Christmas Storage: Christmas Lights

There´s nothing more frustrating than opening up your boxes of Christmas decorations and finding a tangled mess. Be smart. Do Christmas storage properly by putting everything away neatly and you´ll save yourself this added aggravation next year. Wrap each strand of light between your hand and elbow and secure in several places with twist ties. Garbage bag twists work best for large sets of lights because they are longer and sturdier.

Protecting Ornaments - Christmas Organizing

When it´s time to do some Christmas organizing, box up those delicate Christmas treasures, wrap each ornament in tissue paper, or good old-fashioned Kleenex. Never, use newspaper for cushioning, as moisture can seep in and mar your collectibles with ink.

Husband Help with Christmas Cleaning

Can´t get your husband to help out with all those holiday tasks? Try this! Promise him a romantic dinner for two as soon as the Christmas bustle is over and your done with Christmas cleaning. You´ll get to spend quality time together in the process.

Start Christmas Crafts and Projects Early

If you like to do time-consuming craft projects, such as crocheting or cross-stitch, do yourself a favor. Start working on the holiday Christmas crafts early, whenever you have some free time. This will allow you plenty of time to complete your projects and you´ll enjoy working on them more when you´re not rushing to complete them.

Storing Christmas Decorations

Does it seem like every year that your Christmas boxes get smaller and smaller? If you´re like me, you accumulate more ornaments and decorations, adding to your collection each holiday season. Whether you`ve got an attic full of Christmas stuff, or merely a corner of a closet, you can find plastic Christmas storage bins for all your holiday needs. You don`t have to buy the `red and green` ones specifically marketed for Christmas either. Rubbermaid makes some heavy-duty "Rough-Totes" that will keep your precious keepsakes safe from basement waters, inquisitive mice and temperature extremes.

Lights and Christmas Storage

For Christmas storage start by taking down the tree even though it is not near as much fun as putting it up, but a little extra effort now will save you a lot of aggravation next year. Instead of throwing all your light sets into a box and allowing them to become one tangled mess, wrap them individually. Keep plenty of bread/bag twisters on hand to tie around each bunch.

More Christmas Organizing Tips - Take Along Tasks

Starting early in November, carry your Christmas cards, your list, stamps and a pen with you wherever you go. When your stuck in a waiting room whip them out and address a few. You might also try toting a notebook and working on your Christmas lists as well for Christmas organizing tips.

Christmas Storage Box Cushioning

In order to ensure that you ornaments don´t rub together, make sure you provide plenty of cushioning between them for Christmas storage. Save dividers from beverage cases and use plenty of bubble wrap between layers. No more scratched or broken ornaments!

Labeling Boxes - Christmas Cleaning

OK, it's a new year, a time for new beginnings and a fresh start. Keep this in mind as you're putting all of your decorations away for Christmas organizing. Start from scratch with EMPTY storage containers and fill them with the items that go together. One box might hold all your outside lights and decorations. Another might contain your wreaths and nativity set. All tree decorations go in another box (or two or three). The key is to keep it simple and LABEL everything. Next year you can do your decorating in steps. Just grab the appropriate box and go! No more searching through dozens of boxes for one particular item.

Least Favorite First for Cleaning After Christmas

If you´ve got a long list of chores to complete, put your least favorite ones at the top when Christmas cleaning. The drudgery will be over quickly and you´ll have only the fun things to look forward to. You´ll also work more quickly in anticipation of the good things to come. Before you know it, your long list will be complete.

Ideas on Stocking Up After Christmas

The day after Christmas all those holiday supplies go on sale for at least 50% off. Go stock up after Christmas on wrapping paper, lights, ornaments and bows while they are cheap and you´ll have one less thing to worry about next year. Make the day after Christmas an annual stock up excursion.

Christmas Celebrations for Christmas Card Lists

Save the envelopes from this year´s Christmas cards for Christmas celebrations. Put them in the box with your unused cards. Use the addresses on them to develop your card list next year. Everything will be in one box and easy to reference.

Free Cross Stitch Patterns for Holiday Christmas Crafts

Want to get a head start on your cross-stitch projects but don´t have a lot of money to spend? Well, you can find free patterns here for your next holiday Christmas crafts! www.thesilverneedle.com/crossstitch-charts.html

Mailing Homemade Goodies and Other Christmas Food

If you´ll be sending homemade Christmas food (such as cookies and candy) through the mail it´s a good idea prepare them right before packaging and shipping. Allow for extra delivery time close to the holidays and factor this in to the freshness period of your treats. You don´t want your recipients to receive stale or moldy presents.

Free Christmas Craft Patterns

Looking to get a head start on your Christmas projects without spending a lot of money? Well, you can find free patterns here at www.freepatterns.com. Categories include: general crafts, crochet, cross stitch, knitting, plastic canvas, quilting and tatting. Check out the "Special Occasions" sections for Christmas Christmas crafts projects.

Make Ahead Hors d´oeuvres Christmas Food

Before the night of a party, make all of your hors d´oeuvres Christmas food at once. Place them on baking sheets, wrap with aluminum foil and freeze. Right before your guests arrive, take the trays out of the freezer, pop them in the oven for a few minutes until warm, then serve. So simple!