Pack decorations without unwrapping a mess next year

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Nothing is better than decorating at the holidays, but with the fun comes the clean up.

You Move Me moving company has tips on how to save your holiday decor from damage or becoming a tangled nightmare.

"You do not have to buy all new things because you can make due with some common household bags, boxes, and supplies you would find for other purposes," said Christian Nash with You Move Me.

The first thing to tackle is the tree. Fragile ornaments can get broken if stored the wrong way, but an egg crate makes a perfect storage container.

"An egg carton for 18 eggs, empty out the eggs, replace all the ornaments in there. It's just a perfect fit honestly," Nash said.

You want to wrap the hooks separately so opening ornaments next year isn't a tangled mess.

"Best thing to do is gram them all, toss them in a zip lock bag, seal it. And since you want these for the ornaments, you put them inside the box or right outside," Nash said.

Don't throw out all the used or outdated wrapping paper. Instead, recycle it as packing paper.

"Instead of grabbing the wrapping paper and tossing it out and filling up an entire tub of trash, it's better to keep. Use it in the box and pack it between the layers of ornaments," Nash said.

No matter how carefully you pack away the Christmas lights, it seems that there's always a holiday bird's nest of wires the next year. Now, you can kiss those days goodbye.

"Grab a cardboard box and cut it out. Once it is finished, you are able to wrap the lights and you have a nice holder for a set of lights," Nash said.

The idea also works for extensions cords as well.

Wreaths can be the largest of the delicate decorations to put away. Nash's tip not only protects their shape, it keeps the dust away.

Take a hanger from the closet and use it to hold the wreath. Then cover it with a dry cleaner bag over the top and tie off the bottom. You can also drop some cinnamon sticks in the bag. Hang it in a closet or in the attic, and next year it will smell and look as good as the day you bought it.