The New Year has come, which means it's now time to take down your holiday decorations. This can be quite a hassle and easily get very messy. Luckily, we put together a few awesome tips to help you efficiently and correctly take down your seasonal decor, and keep it safe until next year. Categorize Your Items. As tempting as it is to just throw everything and anything into random boxes, this is just a recipe for disaster when you try to decorate next year. Instead, place similar items in the same box - such as tree ornaments, personalized stockings, themed serving trays, fragile collectibles, etc. Label Everything. Labeling your boxes clearly is the best way to make things easier for your self next year when you start decorating again. You have two methods here: label by type (ornaments, stockings, etc.) or label by location (fireplace mantel, kitchen, etc.). Both of these methods will allow you easy access in the future when you need to take something out. Use Bubble Wrap. Holiday decorations are notoriously fragile, from expensive ornaments to hand-make snowglobes. Protect your memories and your favorite decorations by utilizing bubble wrap whenever you box up an item. Take Care of the Tree: Whether you have a real or artificial tree, you need to employ the following steps to properly care both types. Real Tree: Take the tree out of the base and place it down on a large blanket. Then, roll the tree up in the blanket and tie a robe or twine around it to ensure the blanket is secure. This makes it much easier to carry out of your home with as little mess as possible. Artificial Tree: Take apart the different sections. Then fold up the branches upward as tight as you can get it. This should be enough to place the tree sections back in the box. Safety Measures. Taking down holiday decorations can require you to go up a ladder, such as if you're reaching high tree ornaments or need to remove lights from the roof. When using a ladder, double check first that is in the fully locked position before stepping onto it. Take it slow and don’t reach out too far on either side. It might take some time to do this the right way, but your safety is worth it! And if you can get a friend or partner to stay at the base while you climb up, you'll be much better off. Prioritize your time. Taking down holiday decorations can be pretty time consuming so do it in bursts. Plan ahead what you'd like to start doing first (outside or inside, living room or tree, and so forth). Depending on how many decorations you have, taking breaks in between might help you recharge your energy and make you more productive. Be Thorough. The best advice we can give you is to remember that any extra effort you put in now will benefit you greatly when you get out your decorations next year! Looking for somewhere to store all those Holiday decorations? Check out our storage units near you!