Storing seasonal pieces for eleven months

Seasonal decor gets a rough deal: one month on display and eleven in storage. Most of the damage we see on returned pieces happened in the box, not on the shelf.

The three rules

• Never store in a hot attic or a damp garage. Heat deforms thin parts, and humidity encourages mold on any dust that is already on the piece.
• Wrap each piece. A paper towel is enough. The goal is to keep plastic off plastic.
• Use a rigid container. A cardboard box that gets stacked under something heavier is how a hat brim gets flattened.

Before it goes away

Clean the piece before storing it, not when you take it out. Dust that sits for eleven months can etch into a matte surface and will not wash off in December.

You are not storing a decoration. You are storing next year's first impression.

A labeled bin with a list taped inside saves a surprising amount of time in November. We do the same thing with our own holiday samples.