- Tangle-free twinklers
Parties and celebrations are made all the more memorable by strings of lights, whether they illuminate trees, mantels or garden displays. Only problem is that strings of lights fresh out of storage are often horribly tangled. Keep them orderly with an empty coffee can with a lid.
First, slice the plastic lid of the can with a sharp knife and insert one end of the light cord. Then 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.
- Give fragile items top billing
Christmas tree 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 search in the box next year.
- Storing big stuff
If you’re one of those people who likes to make a big display on the lawn or roof at Christmas, you probably have a problem with storage the rest of the year. The components of your display are probably made of moulded plastic that can’t be squashed flat — and unless you have room to Spare, they create a storage problem bigger than Santa’s toy bag. Your first step towards clever storage is to save zipped garment bags, which should be large enough to hold one or two or the pieces — or more, depending on their size. Then hang the bags from rafters in the garage or a shed. You could also consider hanging a hammock between two rafters and putting the bagged pieces into it.
- Make bows easy to spot
Do you have a spare glass jar that you don’t really have a use for? If it’s tall and has a lid, store self-sticking bows in it so that, come gift-wrapping time, you can see at a glance what your choices are.
- Now to store candles
If stored in a hot place, candles tend to warp and curve — and a curving candle isn’t much good to anyone except a candle maker who melts them down again. Prevent the problem by choosing a storage spot that stays below 20°C all year, even if that means the cellar or broom cupboard. Wrap individual candles in tissue paper and lay them flat in a plastic container or a cardboard box — or, in the spirit of repurposing, cardboard tubes or Pringles chip cans.
- New life for wrapping paper
Don’t throw away wrapping paper and tissue that pile up as your family opens gifts. Instead, use it to keep the holiday ornaments you’ll soon be storing from getting scratched or chipped or donate it to a local vet. Choose one or all of these three options:
- Wrap each ornament in leftover paper when placing in the storage box. If desired, store ornaments by type and Christmas tree balls by colour. However you choose to store, label each box with the contents.
- Feed the wrapping paper into a shredder, and then use the paper ribbons as packing material to keep your ornaments well protected.
- Donate shredded wrapping paper to a veterinary clinic. Many vets use shredded paper as bedding for the animals in their care. Just call first to make sure the paper is wanted and needed.
- Giving and sharing resources
Look at old clothing, furniture, books, toys and odds and ends of any sort not as ‘just something to get rid of’ but as items that would be welcomed by someone else. Organizations or charitable groups will accept virtually anything that is still in good condition. Check if they can accept electrical goods — some can’t. Clean clothing in good condition can be donated to a number of different charities.
A cardboard box filled with shoes you no longer wear or a black plastic garbage bag filled with towels and sheets that no longer match your colour scheme can have a new life with someone else and you’ll be doing something positive about saving energy and sharing resources. Deliver your goods to the charity in person or ring them to find out if they’ll do a pick-up from your home. You’ll create more space and someone in need will benefit from a ‘new’ shirt, pair of shoes, sofa or even the key connection to the world at large, and a computer.
Credit: Reader’s Digest
Picture Credit: Google
