The holidays are over, we repeat the holidays are finally OVER! Now, we know what you might be thinking: Aren’t the holidays your ‘thing’? Sure, we do love the decorating, cooking, and family bonding sessions that come with the special time of year, but once December 26th rolls around, we’re pretty much exhausted and ready to call it a day. The day after Christmas, we pull on our finest pair of slipper socks, lounge on the couch, and…

…have a mini heart attack! You see, every year we are so keen to celebrate, decorate, and congregate that we forget that all of the bulbs, garlands, wreaths, and other random symbols of Christmas cheer need to be taken down and put into storage before we become THAT neighbor that leaves decorations up year-round. (Everyone has one!)

Now, we can complain all we want, but we have had the pleasure of amassing a virtual arsenal of organizational hacks over the years which have truly helped us streamline the whole “breaking down” process to make it, dare we say,  fun! Here are 15 of our all-time favorite decoration organization hacks…

1. Plastic bins are your friends

   There’s only one surefire way of ensuring that your holiday decorations are safely protected in storage, and that is by making good use of plastic boxes and tubs. Come up with a system that works for you— and don’t forget the labels!

2. Protect your ornaments with Solo cups

   These beer pong staples may not look like they belong near a Christmas tree, but that doesn’t mean they don’t do a great job of safely storing ornaments during the months that they live in your garage.

3. Or an apple container

   If you’re low on Solo cups, then throw your bigger bulbs into a plastic produce container. Either way, your prized tree decor will be safe and sound.

4. Or an egg carton

   Of course, an egg carton works well, too. Ok, we’ll stop with the ornament storage!

5. Stop your wrapping paper from unraveling

   Wrap a small sliver around the circumference of used wrapping paper rolls to keep the edges from fraying or wearing. When you’re ready to use them next year, just slide off the plastic and you’re good to start wrapping!

6. Repurpose your kitchen trashcan into a wrapping paper holder

   A 13-gallon kitchen-sized trashcan is just tall enough to safely house your prized wrapping paper.

7. Or install a smartly-placed wire shelf

   We’re not mind-readers, but we know exactly what you’re wondering: Why didn’t I think of that?!

8. Pack away the smell of Christmas

   Splash a bit of essential oil on your display pinecones and pack them away in a bag or plastic box. When you open the container up next Christmas, you’ll be instantly met with the spicy, distinct aroma of the holiday season. Yum!

9. Organize your recycled gift bags

   We’re not going to lie; every time we receive a gift in a gift bag, our heart skips a beat because it means we get to KEEP the bag. It’s like two presents in one! After removing the gifts, we flatten the bags, then store them in a fabric or plastic box like the one above. Don’t forget to organize according to size and color!

10. Re-think your ribbon and string storage

    If you’re throwing your present wrapping accouterments in a plastic bin willy-nilly, you’re doing it all wrong. Instead, stick a couple of wood skewers through the spools and push through the openings of a shallow laundry basket for easy and more controlled unraveling. Smart!

11. Disassemble and store your artificial tree

    For those of you who display an artificial tree with removable limbs on Christmas, this is the hack for you! Store the tree’s branches in poster holders— or concrete tubes for a big tree— and label each tube accordingly. This will make next year’s assembly so much smoother.

12. Elegantly display your Christmas cards

    Not sure what to do with the dozens of Christmas cards you received this holiday season? Instead of trashing them, tack them to a bulletin board, or better yet attach them to a shabby-chic clothespin chalkboard like the one shown above. Once the season passes (for us, that’s not until Valentine’s Day, at least!), store the cards in a shoebox. Repeat year after year to preserve these cool photo memories.

13. Organize the lazy way

    Holiday season left you exhausted? We feel you! Grab a shoe organizer and place your loose decorations in the cubbies. Easy peasy!

14. Keep your Christmas lights tangle-free

    Stop knots and coils in their tracks by wrapping your beloved lights around a plastic clothes hanger. Bye-bye, tangles!

15. Don’t smash those wreaths

    There are a couple of ways of keeping your wreaths shapely in storage; you can wrap them in plastic or even buy a wreath container, but if you have the room, hanging them is most definitely the way to go!

See, we told you decoration organization could be fun! We’d love to hear your thoughts on these hacks. Have you tried any of these before? Do you have a hack of your own that you would like to share?