Since I’m still recovering from traveling and cleaning and putting things away, today’s post is a revised post from the archives. It’s a simple-yet-fun project, especially if you love to organize things and shop for things on sale!
Today’s post is about organizing holiday decorations and serving pieces. Why are we talking about this after the holidays? Because January and February are known for a few different types of sales. First, these two months are known for sales of furniture and linens (towels, sheets, etc.). Second, these months have also started to be known for sales of organizing tools like stackable boxes, wreath and light bags, and china/flatware bins. And today I want to talk specifically about tools that help you organize and store your holiday decorations and your china/flatware that you only use a few times a year.
First I want to talk about china. Not everyone uses fancy china anymore, and I’ve noticed with my daughter’s wedding, as well as my many nieces’ weddings, that they don’t even register for china. But chances are that one day, if you entertain, you will end up with dishes and cups that you use for certain holidays, not even just this time of year. One of the things I recently invested in are these soft-sided quilted storage containers. They are available from many different vendors, but at the time I was writing this post Amazon had the best prices. (I am NOT an Amazon affiliate and make no money from any links on this blog). You can also find similar items at Walmart, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc.
I have five full sets of china that I inherited from grandmothers, etc., and I just recently invested in these quilted containers with felt dividers. Not only to they protect the dishes from small scrapes that lead to crazing, but they also prevent chipping and keep the dishes clean and free from dust. I also use this flatware box to keep my silver flatware together. While it’s not lined with silver felt, if your flatware is sterling silver you can add these inexpensive silver protector (anti-tarnish) paper strips to protect the silver from tarnishing and pitting. I also love this storage box for water and wine glasses. I have enough room in my china cabinet that I don’t need to pack them away, but I used them at my mother’s house and they were definitely sturdy enough to protect the finest crystal. I also have some random silver serving pieces that I received from my grandmother, and I store them in these silver bags and place them in my china cabinet.
Why do I go to all this trouble? I do this for many reasons, some emotional and others financial. First, these items came to me from my female relatives (many of whom who’ve passed on), as well as from my wedding. I have deep emotional ties to these things and would like to pass them down to my own children. So I want to keep them in good condition. Second, many of these things have value on the secondary china/silver markets. If I ever need quick cash, I can sell them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, or I can even sell them on consignment to auction houses or even Replacements, Ltd. Third, some these things are insured and I need to prove that they are being stored correctly and safely in order to prove that I’ve stored them correctly (yes, I take photos of these items in their storage containers) in case I ever have to make an insurance claim. Fourth, I have moved many times over the years and having these items already boxed up properly will make the next move even easier. Then there is the fifth reason–if we ever need to leave the house quickly, I can grab the silver. I know it sounds silly and dystopian, but crazy things have been happening in the world lately. While I wouldn’t take the china with me, I would take the sterling silver because it could be sold quickly or traded for something else we may need.
Yes, that fifth reason is a stretch but one thing the last two years have taught me is that weird things happen when you least expect them.
Okay. Let’s move on to decorations. Yes, your decorations are probably all stored away now. But since these packing items are on sale now, you may want to get them and store them away until next year. Or, during a blizzard or your spring cleaning, you may want to reduce and reorganize your decorations to save space.
Here are some of my favorite storage tools to look out for when they go on sale: (Again, these are Amazon links but you should shop around to see if there are better prices elsewhere. And, like I said before, I am NOT an affiliate and receive no money from these product links)
I love these ornament storage boxes. They have acid-free linings to prevent discoloration as well as removable trays for stacking. Here is another style that’s in a stackable square form. And I have three of these wreath bags that I’ve been using for years for my fake wreaths. (I only use a real wreath on my front door). These wreath bags are soft sided and I stack them on top of each other. While I loved the harder plastic wreath bins, the plastic clips keeping them closed kept breaking off! These soft wreath bags are made out of a sturdy canvas with a strong zipper.
For larger, fragile items like snow globes and porcelain villages houses, I use these bins. They have strong dividers and can be stacked on top of each other. They also store collectible caroler statues and medium-sized nutcrackers. For random items that are still in their original packaging, or soft things that I can store in ziplock bags, I use these bins from Lowe’s. They are strong, waterproof, and stack safely in threes.
A while ago, we talked about storage and organization for holiday wrapping supplies. Here’s a link for that blog post, and many of those items will also be going on sale this month and next month.
Finally, outdoor lights. While my husband takes care of these items, he does use the Lowe’s bins (mentioned above as well) as well as these storage containers as well as these light storage containers. While all of these containers can add up in price, now is the best time of the year to find them on sale. Even if you buy them now and store them until the end of the year, before we know it we’ll be dragging all of these things out to decorate the house again. Then, when you’re putting things away in January 2026, you’ll have everything you need to organize your holiday decorations then. And you will have done it with 2025’s sale prices!
