6 easy storage tips for holiday decorations

Putting holiday decorations away is never as fun and festive as getting them out, but it's just as important. Storing them properly helps to maintain them and makes setting them up next year all the more pleasant.

What are the holidays without strings of lights, whether they illuminate trees, mantels or yard displays? And what are fresh-out-of-storage cords of lights if not tangled? All you need to keep them orderly is an empty coffee can and its lid.

• First, slice the plastic lid of the can with a sharp knife and insert one end of the light cord.
• Next, wrap the cord of lights around the can, taping the end to the can to keep everything in place.
• Before putting on the lid, fill the can with extra bulbs and an extension cord. No tangles, no misplaced accessories.

Tree and mantel ornaments range from wooden toy drummers to delicate winged doves made of crystal — the latter and their ilk needing special care.

• If you pack fragile items with other ornaments, first wrap them in tissue and put them in a self-sealing plastic bag.
• When putting them in the storage box, be sure to place them on top of the other ornaments so they won't be damaged as you dig into the box next year.

The Santa on your lawn, complete with sleigh and reindeer, isn't inflatable. Rather, the components of the merry tableau are made of molded plastic that can't be squashed flat — and unless you have room to spare, they present a storage problem bigger than Santa's toy bag.

• Your first step toward smart storage is to save zippered garment bags, which should be large enough to hold one or two of the pieces — or more, depending on their size.
• Then hang the bags from rafters in the attic or basement.
• You could also consider hanging a hammock between two rafters and heaving the bagged pieces into it.

Have an extra glass canister that you haven't found a use for? If it's tall and has a lid, store self-sticking bows in the canister so that, come gift-wrapping time, you'll see what your choices are at a glance.

If stored in a hot place, candles tend to warp and curve — and a curving candle is good only for the person who enjoys candle making and melts down candles.

• Prevent the problem by choosing a storage spot that stays below 24°C for the year, even if that means the cellar or a closet.
• Wrap individual candles in tissue paper and lay them flat in a plastic container or a cardboard box — or, in the spirit of repurposing, paper-towel tubes or cylindrical potato chip cans.

The artificial garlands you draped on the staircase drew raves from friends and family last Christmas, but this year you're not sure which lengths of garland went where. There they sit in a large plastic box, and you foresee wasting your time by laying and re-laying them alongside the second-floor railing until they all come together as they should.How to eliminate the guesswork? Take these three simple steps before putting the garlands away for storage.

• Tag the lengths with their location, numbering them in order from the top railing to the newel post at the bottom.
• Use twist-ties to mark the spots where the lengths were tied to the banister to make swags.
• Label the storage box clearly ("Staircase Garland") so it won't be confused with any other garlands you might have used.

These handy tips to store your holiday decorations will help you stay organized year to year and make set up — and clean up — a breeze.