How to store baubles without a storage box - 5 household items that will store ornaments safely for next year

Putting Christmas baubles away ready for next year is one of the worst tasks of the festive season, even more so if you forget to invest in a storage box to put them away in easily. But with a little ingenuity and thrifty repurposing you don’t need a storage box to store baubles - here’s how to store baubles without using a storage box.

Knowing how to properly store Christmas decorations is important as it will keep your baubles safe from breakages, and make it easier to get your Christmas decorations out for the festivities next year.

Luckily, there are plenty of household items you can use to store Christmas decorations safely, baubles will likely be your biggest storage nemesis. Christmas tree ornaments are notoriously small and fragile, not to mention there are usually a lot of them. However, here are 5 clever ways to store baubles without a storage box, using items from around your home.

1. Stack inside a Pringles tin

'Instead of tossing those Pringles tins away into your recycling bin why not keep them as the simple storage solution for your larger round baubles?’ suggests Sarah Dempsey, cleaning expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk.

‘The strong outer layer of these durable containers will make them the perfect protected abode and they are an ideal environment for stacking. Metallic biscuit tins also provide very secure storage and can house many of our smaller baubles.

‘Of course, you will want to wash any such container out first to make sure you don’t get any unwanted crumbs or odours attaching themselves to your ornaments!’

While a Pringles tin may not be the most attractive storage solution, its tube shape will stop your baubles from moving around and breaking as you sort boxes. Stacking the baubles in the slim tube also allows for more space than a traditional storage box.

2. Protect with egg boxes

‘When it comes to storing away your more fragile decorations, you must take extra care to prevent breakages that will help them to last for years to come. Whilst many people choose to invest in a specialised ornament container, a great DIY and low-cost option is to recycle egg cartons,’ says Vlatka Lake, storage expert at Space Station.

‘Designed to comfortably fit around the spherical shape of your eggs, they prove perfect for containing your delicate baubles. Make sure you also remember to wrap them in tissue paper or bubble wrap before placing them in the compartments or fill the space around the ornament to limit movement.’

Just think how delicate an egg is -the boxes are designed to protect them from cracking and can do the same for more delicate baubles such as glass baubles. They are also compact, which makes them easier to store.

3. Recycle plastic Bottles

Christmas is inevitably a time when we drink more fizzy drinks than usual and the plastic bottles can be recycled when the festivities are over.

‘Two-litre bottles containing liquids such as cola and lemonade can be washed out and turned into another safe space for our stackable ornaments. Simply cut off the top of the bottles and baubles can easily be slotted in, either large ones that will fill the container or smaller ones that can nest together,’ says Sarah.

For extra protection, wrap each bauble with tissue paper or bubble wrap before placing it inside the plastic bottle.

4. Keep hold of delivery boxes

Save the packaging from your Amazon Christmas orders. Large amounts of baubles can be stowed away in layers into these boxes. Not to mention their standard cardboard box shape makes them easy to stack on top of each other in storage.

‘Boxes from larger gifts are also a brilliant place to stack our previously mentioned containers like egg cartons and tins to keep them tidy and together,’ suggests Sarah.

5. Wrap up with leftover paper

‘Newspaper, tissue paper and of course gift paper are all fantastic for wrapping up our baubles and giving them that extra layer of protection,’ says Sarah.

‘Simply wrap them up in your paper of choice, add a little tape, if you feel this will keep them more secure, and place them within your boxes. This is also a wonderful way to save all of that beautiful wrapping paper that your gifts came in from being wasted.’

Utilise wrapping paper alongside the egg boxes, bottles and tins to add extra layers of protection to your baubles.

Often waste we have left over from Christmas is exactly what you need to keep your baubles safe and sound for next year. But if you do decide to invest in a long-term bauble storage solution this year these are three of our favourites.

Bauble storage boxes