How To Organize Holiday Items So They're Easy To Find Next Year

The holidays are over…

And now we have a heap of tangled lights, half-empty boxes of ornaments, and one very droopy looking inflatable Santa Claus in the middle of the living room.

Sound familiar?

And here’s the good news. When you organize your holiday decorations correctly, next December you won’t be scrambling through closets trying to locate the box with your stockings in it. In fact, decorating for the holidays is so common that 88% of Americans do it every year.

Here you will learn how to neatly put everything away, label it and quickly locate it again.

Let’s jump in!

Table of Contents

In this guide:

Why Holiday Storage Matters (Especially In Small Spaces)

One-Bedroom Apartment Storage Challenges

The Step-By-Step Holiday Organisation Method

Smart Labelling Tips That Actually Work

Common Storage Mistakes To Avoid

organize Holiday items — Photo by Irina Iriser

Why Holiday Storage Matters (Especially In Small Spaces)

Holiday storage is tough on every household…

It’s bad enough when you have room. Trying to fit an entire tree, several strings of lights, wreaths, stockings, table decor, and gift wrapping into one small closet is ridiculous.

And that’s when one-bedroom apartment storage becomes challenging. Sometimes you have more things than you expected when everything is taken off the walls, down from the tree and out from under the couch. Now the hallway closet resembles a Christmas explosion that no one knows how to clean.

The reality?

The average person will spend 153 days of their life looking for lost items. Many of those days are spent digging through winter things that were mistakenly tossed into the summer box last January.

Good organisation now = less stress later.

One-Bedroom Apartment Storage Challenges

Small spaces come with big problems when it comes to seasonal items.

Most one-bedroom apartments have:

One main bedroom closet

A coat closet (if you’re lucky)

Limited under-bed space

No garage or attic to spread out in

Which is why every cubic inch counts. Holiday decorations are awkward, fragile, and only used once a year. They should be stored securely… AND out of the way until November/December.

STORE MORE: Pro tip: Look vertical. Place bins all the way up to the ceiling. Use the top shelf in your closet for things you only use once a year. Empty space above doors are great places for narrow shelving.

The Step-By-Step Holiday Organisation Method

Introducing your go-to system for taking the stress out of packing everything away. Follow these steps annually and next year’s holidays will be a breeze.

Sort Before You Pack

Before anything goes in a box — sort it.

Split decorations into three piles:

Keep — items in great condition that got used and loved

Donate — gently used items that didn’t make the cut this year

Toss — broken ornaments, dead lights, and damaged decor

This is the step MOST people avoid… Which is why their closet accumulates more clothes each year.

Face it. If you’ve been “testing it next year” with a strand of lights for three years now, toss it.

Group By Category

Don’t throw random items into random boxes.

Instead, group everything by category:

Tree ornaments together

Lights with lights

Stockings and tree skirts together

Outdoor decor in its own bin

Wrapping supplies in one container

Makes setup next year 10 times quicker. Just remove the box you need at that time.

Use Clear, Stackable Bins

Cardboard boxes are the enemy. They sag, attract pests, and rip when stacked.

Clear plastic bins with locking lids are the way to go because they:

Let you see what’s inside without opening

Stack neatly to save floor space

Protect items from moisture and dust

Last for years

Size the bin storage to your space. A bunch of smaller bins will stack neater than one large tote if you live in a tiny apartment. They’re also easier to grab off a top shelf without crushing your childhood Christmas tree.

Protect The Fragile Stuff

Wrap breakable ornaments in tissue paper or bubble wrap. Egg cartons (yes, the ones eggs come in) or a box from a case of wine are great for glass ornaments. Each section is a perfect spot for one ornament.

String lights? Wrap them around cardboard so they don’t get tangled. (Future you will thank you. SO MUCH.)

Smart Labelling Tips That Actually Work

Labels are where most people drop the ball.

Putting “Christmas” on every box won’t do you any good when you see five identical containers come November searching for your menorah.

Here’s how to label properly:

Use big, bold writing on at least two sides

Include the holiday AND the contents

Add a number system (Box 1 of 5, Box 2 of 5…)

Tape a quick inventory list inside the lid

Others utilize colour coded bins. Red bins for Christmas, orange for Halloween, pastel bins for Easter. If your household celebrates many holidays this is super effective!

The “First In, Last Out” Trick

Here’s a sneaky tip most people miss…

Take time to consider how decorations are stored after the holidays. What comes out of storage first should be packed away LAST. Put the tree in first, ornaments and lights last.

Sounds simple, but it saves so much time when unpacking next year.

Common Storage Mistakes To Avoid

Even the best system falls apart if these mistakes happen:

Storing in cardboard: It breaks down and attracts bugs

Mixing categories: Tossing ornaments in with wreaths means chaos next year

Forgetting humidity: Damp closets ruin paper goods and ribbons

Not testing lights before packing: They’ll just get thrown out next year anyway

Skipping the inventory list: Duplicate purchases add up fast

Dumping broken decorations in the trash each year is tossing your money away. Taking a few minutes to pack carefully saves you plenty at the store next December.

Don’t forget the gift wrap either. Gift wrap rolls that have been folded in half will not lay flat for wrapping next year – Store rolls vertically in a tall container or hang them in your closet inside of a garment bag.