Episode Summary
Modern Storage® brings back Shelly from Festive Cheer to walk through the right way to take down and store holiday decorations after the season ends. Shelly breaks down expert dos and don'ts for packing ornaments, ribbon, bows, and other seasonal items to prevent damage, tangles, and disorganization. This episode is a practical guide for anyone who wants to start next holiday season with décor that is easy to find and ready to use.
Proper storage techniques for fragile ornaments can prevent breakage and extend their lifespan year over year.
Ribbon and bows require specific packing methods to avoid tangling and crushing that makes them unusable next season.
Taking a little extra time when putting decorations away reduces clutter and saves significant time when the holidays roll around again.
The holiday season may wrap up quickly, but the work of putting everything away properly takes real planning. In this episode of Modern Storage® Unpacked, hosts Modern Storage® welcome back Shelly from Festive Cheer for a practical, no-nonsense conversation about breaking down holiday décor the right way. Whether listeners are dealing with a single tree or an entire home full of seasonal decorations, this episode delivers actionable guidance for protecting those items and storing them in a way that actually makes sense for next year. Shelly brings real expertise to the table, walking through the specific dos and don'ts of storing some of the most common and most fragile holiday items. Ornaments require individual protection to avoid cracking or scratching, and Shelly explains the best materials and containers to use when boxing them up. Ribbon and bows present their own challenges since improper storage leads to tangling, crushing, and shape loss that makes them unusable the following season. Her tips focus on preserving the condition of these items so they look just as good when they come back out. The conversation also addresses the broader organizing strategy behind holiday storage. One of the biggest pain points for homeowners and renters alike is pulling out holiday bins in December only to find broken pieces, mystery boxes, and items that have no clear home. Shelly and the hosts discuss how to label, categorize, and pack décor in a way that creates a repeatable system. This kind of intentional organization is something the self storage industry actively supports, since well-organized customers are more likely to use their storage units efficiently and maintain their rentals long term. For the self storage industry, seasonal décor storage represents a consistent and growing use case. Many customers rent storage units specifically to hold holiday items, seasonal furniture, and decorative pieces they do not want taking up space in their homes year-round. This episode speaks directly to that audience by reinforcing the value of proper packing and storage habits. Facility operators and storage professionals can use this kind of content to connect with customers who are actively looking for guidance on how to make the most of their storage space. Modern Storage® brings their signature hosting style to the episode, keeping the conversation grounded and relatable while letting Shelly's expertise lead the way. The result is an episode that serves both the casual listener looking for holiday organization tips and the self storage customer who wants to understand how to store seasonal items properly inside a unit. Topics like climate considerations, box stacking, and using vertical space in a storage unit all connect naturally to the advice Shelly shares about protecting delicate décor. Listeners who tune in will leave with a clearer picture of how to approach the post-holiday breakdown with confidence. From choosing the right storage containers to creating a labeling system that actually holds up year over year, the episode covers the full scope of what it takes to store holiday décor well. For anyone who has ever pulled out a tangled mess of lights or found a shattered ornament in January, this episode offers the kind of practical knowledge that makes the next holiday season start on a much better note.
Common questions about the topics covered in this episode.
Ornaments store best when individually wrapped in tissue paper or bubble wrap and placed in divided compartment boxes designed specifically for ornaments. Avoid stacking heavy items on top of ornament boxes and keep them in a climate-controlled environment if possible, since extreme temperature swings can weaken hooks, crack finishes, and damage delicate materials over time. Labeling boxes by tree section or ornament type makes unpacking much easier the following year.
Ribbon should be re-spooled or loosely coiled and stored flat in shallow bins or zip-top bags, separated by width or color to make retrieval easy. Bows can be preserved by storing them in large, lidded plastic bins with minimal stacking so they hold their shape. Avoid cramming either into tight spaces or wrapping them around other items, which causes creasing and permanent damage.
A self storage unit is a practical option for holiday décor when you have more than a few boxes worth of items, particularly if you have a full-size artificial tree, outdoor inflatables, or an extensive ornament collection. Renting a small unit like a 5x5 or 5x10 frees up closet and garage space in your home for the ten or eleven months when the decorations are not in use. Climate-controlled units are worth considering if your decorations include delicate materials, electronics like light strands, or items that can warp or crack in extreme heat or cold.
Most households storing holiday décor can fit everything into a 5x5 or 5x10 unit, depending on the volume of items. A single Christmas tree and a few boxes of ornaments typically fit in a 5x5, while larger collections that include outdoor decorations, multiple trees, or years of accumulated seasonal items may need a 5x10 or larger. Visiting your local facility and describing what you have will help an on-site manager recommend the right fit.
Facility managers can add real value by educating customers on unit size recommendations for common seasonal storage needs and flagging when climate-controlled units make sense for fragile or temperature-sensitive items. Offering simple guidance on stacking and labeling at move-in helps prevent damaged goods and reduces frustrated customers at retrieval time. Sharing content like the organizing tips covered in this episode of Modern Storage® is also an effective way to position a facility as a knowledgeable, customer-focused resource rather than just a place to rent space.
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