Great Tips for Storing Christmas Lights and Decorations

This weekend the holiday decorations are coming down for the year, and the best way to guarantee a happy me next holiday season is to use a few simple tricks to keep my Christmas storage stress and tangle-free. I've gathered some of the clever ideas that caught my eye on the Interwebs. Maybe they will help make a happier you in December 2013 too! For tangle-free Christmas lights: Wrap them around cardboard, cut to size for your container. Match them and wrap them with their own cord. Wrap them around an empty coffee can. Use a plastic shopping bag to keep them tangle-free. For storing fragile Christmas ornaments: Egg cartons and plastic cups are ingenious ways to protect your fragile baubles. For disposing of Christmas trees: Instead of kicking it to the curb for the garbage man, recycle your tree. For wrapping paper and supplies: Shred leftover scraps of wrapping paper to use as filler in gift bags or baskets. Use toilet paper rolls to keep wrapping paper from unraveling. For preserving holiday candles: Wrap them in cellophane and store in a cool, dark place. Miscellaneous storage ideas: Snap a picture with your phone to remember displays you want to recreate next year. If a decoration is not beloved anymore, donate it to Goodwill instead of storing it (and hauling it up and down the stairs) another year. If lights, ornaments, or decorations need to be replaced, shop now. Save the frustration of re-discovering the need next year, plus Christmas decor is on clearance right now. Do you have a great storage tip? Share it with me!