Wondering how to store Christmas ornaments so they won’t break? Keep scrolling to find out my top Christmas ornament storage solutions!
This post about Christmas ornament storage ideas was originally published November 1, 2020 and was updated November 14, 2022 and may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Let’s be honest: how many broken Christmas ornaments did you find this year when you decorated your tree?
I admit, I found several broken ornaments in my box this year and I know it’s because I didn’t pack them properly. Oops!
Usually, I’m much better about taking my time and making sure all my Christmas ornaments are secure before packing them away for next year.
But, last year, my family was battling the flu and I quickly shoved them all in a plastic tub and crossed my fingers.
I thought I’d be okay since we primarily use soft and shatterproof ornaments in our effort to childproof our Christmas tree.
However, I still found paper ornaments that had ripped, soft ornaments that had holes in them, and ornament balls that were missing the top part.
We moved all our Christmas stuff from our basement to the rafters in our garage and that might have been the reason behind a few of the broken ornaments.
So, this year, I’m taking my time and going back to packing each ornament carefully to ensure safe Christmas ornament storage.
Keep scrolling to use these simple tips to store fragile Christmas ornaments so that nothing gets broken while in storage.
Best Way to Store Christmas Ornaments FAQs
Before storing Christmas ornaments, take a few minutes to check for any broken ornaments. If you don’t think they are worth fixing, throw them out. Then, see if you have any ornaments that either don’t “spark joy” or that no longer go with your Christmas tree theme. You can donate these or gift them.
If you have a ton of Christmas ornaments (too many for your tree) but you just aren’t ready to part with them, there are a few creative options. You can add them to a Christmas wreath, hang them from garland on your stairs, put them in a clear vase, or decorate your mantle.
You can, as long as they are in an airtight container. We usually use clear plastic tubs with big labels on them. Avoid using cardboard boxes as these can get damp, moldy, or even allow rodents to chew their way in (ew).
Christmas Ornament Storage Solutions
Use Original Packaging
When you get ready to take your Christmas Tree down this year, use some creative ideas to keep your fragile ornaments from breaking in storage before next Christmas.
Many fragile Christmas tree ornaments come in special boxes that are used for display in the store and for safe travel to your home.
Keep these boxes, and store those ornaments safely away in the manufacturer’s packaging.
Collect Shoeboxes
You should also keep a shoebox or other small box to store fragile Christmas ornaments in.
If you keep the breakable ornaments in smaller boxes, they are less likely to break while in storage. These smaller boxes can then be placed inside your larger Christmas storage boxes.
The trick is to pack the ornaments tightly in the box so there isn’t room for the ornaments to move around and break.
These are my favorite small boxes to use. I love how sturdy they are to use year after year!
Use Large Boxes or Plastic Totes
If you do not have a Christmas storage box, you can create one with a box that a large gift came in or purchase a plastic tote from Amazon.
The benefit of this is that it keeps all of your Christmas decorations and ornaments together in one place so that you can easily find everything you need next December.
While it might seem like overkill right now to buy this set of 6 plastic bins, you’ll probably need more than you originally think to pack up all your Christmas stuff.
And you’ll want to make sure all your bins are the same brand so the lids can be interchangeable.
There’s nothing more annoying than trying to match a bunch of random lids to storage containers! Check the prices of my favorite storage bins here!
Packaging Ideas for Breakable Ornaments
Although many ornaments will have their own special box to keep them safe, others do not have this luxury.
Whether you lost the box or never had a box for the ornament, you need to come up with creative packaging ideas to keep these ornaments in one piece for the next Christmas season.
Shred Wrapping Paper
If you save the wrapping paper from Christmas presents, you can shred this paper and use it as packaging for your breakable ornaments.
If you do not have a shredder and do not have the patience to shred the paper by hand, crumple the paper up and gently pack it around the ornaments.
I don’t recommend using newspapers because the ink can rub off on your ornaments.
Save Tissue Paper
If you tend to get a lot of presents in gift bags, chances are you’ll end up with a lot of tissue paper. The same goes for clothing items.
Set all of those aside so you can reuse them when packing up your Christmas ornaments and decorations.
Use Packing Peanuts
If you’re like my family, you probably order a lot of items online.
You can also save the foam peanuts or other packaging materials that came in those packages received in the mail.
We tend to use an empty box to collect all the packing peanuts so it’s in one place when we’re ready to pack things up.
Save Bubble Wrap
Lastly, it doesn’t get much better than bubble wrap to protect your most treasured ornaments.
Make sure to save any bubble wrap that comes in items you buy leading up to Christmas.
You can also purchase bubble wrap and cut to fit the exact size of your more fragile ornaments.
This will provide a gentle and safe packaging idea to surround each fragile ornament to keep each memory safe for the next Christmas season.
We have a roll of this bubble wrap that has lasted us for a couple of holiday seasons so far.
Use a Christmas Ornament Storage Box
We own a similar box that came with some shatterproof ornaments I bought at Costco about 10 years ago. It’s been such a lifesaver!
It’s great to have a spot for each ornament. I usually wrap each one in leftover tissue paper to keep them extra secure.
And if that box seems too big for the ornaments you have, there’s also a smaller version.
This one is perfect for your smaller ornaments. And the drawer feature is really cool so you can easily find your ornaments next year.
Another idea for people who have a hard time finding what they are looking for is this clear Christmas storage box.
I like that you can sort your ornaments into sections.
So, you could put a bunch of soft ornaments in one area, paper in another, and then wrap breakable ornaments for the other sections.
How to Store Ornaments Wrap Up
As you pack up your Christmas decorations this year, be sure to pack gently and carefully so that each fragile ornament and decoration will survive until the next Christmas season.
If there are broken ornaments or otherwise damaged decorations, take the time to throw them away now instead of packing them for next year.