The euphoria of opening last year’s Christmas storage boxes and taking out the tree and baubles again in December is replaced by the flat feeling that it’s all over for another year!
Storing decorations is an important task to make sure they remain in good condition ready for next time.
© Impact Photography / Shutterstock.com
How much is spent on Christmas decorations?
The average annual spend on Christmas decorations per UK household is a hefty £185, according to research by Hayes Garden World. Normally, we tend to buy new ones throughout the year, rather than having a splurge in December.
In fact, many stores sell Christmas decorations at half-price in the January sales, so savvy shoppers stock up 11 months in advance.
Some buy their Christmas tree in the Black Friday sales. Hayes’ research among their own customers reveals 50% of them have bought a new tree by November.
The average household keeps an artificial tree for six years before replacing it. However, they can last many more years if looked after carefully.
For householders worried about the impact on the environment of throwing out plastic Christmas trees, scientific research reveals keeping an artificial tree for 20 years is an acceptable option.
A study into real vs artificial Christmas trees concludes the environmental impact of keeping a plastic tree for 20 years is the same as the effects of cutting down and transporting real fir trees each year for the Christmas market.
Around three-quarters of consumers say they don’t have a problem spending money on decorations because it’s only once a year.
In addition, 40% of Brits have two Christmas trees, so they can have a couple of rooms looking the part!
When do you take Christmas decorations down?
The tradition is to take your Christmas decorations down on Twelfth Night - which falls on either 5th or 6th January. This is based on a Christian tradition dating back to the 4th century. It marks the Eve of the Epiphany, a Christian feast day. It is thought to be bad luck to leave the decorations up for longer.
In many Western Christian civilisations, Christmas Day on 25th December is believed to be the first day of Christmas. The twelve days of Christmas therefore end on 5th January.
Other societies believe the twelve days start on Boxing Day, 26th December, so Twelfth Night is on 6th January.
In the UK, we tend to use both dates, so people who can’t bear to say goodbye to Christmas so soon can safely leave their decorations up an extra night.
Christmas storage solutions
Whenever you decide to take down the Christmas decorations, have a plan in mind.
Even though it’s not half as much fun as putting them up, storing them carefully is just as important, as it stops them from becoming damaged.
Christmas tree baubles can be particularly difficult to store. The flimsy boxes that they come in are no use whatsoever once opened.
It’s important to place decorations in sturdy plastic storage boxes with lids that can be stacked carefully.
Storing baubles
Christmas tree baubles are probably the most difficult decorations to store. Extremely fine and delicate, they are often a circular shape and may have other tiny adornments on them, such as jewels or fake snow.
It’s advisable to wrap them individually in bubble wrap to minimise the risk of breakage.
Keep baubles together in one place, rather than mixing all the decorations, as this will make it easier to unpack them and place them on the tree next Christmas.
You could use clear plastic boxes so you can actually see the contents.
Christmas ornaments
Everyone likes Christmas ornaments and figurines, but they can be difficult to store, as they are highly breakable. Like baubles, it’s best to wrap them in bubble wrap first.
When you’re storing ornaments made of glass, porcelain and other delicate materials, always use some kind of cushioning to protect them. As well as bubble wrap, you can use individual cardboard boxes, or corrugated paper.
Wrap them individually first, as the less space they have to slide about, the more chance there is they will survive.
Once they’re wrapped up, pack them into sturdy plastic storage containers.
Tinsel and string ceiling decorations
We’ve all opened a box of decorations in December and found a big ball of tangled tinsel and strings of ceiling adornments. Argh!
Invest in spool organisers, particularly for ceiling bunting, which tends to be quite long. Once the decorations are spooled on, place them into individual bags to keep them secure so they don’t start to unravel.
Then, pack them carefully into large plastic storage boxes.
Christmas tree lights
It’s vital to keep Christmas tree lights tangle free - even more so than ceiling bunting!
Every year, it’s a moment of intense frustration when you take the tree lights out of storage and find they’re not working, for no apparent reason.
Wrapping up the lights freehand doesn’t always stop them from getting tangled.
Once your lights are jumbled up in a ball, not only is it difficult to untangle them, but it can also stretch the connections, breaking the circuit and causing bulbs not to work.
Use the same spool idea as you would with ceiling bunting - think about it as a fishing line that needs to be kept smooth, with no kinks, so it can be unravelled easily without causing damage.
The main thing to remember when packing Christmas decorations is to choose high quality storage boxes that will last a long time.
Your future self will thank you next year when it comes to getting them all out again!