Last updated Aug 7, 2026
Holiday decorations can occupy a surprising amount of closet, garage, or spare-room space. Artificial trees, wreaths, outdoor displays, lights, wrapping supplies, and ornament collections often remain packed away for most of the year, making thoughtful organization especially useful.
According to Fox Business, Americans were projected to spend about $230 on holiday decorations in one reported holiday season. Storing decorations carefully can help households avoid unnecessary replacement purchases and make next year's setup easier.
Federal Way's rainy winter weather also makes it important to clean and fully dry outdoor decorations before packing them. This guide covers container selection, fragile-item preparation, storage-unit organization, and the features available at SecureSpace Self Storage Federal Way.
Seasonal collections often grow gradually. A household may begin with a tree and a few boxes, then add outdoor lights, inflatables, wreaths, gift-wrapping supplies, Halloween displays, and decorations for other occasions.
Home-storage challenges can include:
Limited closet or garage space
Large artificial trees that are difficult to fit on shelves
Fragile ornaments that cannot support heavy stacking
Outdoor decorations that need cleaning and drying
Lights and extension cords that become tangled
Multiple holidays stored in mismatched containers
Frequently used household items blocking seasonal bins
A storage unit can provide another option when holiday items no longer fit comfortably at home, but careful packing remains necessary in any storage environment.
The end of the holiday season is a good time to inspect the collection rather than automatically repacking everything.
Create separate groups for:
Decorations to keep
Items requiring repair
Working lights and electrical accessories
Damaged or nonworking items
Decorations to donate
Items requiring special handling
Batteries that must be removed
Packaging materials that can be recycled
Discard broken items appropriately and confirm whether damaged electronics, batteries, or light strands require a local recycling program.
Sorting before storage reduces clutter and prevents unwanted items from occupying paid space throughout the year.
Outdoor decorations may collect rainwater, dirt, leaves, or other debris during use. Artificial greenery, inflatables, light displays, and yard decorations should be cleaned according to their manufacturer instructions.
Allow every item to dry completely before placing it inside a container.
Do not seal damp fabric, artificial foliage, extension cords, outdoor displays, or cardboard inside plastic. Trapped moisture may create odors or affect the condition of the item during storage.
Remove batteries from lighted decorations, animated figures, flameless candles, and other battery-operated products. Keep the batteries in an appropriate location outside the storage unit and check local disposal guidance for leaking or damaged batteries.
No single container works for every holiday item. Select packaging based on weight, shape, fragility, and how often the item will be retrieved.
Hard-sided bins can be helpful for ornaments, lights, linens, small decorations, and grouped accessories. Choose containers with lids that close properly and avoid overfilling them.
Transparent bins make the contents easier to identify, but labels are still useful when multiple containers look similar.
Bins should not be treated as fully waterproof. Keep them away from standing water and do not pack damp belongings inside them.
Clean, sturdy cardboard boxes may be suitable for lightweight decorations when they remain dry and are not overloaded.
Avoid using boxes that are crushed, torn, stained, or weakened. Place heavier containers beneath lighter ones and do not create unstable stacks.
Washington State University Extension provides resources addressing moisture and home conditions. Regardless of the container material, decorations should be clean and completely dry before being packed for long-term storage.
Original boxes and molded inserts can be helpful for artificial trees, figurines, electronics, and specialty decorations. Replace the packaging when it has become too weak to support the item safely.
Photographing the original packing arrangement before removing an item can make repacking easier.
Compartmented ornament boxes, wreath containers, light reels, and tree bags can help protect the shape of awkward or fragile decorations.
Before purchasing a specialty container, measure the decoration and the available shelving or storage-unit space.
Glass, ceramic, resin, and hand-painted decorations should be packed individually.
Use suitable cushioning around each piece and place fragile items inside a rigid container. Compartments or dividers can prevent ornaments from striking one another during transportation.
Avoid:
Packing fragile ornaments beneath heavy decorations
Leaving open space that allows items to shift
Using damaged containers
Pressing delicate pieces tightly together
Storing irreplaceable objects without considering other arrangements
Exceptionally valuable or irreplaceable holiday items may not be appropriate for ordinary self storage.
Light strands are easier to inspect and reuse when they are wrapped around a reel, cord organizer, or sturdy piece of cardboard.
Before packing lights:
Do not pack electrical decorations while they are wet. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for outdoor displays, pre-lit trees, and animated decorations.
Artificial trees can consume considerable floor space when stored in their assembled shape.
Disassemble the tree according to its instructions and secure individual sections without compressing the branches excessively. A fitted tree bag or sturdy original carton can keep the pieces together.
Keep tree stands, assembly hardware, replacement bulbs, and instructions in a labeled container near the tree.
Pre-lit trees may have specific storage instructions for wiring, connectors, and branch placement. Follow the manufacturer's guidance rather than forcing the tree into a container that is too small.
Wreaths and garlands can become flattened when heavy boxes are placed on top of them. Use rigid containers when maintaining their shape is important.
Fabric decorations, stockings, tree skirts, table linens, and plush items should be clean and dry before packing. Fold them loosely when possible and avoid placing them beneath containers that may compress or damage the fabric.
Do not hang items from the storage-unit walls or attach hooks, nails, or hardware to the unit.
Labels can make decorating and repacking significantly easier.
Include:
Holiday or season
Decoration category
General contents
Room or display area
Fragile-item notice
Container number
For example:
Christmas 1 - Tree ornaments
Christmas 2 - Indoor lights and timers
Halloween 1 - Porch decorations
Winter 1 - Wreaths and garlands
Photograph each container's contents before closing it and maintain a simple digital inventory. A photo album organized by label can help you locate decorations without opening every bin.
A seasonal unit should be arranged around the order in which decorations will be retrieved.
Place the collection you expect to use first closest to the door. Less frequently used decorations can remain farther back.
Store Christmas, Halloween, spring, summer, and other seasonal items in separate areas. Avoid mixing unrelated decorations across multiple bins.
Shelving can keep smaller containers visible and reduce unstable stacking. Do not attach shelves or other hardware to the unit walls.
Tree stands, dense decorations, and sturdy bins belong near the floor. Fragile ornaments, wreaths, and lightweight displays should remain above heavier property.
A narrow aisle can make individual bins easier to retrieve without unloading the entire unit.
Record where each holiday group is located. Update the map whenever decorations are added, removed, or rearranged.
The right size depends on the dimensions of the tree, the number of containers, and whether other seasonal belongings will share the space.
SecureSpace Self Storage Federal Way offers primary sizes of 5x5, 5x15, 10x10, 10x15, 10x20, 10x25, and 10x30.
A 5x5 may work for a compact holiday collection, including boxed ornaments, lights, wreaths, and a disassembled artificial tree.
Measure the tree bag, wreath containers, shelving, and largest bins before choosing this size.
A 5x15 provides additional depth for multiple holiday collections, longer artificial-tree sections, shelving, outdoor decorations, and other seasonal household belongings.
Leave a path when decorations near the back may be needed during the year.
A larger unit may be useful when holiday decorations are stored alongside patio furniture, camping gear, household overflow, or belongings from a move or renovation.
Do not rent additional space based only on general capacity descriptions. Measure the largest items and estimate the amount of retrieval space needed.
SecureSpace Self Storage Federal Way does not offer heated or climate-controlled storage. Customers should decide whether standard storage is appropriate for each decoration.
Follow manufacturer guidance for:
Pre-lit artificial trees
Electronic displays
Animated decorations
Projectors and control boxes
Painted or finished materials
Delicate fabrics
Battery-operated items
Highly sensitive, valuable, or irreplaceable decorations may require a specialized storage arrangement.
SecureSpace Self Storage Federal Way offers standard self storage, selected drive-up units, month-to-month leases, an access gate, digital video recording, overnight surveillance, and pest-control service.
Selected drive-up units can reduce the distance large bins, artificial trees, and outdoor decorations need to be carried from a vehicle.
Gate access is available daily from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The facility does not provide:
Climate-controlled or heated units
Covered loading
Carts or dollies
An elevator
A loading dock
Semi-truck access
Moving-pod staging
Check the weather and bring any hand trucks, tarps, lifting equipment, or assistance needed for the move.
Month-to-month leases are available, but holiday decorations are often stored for much of the year rather than for only a few weeks.
Before renting, review:
The regular monthly rate
Any introductory offer
Billing dates
Rate-adjustment terms
Coverage requirements
Move-out notice
Lock compatibility
Current unit availability
Do not assume that moving out during a billing cycle will result in a prorated refund. Review the rental agreement for the applicable terms.
No. The facility offers standard, non-climate-controlled storage only.
The smallest primary size is 5x5. Whether it is sufficient depends on the dimensions of the tree, wreath containers, decorations, and shelving.
Yes. Selected units provide drive-up access for loading and unloading, subject to current availability.
Clean them according to manufacturer instructions, remove batteries where applicable, and let every item dry completely before packing.
Both may be useful when they are clean, sturdy, appropriately sized, and kept dry. Lidded bins can be convenient for grouping decorations, but they should not be treated as fully waterproof.
Wrap each piece with suitable cushioning and use dividers or compartments to prevent contact. Keep fragile containers above heavier property.
Consider whether ordinary self storage is appropriate for irreplaceable or exceptionally valuable property. Specialized arrangements may be a better fit.
No. Customers should bring their own moving equipment.
Gate access is available every day from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Yes. Review the rental agreement for billing, notice, rate-adjustment, and move-out terms.
Holiday storage works best when decorations are cleaned, sorted, labeled, and organized before they leave the house. Use suitable containers, keep fragile pieces separated, remove batteries, and arrange the unit so the next collection remains accessible.
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