solutions will save you time and keep everything safe for next Christmas!