Quick answer: the best way to store Christmas decorations
The best way to store Christmas decorations is in sturdy, lidded plastic boxes or purpose-made storage bags, grouped by room or theme, and kept somewhere cool, dry and off the floor in an Australian garage, shed, internal cupboard or under the bed. Trees go in a storage bag, lights get wound onto reels, baubles sit upright in dividers, and every battery comes out before you pack. Storage searches peak every January, so packing well once beats a chaotic December.
Every January the same scene plays out across Australia: boxes lugged inside, only to reveal tangled lights, crushed wreaths and moisture-clogged baubles. Packing up properly is quick once you know the mistakes, and Christmas World stocks the lidded boxes and purpose-built Christmas decoration storage that make the job nearly effortless.
The 7 Christmas storage mistakes that ruin your decorations
Almost every storage disaster traces back to one of seven habits. Here is how each mistake bites, and the fix that is quicker than the damage it prevents.
- Hot roof space. Australian roof spaces can run roughly 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside air on a summer day, well past 60 degrees when it is 35 outside. Heat embrittles plastic baubles, degrades wiring insulation and softens adhesive. Fix: use the coolest spot in the house, such as a wardrobe or shaded corner of the garage.
- Damp shed. Concrete floors wick moisture into cardboard, and mould does the rest over ten months. Fix: store sealed boxes off the floor on shelving, and air-dry items before packing.
- Batteries left in. Ordinary and button batteries can leak, corrode terminals and, in rare cases, short or ignite. Fix: remove every battery before packing.
- Cardboard-only storage. Cardboard attracts moisture and silverfish, and collapses when stacked. Fix: keep cardboard only inside a lidded plastic tub.
- Lights thrown loose in a box. Loose strands knot within weeks. Fix: wind each run onto a reel, cardboard or a card hanger before boxing.
- Wreaths and garlands crushed flat. Weight snapped on top ruins the frame and foliage. Fix: use a wreath box, or hang wreaths inside a tub from a short strap.
- No labelling. Unlabelled boxes mean unpacking everything to find the tree topper. Fix: label by room or theme and snap a phone photo of the contents.
Pack-up habits that pay off next December
- Pack by room or theme, so each box is unpacked in one go.
- Let everything dry for a day before boxing, especially outdoor decorations.
- Photograph each box contents and stick the box number on the lid.
How to store an artificial Christmas tree
Disassemble the tree into its sections, fold the branches gently upwards against the pole, and slide the whole thing into a tree storage bag or its original box. Pre-lit trees can usually stay strung: wind the light runs loosely around the folded branches so nothing pulls at the connectors. A bag protects against dust better than a torn carton; a rigid box suits wide, flat shelving. Pack the stand and spare bulbs in the same bag so setup is one job, not a treasure hunt.
How to store Christmas lights without getting tangled
The trick to tangle-free lights is giving each strand a spine before it goes in the box. Wind each run onto a cable reel, a notched rectangle of cardboard or a purpose-made light storage hanger, tuck the plug under the last few turns, then label it with where it lived this season. Test each wound run before it goes away for the year.
Wind lights in four quick steps
How to store baubles and ornaments without breakages
Baubles break two ways: they rattle against each other, and they get pressed from above. Solve both by storing ornaments upright in a box with dividers, one bauble per cell, cushioned with a shred of tissue. Keep shatterproof plastic and delicate glass ornaments in separate boxes, because glass needs the cell treatment every time. Fine pieces from our Christmas ornaments and baubles ranges deserve the gentlest box in the stack: at the top, never under the tree stand.
How to store wreaths, garlands and inflatables
Wreaths and garlands keep their shape best when nothing rests on top of them: use a wreath box or a wide, shallow tub, and if you must stack, lie a rigid cardboard sheet between layers. Inflatables are the most moisture-sensitive decorations you own. Deflate them fully, fold without sharp creases, let them dry completely over a day before packing, and check again for trapped moisture. A slightly damp inflatable packed in January is a mouldy one by November.
Where to store decorations in Australia: garage, shed, attic or under the bed?
Australia's hot, humid summers make storage location a bigger deal here than in the northern-hemisphere guides you often see online. The three enemies are heat, moisture and light. Roof spaces top the heat chart, sheds come with damp concrete floors, and garages work well only on a shaded wall away from the western afternoon sun, with boxes off the floor. Small homes do best with under-bed boxes and internal wardrobes, which stay coolest and driest. Wherever the spot, use sealed lidded boxes and keep them off concrete.
Our comparison of the four most common spots in an Australian home:
Remove the batteries before you pack
Battery-operated decorations, from tea-light candles to singing ornaments, should be emptied before boxing. Batteries left in place for ten months can leak, corroding terminals beyond repair and turning a working decoration into e-waste. Button batteries and lithium cells add a second risk: if they shift, get crushed or short against each other, they can ignite in rare but serious cases. Store the cells in a small sealed container inside the same box as their decoration, and order fresh batteries well before December.
Our rule: every decoration gets its batteries removed, terminals wiped if needed, and the battery door left open so moisture cannot be trapped in the compartment.
Labelling and storing so next Christmas is easy
Pack by room or theme and label each box on the lid and on one side where it stays readable while stacked. A numbering scheme beats vague names: Box 1 the tree stand, topper and skirt; Box 2 the lounge-room ornaments; Box 3 outdoor lights and clips. Photograph the contents before sealing, and keep the photos in one album so you unpack exactly what you need and nothing else.
When to take Christmas decorations down
Tradition says decorations come down on Twelfth Night, 5 or 6 January depending on the custom followed, and plenty of Australian households simply pack up on the first weekend of January. Whenever you choose, the packing matters more than the date. A fresh artificial Christmas tree stored properly lasts many seasons longer.
Store your decorations properly this year
Explore the purpose-built storage range: lidded boxes and storage bags for decorations, trees and lights.
Free shipping over $199, Australia wideFrequently Asked Questions — Storing Christmas Decorations
What is the best way to store Christmas decorations?
Sturdy, lidded plastic boxes or purpose-made storage bags, grouped by room or theme, in a cool, dry spot such as an under-stairs cupboard, internal wardrobe or garage shelf away from direct sun. Never loose in bin bags, where dust, moisture and crushing ruin them. Christmas World sells purpose-built decoration storage in-store and online; see the decoration storage range.
How do you store Christmas decorations in a garage or shed?
Keep everything off the floor on shelving, because concrete transfers damp into boxes, and pick a shaded wall away from the hot afternoon western sun. Use sealed lidded plastic boxes and let items dry fully before packing; in a shed, air the boxes occasionally.
How do you store an artificial Christmas tree?
Disassemble the tree into sections, fold the branches upwards against the pole and store it in a purpose-made tree storage bag or its original box. Pre-lit trees can keep their lights attached if the runs are wound loosely around the folded branches, with the stand packed alongside.
How do you store Christmas lights so they do not get tangled?
Wind each run onto a cable reel, a notched piece of cardboard or a card hanger, tuck the plug under the last turn and label it with its season's location. Test every wound run before boxing it, and stand the reels upright in a lidded box rather than piling them flat.
How do you keep baubles from breaking in storage?
Store baubles upright in a divided box, one per cell, with a shred of tissue around any glass or heirloom pieces. Keep glass and shatterproof ornaments in separate boxes, with the delicate boxes at the top of the stack so nothing presses on them.
Where do you store Christmas decorations in a small apartment?
Use low-profile boxes under the bed and the top shelf of an internal wardrobe, which stay cool and dry. Flat, non-fragile pieces such as wreaths slide under furniture in shallow boxes.
Can you store Christmas decorations in a roof space in Australia?
We advise against it. Roof spaces run far hotter than outdoor temperatures through an Australian summer, sometimes roughly 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside air, which embrittles plastics, degrades wiring and softens adhesives. A garage shelf or internal cupboard is a far safer home for decorations.
When should you take Christmas decorations down?
Tradition points to Twelfth Night, 5 or 6 January depending on the custom followed, and many Australian households pack up on the first weekend of January. Whatever date you choose, remove the batteries and label each box so the job is easy rather than a rush.
