When the holidays are over a sad feeling can often overtake us because the decorating, celebrating and visiting is over for another year. You know whats sadder than that? Getting your decorations out next year only to find your very best ornaments broken or cracked. No matter how carefully you pack ornaments theres still a chance that some will be ruined. Maybe you drop the box while youre getting it down from the shelf, or other boxes have been haphazardly shoved onto the shelf with the ornaments, damage can occur.
There are a few things you can do to make absolutely sure that your ornaments will be the same next year as last year. The way you pack the ornaments, and the things you pack them in, will make all the difference. Its not hard to protect your ornaments without spending a lot of time packing them.
If you own a paper shredder use it to shred all the wrapping paper you received this year. The shredded paper can serve as a cushion for boxes of ornaments and other things. Of course, you can shred newspaper, old magazines and similar things, and create even more fluff for your packaging. Place a thick layer of the shredded paper at the bottom of the ornament box. Place each ornament into the shredded paper, like eggs into a nest. Space the ornaments at least a couple inches apart. Avoid placing any of the ornaments up against the sides of the box. After youve created one layer of ornaments cover with foam or cardboard and start the next layer. Again, place a thick layer of the shredded paper on top of the foam or cardboard, then nestle each ornament. Fill the box all the way to the top, but it you dont have enough ornaments to do that, stuff the remainder of the box with shredded paper, newspaper, an unused quilt or something similar. This top buffer is very important and should create a tight fit when the lid of the box is closed. Easily create a personal pillow for each ornament. Use zipper lock bags to hold each individual ornament. Zip almost all the way shut but leave a small opening. Quickly blow a breath or two into the bag to fill it with air. Close the zipper the rest of the way and rest assured your ornament is protected. More like a balloon than a pillow, the air surrounding the ornament will protect it should it receive any type of trauma. Place the ornament pillow bags, side-by-side, in a box. You can place cardboard between the layers, if so desired, or just stack the little pillows up in a box. Did you have chocolate covered cherries over the holidays? Of course you did! Eat up then save the empty trays to hold mini ornaments. Depending upon the brand of cherries you purchase, you can fit 5, 6, 12 or more, in one tray. The trays generally come with a cardboard cover that is perfect for covering the mini ornaments. Fill the trays with the ornaments then place the trays back in the original box. This is a simple and cheap way to store your favorite minis. Ornaments which are long and delicate create a unique storage problem. Save Pringles cans to store these. Cardboard curly-qs, icicles and similarly shaped ornaments can be easily slipped into the lidded cans for storing. If you need to, first wrap the ornament in paper towels or newspaper, before placing it in the can. Empty egg cartons can be helpful when it comes to storing ball or egg shaped ornaments. Each ornament gets its own little compartment that will insulate it. Depending upon the size of egg carton you have you could store 12, 18 or more in each carton. Cartons which have the attached lid, rather than ones which slide in and out of a sleeve, work best. Dont risk damage to your favorite Christmas ornaments and small decorative items. Use one of the above techniques to ensure your cherished ornaments are protected. When you get your ornaments out next Christmas youll be amazed that each and every one is still intact!
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