With the candy sorting and trick-or-treating behind us, it’s time to pack up our Halloween décor for the next 11 months until spooky season rolls around again.
A lot of us invest a lot on Halloween decorations, so it’s important that we find a way to stow them away nicely, so they’re in good condition when we unpack them next year.
You don’t need to have splurged on Halloween decorations to pack them properly. Jack-o’-lanterns and spooky spider wreaths are not something you want to be buying each year, that’s for sure.
Plus, packing your decorations efficiently clears up space and makes cleaning up post-holiday less of a chore.
Speaking of space, with so many storage facilities in every corner of every city these days, you might want to consider renting a storage unit to stash your Halloween décor.
This can create some much needed space in the home while ensuring your decorations remain in pristine condition.
A good storage company won’t charge you exorbitantly, neither will they bunch your items along with other people’s. They will hold the décor safely for you in your own storage unit, until such a time that you’re ready to retrieve it next season.
Otherwise, if you’re considering DIY, there are a few tips you can borrow to protect your items from damage when storing them.
Out With the Old
As with any other holiday décor, when packing away your Halloween pieces, now is as good a time as any to clear out decorations that you feel have become passé or you no longer find useful. Or effective.
For instance, if there are some that didn’t make the cut this time around (or the year before that) chances are they might have outgrown their usefulness.
Not forgetting, the same look year-in, year-out can be depressing, so it’s never a bad idea to weed out old décor.
You might be attached to some items, and that is understandable, so get rid of those you feel are past it and choose what you want to keep. You should know.
Opt for Plastic Bins
Your choice of container can determine whether bugs or other large pests will stay out or crawl in. Plastic containers work best because no rodents can tear them open.
And it’s not just the rodents. Some bugs feel more at home in cardboard boxes, so they’re more likely to inhabit these gloomy boxes which we rarely move around. Spiders, for example.
What’s more, plastic also makes sense in that it helps keep water and dampness at bay, so your decorations are always protected even in the off chance of your basement flooding. Or a roof leaking.
Keep Paper and Fabric Items in Special Bags
Paper and fabric items are very sensitive, especially the former. The slightest contact with moisture can render them unusable.
For this reason, it’s usually a good idea to keep them in waterproof materials. Resealable plastic bags are a good choice.
Create a List of the Contents for Each Box
As you pack your boxes, write down the contents that go into each one, before placing the list inside the box on top of the items.
This saves you the headache of rummaging through the bins trying to find this or that item, especially if some of these items (not necessarily the spooky ones) usually find other uses within the year – whether for a school project, etc.
Nevertheless, the content list should make packing again next season easier as you’ll know which decorations fit into which box.
Clean Before Storing
Nobody wants to grab their outdoor décor only to discover it’s been stewing in dog poop for a year. To avoid instances like this, it is best practice to clean your items before putting them away.
This also ensures you don’t accidentally bring insects, bugs, or their nests inside, which is pretty common during this time of year when pests are seeking refuge in warm places with food sources.
So, make it a point of cleaning your decorations before storage. This should also make any stains easier to remove.
Use Bubble Wrap to Protect Your Items
Some décor pieces tend to be sensitive and the slightest mishandling or weight placed on top during storage can damage them.
You can wrap these particular ones with bubble wrap, which provides good cushioning, so you’ll find them good as new when you roll out the boxes next year.
Roll the Costumes
Rolling costumes is better than folding them as it keeps them from getting wrinkled. Year-old wrinkles and crease lines are not easy to remove, as you’ll know if you’ve ever tried it.
Unless you’re already planning a cool look for next year, you should go right ahead and donate your old costumes.
Otherwise, you can reduce the possibility of rumpling by sticking tissue paper in between your costumes – which also helps them hold their shape. Win-win.
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