Its never too early to plan for packing-

And with the holiday seasons upon us, we wanted to offer up some insider advice on how to pack christmas ornaments -those delicate treasures from your tree to avoid any kind of damage when moving, or even simply storing them for the off season.

5 Ways to SAFELY Pack Christmas Ornaments

1. Ditch the Cardboard, Say Hello to Plastic

Not only is a plastic tote more durable and less susceptible to damage, plastic totes are reusable and, if handled well, can last you and your family for years to come. Plastic totes can be clearly labeled, are generally stackable, and can keep out most water other damage from humidity.  When it comes to storage- plastic totes are your best friend.

2. Egg Cartons 

Styrofoam, paper, both are great options for storing delicate holiday items. The best part about these storage gems is that they are easy to replace, and they are stackable! The best way to reduce the amount of space you will need for any set of items is to stack them- grow your collection up, not out!

Egg Cartons, the easily replaceable, stackable storage solution for christmas ornaments

For the small, round ornaments, egg cartons are your best bet. If you have oblong or other small, irregular shaped ornaments, we suggest using the paper variety version of egg cartons! (like this one)

Repurpose Egg Cartons to Store your Holiday Items

3. Apple Containers

Repurposed Apple Container for Larger Ornaments

For larger ornaments, may we suggest using those plastic containers designated for apples? Unfortunately, for the most part these containers are not made of the strongest plastic, so use caution when stacking these inside your plastic totes.

4. Clear Plastic Cups and Cardboard

Make sure to push the cups together to reduce the amount of movement!

Here’s a great way to repurpose that pile of cardboard left over from unwrapping gifts! Cut out shapes slightly smaller than the tote in which you’re going to store your ornaments. Using plastic cups, store your holiday ornaments. Fill each cup and place them into the tote. Make sure to push the cups as close together as possible so that there isnt any wiggle room between cups. Once you have filled a layer, cover with card board, and repeat!

5. Lights

We all know its impossible to get those lights back into the box as you purchased them, and to be honest, thats perfectly okay! Grab another handy piece of scrap carboard, and store your lights as follows:

Say goodbye to a rats nest of lights!

Make sure to test every light strand and to dispose of lights that arent working. You should have to replace these lights about every 3-4 years depending on your usage. As a bonus: write the color of the attached strand, as well as any other identifying remarks such as “Outdoor” or “rapid blinking” etc. on the cardboard. That way, next year deciphering what lights go where is a breeze.

The holidays can be a lot of fun, but we dont forget that they are also a lot of work. Save yourself some hassle, and protect your cherished holiday memories with these 5 simple and easy ways to pack Christmas ornaments.