Today I’ve put together a quick run-down of great ideas on how to pack your Christmas ornaments, lights, trees and wrap ready for next year and a basic checklist to help prepare you for next Christmas.

Step 1: Take down all the decorations from around the house before you even attack the tree. Gather all the baubles, garlands, glassware, snow-domes, music boxes, trinkets, Santa socks and hats and put like with like, and start wrapping fragile items in paper, shredded paper, foam noodles or bubble wrap ready for containers.
Step 2: Dismantle the tree! Start with the decoration on the top and remove all the free hanging baubles. Next remove any tinsel or garlands, and lastly the lights. Note: this should be the reverse order that you put the items on. Again, put into groups of like with like and baubles together in either colour or size groups, fragile and not so fragile.
Step 3: Christmas lights. Before you put them away, plug them in, check for any worn wiring and broken bulbs and make a note of any replacements needed and pop them onto your next shopping list now and replace asap while it’s cheaper to do so. If lights are broken beyond replacement or repair, wrap them in newspaper and bin them. Once all lights are packed away, add a label to the outside and store. Don’t keep anything unsafe.

For links to great products, ideas on how to use what you already have for storage, how-to’s and instructional videos for:

  • how to pack away your Christmas lights without tangling;
  • putting away baubles and tree ornaments;
  • taking down artificial Christmas trees and packing them away;
  • effective recycling of cut trees;
  • what to do with reusable gift wrap, bags, ribbons and trims;
  • used Christmas cards;unwanted gifts;
  • and much, much more …

We have pretty much all your post-Christmas questions covered. Just click on the link below …

© 2012 Angela Miller-Davis. For more tips, ideas and links, visit the Less Equals More Blog and keep up to date by hitting the Like button to follow us on Facebook. Angela Miller-Davis is a Professional Organiser based on the Gold Coast, who helps people to find solutions for an organised lifestyle and is a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organisers).