With the holidays behind us, it’s time to think about how to care for and store your outdoor Christmas greenery, such as garlands and wreaths. While it’s hard to see these decorations come down, it helps to remember that their time on proud display during the holidays is what makes them so special.

Outdoor Christmas greenery like garlands and wreaths need special care and storage to stay just as beautiful as the day you bought them. Here are the best steps to keeping your greenery in great condition.

Storing Tips for Christmas Garlands and Wreaths

Want your storage to be more convenient? Choose clear plastic bins to store your outdoor Christmas greenery. Clear plastic bins will let you see the decorations before you even open them, making your next decorating season a cinch.

Keep your wreaths and garlands in nice condition by storing them in a cool and dry area. Moisture and heat can take a toll on outdoor Christmas greenery, so steer clear of storing your greenery in places like the attic or garden shed. Let’s take a deeper dive into how to correctly store your Christmas wreaths and garlands.

Clean Up and Dry Off

When you take your outdoor Christmas greenery down, don’t rush to toss them in that hungry storage bin just yet! Clean them up first. Blow off any dust, dirt, and outdoor debris with an air gun or hair dryer. And don’t use heat, as it can warp products and cause electrical damage to attached lighting. Wipe off any excess debris using a cloth or towel. With the ick off, give wet greenery time to dry (if it hasn’t already dried from either the air gun or hair dryer).

Compress for Easy Storage

Here’s a space-saver for easy storage: compress the tips of your branches when storing wreaths, garlands, and sprays. Working from the center out, press the branches together and close them tightly to contain their size.

Protect Your Decorations

Give your outdoor Christmas greenery the gift of a longer lifespan by storing them sooner than later.

The main reason you’ll want to expedite storage is to preserve your Christmas decorations and ornaments from fading. The bright red Christmas bows on outdoor wreaths are prone to fading in sunlight, causing them to turn orange over the course of a few seasons. Most colors of ornaments and bows also suffer from similar color warping and fading with enough sunlight.

But there's great news about commercial grade Christmas bows and ornaments. Professional brands like ours have UV resistant coating on most colors and styles. This special coating for outdoor Christmas décor helps protect from sun exposure, prolonging their lifespan compared to retail grade products.

It's important to know that if you live close to the ocean, the corrosive effects of salt spray is damaging to outdoor Christmas decorations. Greenery for decoration near the ocean is also susceptible to the impact of salt spray. Accordingly, decorations including greenery used within 1 mile of the ocean fall under different warranty rules. You can check our warranty page for more details.

How to Store Christmas Wreaths

Storing your Christmas wreathsproperly is essential to maintain their beauty and longevity. Whether you have a single wreath or multiple, there are several effective methods to ensure they stay in excellent condition. Let's explore the different ways you can store them to keep them looking fresh and ready for the next holiday season

How to Store Multiple Wreaths

Single decorated wreaths can fit snug as a bug in a good box made of clear plastic or cardboard. But ensure this box has enough room to accommodate any decorations that may be attached to the wreath. With that extra room, your wreath and its accompanying decorations will remain best friends without needing to be separated. Just add some tissue paper or bubble wrap over the top for a light buffer, and your wreath is ready for the next holiday season.

Multiple wreaths may also fit together in the same large box, but it’s best to take off any ornaments or lights when you go this route. Apply the space-saving technique mentioned earlier by compressing the branches on each wreath. Then, place the wreaths facing together and stack. After you’ve tucked your wreaths to sleep for next year, label the box to track what’s inside.

Wreaths also have their own ergonomic storage solution in the form of wreath bags. These fit well around your wreaths, keeping them and their decorations secure. Wreath bags cost more than boxes though, which is important to consider depending on how you’d like to store your wreaths.

How to Store Wreaths by Hanging

Do you have some space in a closet? Then your wreath has a place to hang around. Throw your wreath on a clothes hanger and leave it in the closet for quick access. If your wreath is a little too large to fit around the clothes hanger easily, use twist ties or thin wire for fastening your wreath to the bottom of the clothes hanger. Just be sure that your hanger is strong enough to hold the weight of your wreath, as some wreaths are heavier than others. Finally, keep your wreaths free of dust by covering each with a bag. Trash bags or dry cleaning bags are effective dust covers.

How to Store Wreaths in a Closet

Closet storage makes for easier access over a box, so we recommend this method if you’d like to display and decorate your wreath during other seasons, such as Easter or Halloween. This is also a cheaper alternative to using bins, so look no further for a frugal storage solution!

Using closet space can be a convenient option for storing your wreaths. Ensure they are hung properly to prevent any deformation and cover them to protect from dust.

How to Store Wreaths in a Garage

If you plan to store wreaths in your garage, make sure they are placed in sturdy, clear plastic bins to protect them from dust and potential pests. Label the bins for easy identification.

How to Store Christmas Garlands

How about tidy storage for your garlands? All you need is a long piece of cardboard for each garland. Then, wrap the garland around the cardboard. Place the garland-cardboard combo into a bag or box, and label the container for easy identification.

How to Store a Garland So it Doesn't Tangle

Garlands may also be stored in a bag or box without the cardboard anchor. Larger boxes should hold multiple garlands, which is a suitable way to store garlands of the same or similar style. If you like to spice up your theme with a variety of styles for garlands, use a bag or box that’s specific to each style. And be sure to label each container! These organizational measures will make your future decorating days far more efficient.

As you put your garlands into a bag or box, feed them in using a circular motion. Doing so will help prevent your garlands from forming into an entwined mass.

More Garland Storage Ideas

Here are a few additional tips for storing garlands:

  • Use clear plastic bins to easily identify the contents without opening them.
  • Add silica gel packs to the storage bins to prevent moisture damage.
  • Label each bin clearly to know which garland is inside for easy access during the next holiday season.

Now that you know how to care for and store outdoor Christmas greenery, you can keep your wreaths and garlands pretty for many Christmases to come. Need some help taking down and storing other decorations? Or are you planning your arrangements for next Christmas already? Either way, we’re here to help. Start the conversation at [email protected] or give us a jingle at 1-800-391-5280.