Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Storing Away Those Keepsake Santa Letters & Decorations

After the holiday season you must put away all those lovely Christmas decorations and the letters from Santa Claus. Of course, some kids will keep their letters from Santa framed and on display year round, but others will allow you to put them away. You want to be sure they are stored so that they will be safe until next year. Nothing is more heart breaking than to find a beloved ornament in pieces. To prevent this follow the tips below.

I use plastic totes to store my decorations. Each tote holds specific decorations. If you are like me and have lots of decorations for both inside and outside you may want to color coordinate your totes. This will make it easier when you pull them out next year. If you are using cardboard be sure it is stored in a dry location. You don’t want your Christmas decorations to get moldy.  

I use one tote for my Christmas tree. I place the tree decorations in the order I place that on the tree. In the bottom of the tote I put the ornaments. Be sure to wrap breakable ornaments in newspaper. Next I put in the garland. Than lastly I put in the lights. I trick I have learned to keep from having tangled garland and lights is wrap them around an empty paper towel roll.

I have a binder that I keep all my kids Santa Claus letters in. It is a nice way to preserve the Christmas memories we make each year. If you will be storing you decorations in a damp place you may want to seal letters and other paper decorations in a sealed plastic bag. You don’t want your kid’s priceless Christmas letters to be destroyed.

If you use a real tree you will either need to plant it or get rid of it. Many communities have Christmas tree drop off spots. Usually the trees are made into mulch and used in local parks. Artificial trees need to be packed up. If possible use the box that the tree came in. If the box is badly damaged you can try to find a plastic tote that your tree will find into. Around the holidays some department and hardware stores will be selling totes and tubs made especially for Christmas trees and holiday decorations. When you’re into all of this cleaning and packing away you may even find a package that was overlooked on Christmas morning so keep an eye out.

Be sure that no food products are packed up. This will attract rodents, bugs, and mold to your decorations. Wash out tins that had held cookies or candy. Don’t keep reindeer food either; just make a fresh batch next year. After all, that’s another fun activity for you and your family.

Don’t be sad about having to put away all those holly jolly decorations. Next Christmas will be here before you know it. When it does finally arrive all of your decorations will be waiting for you organized and safe.