10 Ways to Store and Organize Christmas Ornaments

Whether your ornaments are homemade with love and covered in glitter by your 6 year old, collected from years of family vacations or family heirlooms passed down from generations – your ornaments are irreplaceable and priceless. After all the moving we’ve done the past 5 years across the country and back, I never let the moving company move our ornaments. They always were carried in our own cars with all the other items that were priceless and irreplaceable. Although extremely fragile, our crystal and china could be replaced but our ornaments are more than just keepsakes. They are like a scrapbook or a timeline of memories, adventures, and life events. Our Christmas trees tell a story, our story! For those reasons, I cherish our ornaments and think it’s important to take the time to protect and properly store our ornaments each year.

1. Use coffee filters to separate and protect your ornaments. These work great for balls.
2. Use bubble wrap to protect fragile ornaments. Cut the bubble wrap to the shape and size you need.
3. Use a storage tote specifically designed to store ornaments. These boxes/bins usually come with cardboard inserts designed to separate and protect. You’ll likely still need to wrap each ornament to prevent damage if the bin is dropped.
4. Tissue paper works well to protect ornaments. Also a great way to recycle the tissue paper after unwrapping Santa’s gifts.
5. Cupcake liners work similar to coffee filters but are ideal for smaller ornaments.
6. Often ornaments come in a box. Keep the original box and store the ornament in there year after year. The original boxes are designed to hold and protect the ornament.
7. Don’t wrap your ornaments in newspaper. The print can rub off and damage or discolor your ornaments.
8. Store your ornaments in a cool, dry location. If your basement is prone to leaks, it may not be the best place. Likewise if your attic is prone to high heat, you may want to consider a spare bedroom closet.
9. Are there ornaments you have that you don’t put on your tree because they are broken, ugly, mismatched, out of style, etc.? Consider donating or recycling ornaments that you no longer use and enjoy (yes, even if it was a gift from your mother 20 years ago!).
10. Label your ornaments. Label the ornament or the box it came in with the year and the family member’s name it belongs to. This is a great way to sort out whose ornaments are whose when your kids are older and move out of the house. Also, helps us remember and reminisce from year to year while decorating the tree.

Christmas ornaments are a special part of Christmas and a cherished part of a family’s history. Take the time to care for your ornaments so the legacy and history can be enjoyed for years to come.