Christmas decorations can be extremely fragile, especially if they are very old or include tiny pieces. Electrical Christmas decorations require care, because they have so many wires and intricate connections, and non-electric decorations can have tiny attachments and features that can break off if knocked or bumped.
When we plan Christmas we want everything to work perfectly. Planning Christmas is like planning a wedding, where you only have one chance of it, and you want that one chance to go smoothly. Also, Christmas can be a busy period with lots of things to do and people rushing around in a short period of time. While accidents and mistakes can happen at any time of the year, unfortunately they can happen more often during the Christmas period – the period that we want them to occur the least.
Unpacking Christmas decorations should be a communal and joyful experience, with lots of people ready to help and share in the fun and decorating. The opening of the boxes, as stored throughout the year, should be filled with excitement, like a young child opening their gifts on Christmas day.
Opening boxes of Christmas decorations should be a joyful experience because it means that Christmas, the holidays and family cheer are suddenly pouring into the home and celebrations are ready to begin. The opening of the boxes should also bring back memories, as the decorations are suddenly unveiled. Happy memories of Christmas’s gone by should come back with the opening of the boxes, and all of the people involved should be happy that they can relive these memories again and again each year.
A major disappointment will occur though, if all of the family are around the boxes of Christmas decorations, that have been stored and protected throughout the year, and then on opening them the decorations are broken or damaged. Christmas decorations are a huge investment, not because of the financial cost, but the emotional cost of having them. Purchasing new decorations can be exciting and fun, and new decorations should be added to the family collection every year, but it is just as important to keep the ones you have in a good and secure condition. The whole point is growing and adding to the memories, not replacing the ones that have gone in the years gone by.
This means that storing your most fragile Christmas decorations correctly is essential. There is no reason for disappointment when the boxes are re-opened, because you can store and protect your fragile Christmas decorations throughout the year, ready for more fun, good times and laughter in the years ahead.
Always plan your packing up, not just your decorating
Packing up might not be as fun as decorating your house during Christmas, but it is an essential process of protecting your fragile Christmas decorations for the years ahead. We can all be very rushed after Christmas, but ensure that you leave time to pack away your decorations in a calm and happy manner.
Rushing your pack up will mean that you take short cuts, that you’ll be focused on the moment or other things that are distracting you, not just the vision of the happy Christmas periods ahead. We can even sometimes be glad Christmas is over, especially if it was a busy year, but don’t let your desire for the rush to be gone mask your desire to welcome Christmas and a well decorated house back again for many years that come in the future.
Set aside an entire day, or more if you need to, to pack away the decorations that you have. Mark this day on your calendar and include it in the Christmas celebrations and events that you have on. You can even make this a communal and festive day, with everyone working to renew the house, and then feasting together for a lunch or dinner afterwards.
Use appropriate packaging to protect your decorations
When we move house we protect our furniture and belongings by using specially made protective materials. You should adopt the same approach to the storing of your Christmas decorations each year, whether you store them in your home or in a specialised storage unit.
Talk to removal or packing specialists about their strategies for protecting, moving and storing items. There are many wonderful products on the market now, including boxes, paper and plastic wraps and storage containers. Investigate your options and choose the ones that are most appropriate for you, your family and the decorations that you cherish the most.