You use your holiday ornaments for such a short time each year but you still want to preserve them for years to come. To make certain you can keep your ornaments whole and sparkly from one season to the next; take care in how you pack the Christmas ornaments. Follow these steps for tips to protect your ornaments while you pack them.
- Gather materials. You need some sturdy boxes (or plastic containers), bubble wrap, tissue paper and the ornaments that need to be packed. If you have the original boxes that the ornaments came in, keep those for reuse and storage of the fragile pieces after the holiday. Gather used gift boxes that are thick cardboard or other sturdy materials.
- Prepare the ornaments. Before you put your glass and fabric ornaments away for storage, take some time to clean them. Remove any dust or soil that may have stained the ornaments. Then remove the hooks from the ornaments. Keep the hooks in a separate box so you can easily find them next year. Get rid of any broken pieces. Then repair anything that needs to be repaired. You won't get to it if you pack them away broken and you'll be disappointed when you begin to unpack next year.
- Place a soft layer in the bottom of the box. Start with some loosely wrapped tissue paper to cushion the ornaments you place into the box.
- Wrap then pack each piece. Each bulb and ornament should be wrapped in tissue paper or bubble wrap wherever it is breakable. Then lightly place each into the box creating a single layer first then placing a second layer on top. Continue to pack the box lightly without pressing down or crushing the ornaments together. Leave plenty of room in the top of the box so that you can replace the lid without crushing anything in the box.
- Label each box. In order to make your unpacking bearable next year, use a marker and a sticky label to label each box with a listing of its contents so that you can easily locate what you are looking for.
- Store the packed boxes. Place the boxes in a cool, dry area such as the top of a closet where the ornaments will be out of the way and less likely to be jostled or broken. Stack boxes into shelving rather than stacking several boxes on top of each other whenever possible. This prevents damage to the items in the bottom box.
Christmas ornaments can take up a lot of space if you don't take the time to pack and store them properly. Store your treasures in a cool, dry area so they will last for years to come.
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