How to Store Halloween Decorations So They Survive the Year

Almost all seasonal decoration damage happens in storage, not in use. Twenty minutes of care in November saves an hour of untangling and a replacement order next year.

Wind lights on something rigid

Never coil a light string loosely into a box. Wrap each string around a piece of stiff cardboard, an empty cable reel or a plastic hanger, then secure the end with a twist tie. Wrapping around your elbow puts a twist into the cable every turn and that twist is what eventually breaks the internal conductor.

Test every string before you put it away, not when you get it out. A dead string discovered in November can be replaced cheaply and calmly.

Choose the right container

• Clear plastic bins with latching lids for most items, so you can see contents without opening
• Rigid bins, not bags, for anything with a shape you want to keep
• Original boxes for anything with fitted foam, such as fragile props
• Avoid cardboard in a loft, garage or basement. It absorbs damp and attracts pests.

Pack by where it goes, not by what it is

One bin for the porch, one for the front windows, one for the party table. Next year you carry one bin to one place and you are done, instead of opening four bins to dress a single doorway.

Protect the fragile things

• Wrap ceramics and glass in bubble wrap or tea towels, never newspaper on light colours because the ink transfers
• Stand candles upright and keep them out of a hot loft, they bend and bloom
• Keep latex masks in a cool dark place, in a paper bag rather than sealed plastic, so they can breathe

Label like you will forget, because you will

Write on the lid and on one short side, so the label is readable whether the bin is stacked or shelved. List the top three items rather than a category. Halloween 1, porch, spike lights, pumpkin string, doormat is a useful label. Halloween is not.

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