Storing ornaments between seasons
Ornaments break more often in the box than on the tree — while being carried, or piled on top of one another.
How to take the decorations off the tree
- Switch off and remove the lights first — the wires catch on ornaments and pull them off
- Work from the top down so the upper ornaments do not fall onto the lower ones
- Put glass straight into its box, not on a table or sofa where it is easy to knock
- Check the loops and hooks: replace bent ones now, while you still remember which ornament they belong to
- Wipe the dust off with a soft dry cloth before packing
Glass ornaments
Wrap each one separately in paper or cloth, not pressed against each other. Empty space in the box is more dangerous than weight: that is where ornaments rub and break when carried.
Fabric and wooden ornaments
Keep fabric dry — the damp of a cellar or garage spoils the colour and leaves a musty smell. Wooden pieces don’t mind knocks but fear moisture just as fabric does.
What to pack them in
| Material | What for | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Tissue or packing paper | glass, ornaments with glitter or hand painting | newspaper — the ink can transfer to light surfaces |
| Cotton cloth | fabric and wooden ornaments | plastic bags — condensation builds up inside |
| A divided box or tray | baubles and figures of the same size | large boxes where everything is piled together |
| A lidded container | storage in a wardrobe or on a high shelf | cardboard in a basement or garage — it soaks up damp |
Box and location
- A labelled box with compartments, so glass doesn’t shift in transit
- A dry room with a steady temperature: a wardrobe in the flat is safer than a damp cellar
- Don’t put anything heavy on a box of glass ornaments
Where to keep the boxes
The best place is a wardrobe, a high shelf or a storeroom inside your home: it is dry and the temperature stays even. A glazed balcony, a garage or a basement only seem convenient — frost and condensation in winter, heat in summer, and glass and lacquer cope badly with such swings. Put boxes of glass on upper shelves where nobody will knock them by accident, and never under the weight of other things.
Ornaments with glitter, painting or feathers
Decor with glued glitter, hand painting or feathers suffers most from rubbing. Wrap such pieces individually in soft paper and put them in the top layer of the box so nothing presses on them. Do not squash feathered ornaments or fabric bows: a crushed bow is hard to reshape.
Lights and small parts
Wind a string of lights around a piece of card or a reel rather than bundling it: the wires stay untangled and the bulbs do not press on each other. Secure the ends and leave the plug on top so you can find it straight away next season.
Store cast-needle garlands laid out or loosely coiled: cast needles hold their shape, but under a heavy load the sprigs can get crushed. Keep hooks, spare loops and small pendants in a separate little box inside the main one — they are the first things to go missing.
Labels and order
Label every box: what is inside and which part of the tree it is for — the top, the lower tiers, a colour set. Next December decorating will be quicker, and the glass will not have to come out more often than needed.
If you have several sets in different colours, store them separately: it makes it easier to dress the tree in one palette without sorting through everything.
Common mistakes
- Putting everything into one big box with no dividers
- Storing them on a balcony or in a garage, frozen in winter and hot in summer
- Packing damp ornaments when the tree stood by a window or a humidifier
- Sticking tape directly onto ornaments — it leaves marks on lacquer and paint
- Putting heavy ornaments on top of light ones in the same box
- Keeping the boxes next to a radiator or another source of heat
When is the best time to pack ornaments away?
On a dry day, without rushing, with a clear table nearby. Get the boxes and paper ready first, then take the ornaments down — that way nothing has to be put on the floor or sofa in the meantime.
Do you need special organisers?
Not necessarily. An ordinary box with cardboard dividers, or egg trays for small baubles, works just as well. What matters is that every ornament has its own place and cannot roll around.
How to remove dust before packing?
Wipe glass with a soft dry cloth; do not wash or rub painted or glittered ornaments — a soft brush is enough. Dry fabric ornaments and brush them if needed before wrapping.
What to do with a cracked ornament?
Set it aside wrapped in several layers of paper so the fragments cannot damage the rest. Cracked glass is risky to hang again: it can break in your hands.
Can ornaments be stored with the tree?
Better separately. The tree box is heavy, and ornaments inside or beside it are easily crushed. A cast-needle tree needs only its own box in a dry place, and since cast needles do not shed, the ornaments are all you will have to put away after taking it down.