The Close of Christmas

Tomorrow is trash day.  This means that the tree must be put on the curb before the morning.  As I was putting away the Christmas decorations I thought I would do a quick post about Christmas packing tips.  Most of these are from my Mother.  Thanks Mom!

(1) Christmas lights should be taken off the tree when they are on. You will be able to see where the strand is when the lights are on and that makes the whole process a lot easier. This also allows you to enjoy your Christmas lights for just a little longer before it all goes into a box for a year!

(2) Wind your Christmas lights around an empty paper towel tube as you take them off the tree.  A rolled up paper grocery bag also works well for this.  This will prevent them from becoming tangled.  Nothing is more frustrating than tangled Christmas lights!

(3) To protect your holiday candles put a nylon footie around the candle and then wrap paper around it.  This will prevent dents in the candle while it is packed away and also will prevent any discoloration that may result if a colored candle is next to fabric in your Christmas storage boxes.

(4) Collect all the Christmas cards you have received this year and put them in a ziplock bag in your Christmas storage box.  I like to look back at the cards I received the previous year and make sure that I add any new people to my Christmas list.

(5)  A wine box is the perfect storage container for ornaments (assuming you haven't invested in one of those plastic ornament boxes).  Lay out all your ornaments before you start packing and put the heaviest ornaments on the bottom.  Put a little white tissue paper between each ornament and completely wrap the more fragile ornaments with paper.  Do not use newspaper because the ink can stain ornaments with light fabric.

(5)  Pack your Christmas CD's and your kitchen linens and aprons last.  That way you can really get in the spirit with some Christmas tunes while you unpack next year. Maybe you'll even find the motivation to do some Christmas baking.