Before every Christmas, families across the country scramble to find the best tree and decorations that can light up their homes. From lights to presents and fake snowballs, the proper décor breathes life into your home and embraces the holiday spirit. But what happens after the festive season is over? Here are some useful storage tips to help you keep your precious decorations in good shape until next year.

Cover, cover, cover

Perhaps the worst mistake you can do is to simply stuff all your Christmas items inside a box or into an overcrowded closet. Such poor storage practices could result in physical damage, dust accumulation and grime. Furthermore, stuffing such items in a basement or attic could result in water damage or brittleness from temperature fluctuation.

If you don't have enough space in your home, strongly consider renting a storage unit. You can use this extra space to store Christmas decorations and other extra items from your home. But before throwing your holiday items in a storage unit, make sure they're covered against exterior elements. Keeping the original packaging makes it easier to protect each item you purchased. In the absence of such packaging, individually wrap your decorations and keep them away from moisture and the sun.

Provide adequate support

While in storage, make sure each item has adequate support from falling. You may need to use zip ties to hold a large tree in place or install stable shelving for other decorations placed in boxes. Proper support will prevent the issue where boxes topple over and individual decorations fall out of their packaging.

Fold or disassemble Christmas trees

Storing an artificial Christmas tree is a more delicate process. You should first fold the branches and then disassemble the tree as much as possible. Gently pull away any removable parts and store them in their proper packaging.

A sturdy box with plastic wrapping is the preferred choice in the absence of original packages. Make sure you remove any decorations from the tree.

Separate fragile items

When storing fragile decorations in a storage unit, make sure you separate them from other, more durable items. For example, glass items should be properly padded with packing paper, bubble wrap or shredded paper.

Make sure these items are also labelled as fragile in case someone else does the unpacking at the end of the year. And if you have electric items such as lights, make sure the cords are properly wrapped and kept away from moisture or direct sunlight.