Holiday decorations are some of the most fragile, oddly shaped and sentimental things you own, and they spend most of the year in a box. Pack them right once and they’ll come out in one piece every year, whether they’re headed to a basement shelf or across town. Here’s how to pack Christmas decorations (plus the Halloween, Easter and fall stuff) for storage or a move.
Start by Sorting and Letting Some Things Go
Pull everything out and sort it by holiday, then by type: ornaments, lights, greenery, outdoor decor and keepsakes.
While you’re at it, test your lights. The U.S. Fire Administration says to inspect holiday lights every year and throw away strands with frayed or pinched wires. In Omaha, string lights don’t go in your curbside recycling cart, according to the city’s Omaha Recycling Guide. Keep Omaha Beautiful lists drop-off spots for old strands, so check there for current locations.
Donate the decorations you don’t love anymore. If you’re clearing out a lot more than a few boxes before a move, our junk removal crews can haul it away.
Pick the Right Containers
- Lidded plastic totes are the best all-around choice. They stack, keep out moisture and keep pests from chewing on wires.
- Clear or opaque? Clear bins let you see what’s inside, but Balsam Hill points out that light can fade ornament colors. Use opaque bins with good labels if they’ll sit somewhere bright.
- Stick to a few sizes. Same-size totes stack better and don’t crush.
- Color-code by holiday. Red or green lids for Christmas, orange for Halloween. You’ll find the right bin in seconds.
- Keep the original ornament boxes. Hallmark designs its Keepsake ornament boxes to be storage, not trash.
Moving soon? Rental plastic moving bins are a handy option for the move itself. We partner with Monster Totes, and the price depends on how many bins you need and how long you keep them. Since rental bins go back after the move, plan on your own totes for long-term storage.
How to Pack Ornaments
- Wrap each ornament in tissue paper or bubble wrap. Hallmark suggests acid-free tissue for metal ornaments to keep them from tarnishing.
- Use dividers for small ornaments. Egg cartons, cupcake liners in a shallow box or ornament boxes with cells all work.
- Heavy on the bottom, delicate on top. Glass ornaments should never have anything heavy sitting on them.
- Fill the gaps with crumpled packing paper so nothing slides around.
- Take off the hooks and keep them in a small bag so they don’t scratch anything.
How to Store Christmas Lights Without the Tangle
Balsam Hill’s favorite method: wrap each strand in a loose circle around your forearm, secure it with twist ties and put it in its own zipper bag. You can also wind lights around a piece of cardboard. Just do one strand per piece so they don’t bury each other.
Label each bag with where the strand goes (“porch railing,” “tree”) and whether it works. Take the batteries out of battery-powered lights and decorations, too. Energizer recommends removing batteries from anything you won’t use for a long time.
Wreaths and Garland
Dust wreaths and garland before you pack them. Balsam Hill suggests a feather duster or a hair dryer on low. Gently flatten the tips so they fit, then store wreaths in their original box or a wreath storage bag with nothing stacked on top. Coil garland loosely around a tube or a piece of cardboard instead of stuffing it in a bin.
Artificial Christmas Trees
Balsam Hill’s tree storage guide covers the basics:
- Take off every ornament and unplug the lights.
- Compress the branches on each section with both hands, then tie a ribbon or cord around it.
- Store it in a sturdy tree bag in a cool, dry spot, and don’t stack anything on top.
- Go easy on pre-lit trees so you don’t knock bulbs loose.
Put a piece of tape on each section marked A, B, C so next year’s setup goes in order. Balsam Hill also notes that damage from heat or humidity isn’t covered by its warranty, which tells you how much storage conditions matter.
Inflatables and Outdoor Decorations
Clean and dry everything before it goes in a bin. Gemmy’s inflatable instructions say to wipe them with a damp cloth, let them dry and store them in a bag or box in a cool, dry location. A damp inflatable folded up for 10 months is how mildew happens. Bag the stakes and tethers and tape the bag to the inflatable so the parts stay together.
One more thing: spray snow and other aerosol cans are usually flammable. Leave them off the moving truck along with paint and propane.
Fragile Heirlooms and Keepsakes
Grandma’s glass ornaments, the nativity set, village pieces and every macaroni ornament your kids ever made deserve their own bin.
- Wrap each piece individually and pack it in its original box when you have it.
- Tuck a note card in with the story: who made it, who gave it and what year.
- Paper ornaments, holiday cards and photos are the most sensitive. The National Archives recommends keeping family keepsakes below 75°F and below 65% relative humidity, out of damp basements, garages and hot attics.
- When you move, let the heirloom bin ride with you instead of on the truck.
If you’d rather not pack the breakables yourself, our packing service has no minimum. We use specialized materials for fragile items and can build custom crates for the truly valuable pieces.
Where to Store Holiday Decorations
Hallmark recommends storing ornaments in a climate-controlled space between 40°F and 90°F, out of direct sunlight and away from unfinished basements and detached garages. In Omaha, that rules out a lot of attics and garages, which get hot in summer and freezing in winter. A closet or a finished basement shelf is a better bet. Keep bins up off the floor and toss in a few desiccant packs to keep things dry. Candles in particular will melt in a hot attic.
Between homes? We’ll pick up from your doorstep, keep your things at our secure Omaha storage facility and deliver them when you’re ready. Here’s how our moving and storage works.
Moving With Holiday Decorations
- Pack decorations first. You won’t need them before moving day, which is why they’re on the early list in our moving checklist.
- Moving in November or December? Pack one small “this year” box with the tree stand, a strand of lights, hooks and a few favorites so you can still decorate.
- Label two sides plus the top with the holiday, the contents and “fragile” where it applies.
- Point out the fragile bins during the walkthrough. Our crews flag fragile pieces before they touch them, so tell us which bins hold the glass.
Holiday Decoration Storage FAQs
What’s the best way to pack Christmas decorations?
Sort by type, wrap ornaments individually, wind each strand of lights on its own, then pack everything in labeled, lidded plastic totes. Store them somewhere cool and dry.
Can I store Christmas decorations in the garage or attic?
It’s not ideal. Hallmark advises against detached garages and unfinished basements, and the National Archives warns against hot attics and damp basements for keepsakes. A closet or finished basement is safer.
How do you keep Christmas lights from tangling?
Wind each strand loosely around your forearm or a piece of cardboard, secure it with a twist tie and give it its own bag.
Should I keep the original ornament boxes?
Yes, especially for collectible and heirloom ornaments. They’re built to protect that specific piece.
Can movers pack my holiday decorations?
Yes. Easy As Pie’s packing service has no minimum, so you can have us pack just the fragile decorations and handle the rest yourself.
Moving Before the Holidays?
Easy As Pie Moving Co. is happy to pack the delicate stuff so your ornaments make it to the new place in one piece. Your moving agreement arrives when you book, with no stair fees or surprise add-ons.
Request your free estimate or call us at (402) 200-4661.
