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The holiday season is a time of joy, family, and plenty of decorations. But once the Christmas festivities are over, many of us are left wondering how to store all those holiday treasures efficiently. From delicate ornaments to tangled string lights and piles of wrapping paper, putting everything away can seem like a daunting task.

To help you get organised and create space for the new year, we’ve compiled a few practical tips on how to store your Christmas items safely and efficiently. Whether you’re looking for ornament storage, wrapping paper storage, or decorations storage, these tips will ensure your holiday items are neatly packed away and ready for next season.

1. Start with Clean, Organised Storage Containers

The key to good storage is to use the right containers. Avoid flimsy cardboard boxes that can get crushed or exposed to moisture. Instead, opt for durable plastic bins with secure lids, which will protect your items from dust, dirt, and pests. Clear plastic containers are ideal because they allow you to see the contents without having to open them.

When choosing containers, consider the following:

Ornament Storage: Use divided bins or ornament storage boxes to keep delicate items safe and organised. You can find boxes with individual compartments to protect fragile glass ornaments or smaller decorations. For extra protection, line the compartments with tissue paper or bubble wrap.
Wrapping Paper Storage: Long, flat containers are perfect for storing wrapping paper rolls. You can also use a designated wrapping paper storage box with compartments for ribbons, gift tags, and bows, keeping everything in one place.
General Decorations Storage: Use bins of various sizes for storing wreaths, garlands, lights, and larger holiday items. Consider using a wardrobe box for larger fabric items like tablecloths or tree skirts.

Our in store Box Shop is the perfect place to get all your storage and packaging supplies – pop in store today, and a member of our team would be happy to help you.

2. Use Labelling to Stay Organised

When it comes to storing holiday items, it’s easy to forget what’s in each box, especially when you’re dealing with multiple containers. Labelling is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stay organised.

Use strong, waterproof labels or masking tape to clearly mark the contents of each box. Be specific in your labels, such as “Christmas Ornaments – Glass” or “Wrapping Paper & Bows”. You can also colour-code your boxes (e.g., red for ornaments, green for lights) to make identification even easier.

For added convenience, create an inventory list of your holiday items, either digitally or on paper. This will help you quickly locate what you need when the holiday season rolls around again.

3. Store Fragile Items with Extra Care

Your delicate Christmas ornaments, heirloom decorations, and sentimental pieces deserve extra protection. To prevent them from getting damaged, use the following storage tips:

Wrap Each Item Individually: Wrap fragile ornaments in tissue paper, bubble wrap, or cloth to cushion them during storage. This is particularly important for glass ornaments, which can easily break if not properly packed.
Store in Divided Bins: As mentioned earlier, using divided ornament storage boxes will help keep fragile items secure and prevent them from shifting around inside the container.
Avoid Overpacking: Make sure not to cram too many items into a box. Overpacked containers can put pressure on delicate decorations, leading to damage.

4. Maximise Vertical Space in Your Storage Area

Whether you’re using your attic, basement, closet, or self storage unit, maximising vertical space can help you make the most of your storage area. Stack boxes neatly and use shelves to keep things off the floor. This will free up space and make it easier to access your decorations when you need them. If you have limited space in your home, consider storing larger items like artificial Christmas trees in the corner of your garage, basement or self storage rental unit.

5. Use Self Storage as a Solution for Excess Items

If you don’t have enough space at home to store all your Christmas decorations, or if you have a large collection of holiday items, self storage can be a great option. Renting a self storage unit gives you extra space to store everything from Christmas trees to inflatable yard decorations. It also allows you to free up valuable space in your home while keeping your items safe and organised.

Our self storage facilities offer a variety of unit sizes, so you can choose one that best suits your needs. Get in touch with our team today to find out more.

6. Take Advantage of a Box Shop for Packing Supplies

For the best protection, it’s essential to have the right packing materials. Our self storage facilities offer a Box Shop where you can purchase packaging supplies designed for storing holiday items. These supplies can include:

Bubble wrap for cushioning fragile ornaments
Packing peanuts to fill gaps and prevent movement in boxes
Plastic storage bins to keep decorations protected from dust and moisture
Wardrobe boxes for larger fabric items like tablecloths, stockings, or tree skirts

Having the right supplies ensures that your Christmas items are well-protected and organised, so they’re ready to go when next year’s holiday season arrives.

7. Plan Ahead for Easy Access

As you pack away your holiday items, think about how you’ll need to access them next year. Place the items you’ll want to access first—like lights and tree ornaments—near the top or front of your storage area. Store larger, less frequently used items like inflatable yard decorations or extra wrapping paper towards the back or bottom.

Organising and storing your Christmas items doesn’t have to be stressful. By using the right storage solutions—such as sturdy bins, proper wrapping, and clear labelling—you can keep your decorations safe and easily accessible for years to come. Whether you’re storing your Christmas items in your home or opting for self storage, following these tips will help ensure your holiday treasures remain in great condition, ready to spread cheer when the next Christmas season arrives.

Ready to get started? Make this year’s post-holiday clean-up a breeze by getting organised now—and keep your Christmas memories safe and sound for years to come!

You’ve booked your self-storage unit and you’re getting ready to pack everything. Before you start, it’s worth taking a little time to plan the best way to make the most of all your space.

Remember that in a self-storage unit you have height as well as the width of the room to fill. You can stack boxes and furniture, but you do need to think practically. Read on for our top tips for safely storing your belongings.

Plan ahead for easy access to your most used items

Start by considering what you’ll be storing and how often you’ll need to access it.

If you’re storing furniture between house moves or while you’re travelling abroad, you won’t visit your unit very often. But, if you want to use it as a work unit or an extension to your garden shed, you’ll probably need access to items more often.

It sounds obvious, but the things that you want to access frequently are the ones that need to be put into the unit last, so that they are near the door and accessible without clambering over every box and bike.

If you are moving house, there will come a time when you need to empty your unit. Think about the items you’ll want to get out first. Don’t pack big furniture like your bed and mattress against the rear wall, when that’s what you’ll want to move into your new home on day one. Instead, boxes of books, ornaments and spare clothes – the things you’ll unpack last – are best placed at the back.

Heaviest items at the bottom

Maximise the use of space by packing from floor to ceiling. But to do that, you’ll need sturdy boxes. While we know packing boxes come at a price, they are strong and made for the job. They are also all the same size, so they stack and balance easier than mismatched and weaker cardboard boxes.

Put the heaviest items in the boxes at the bottom. You don’t want the weight of the pile to crush something delicate. A box full of books, for example, is a heavy and sturdy foundation for your pile. In fact, boxes of books can be far heavier than you would expect, so it’s better to get lots of small boxes than one large one. Otherwise, once it’s full you might not be able to lift it.

Organise and label your boxes clearly

As you start to build piles in your unit, make sure to leave pathways through them, just in case you do need something quickly.

Label your boxes so you know what’s in them, as well. It will save you a lot of time and frustration if you can easily lay your hands on everything when you need it.

Taking care of your belongings with careful packaging

As you’re wrapping and packing a lot of things, it can be tempting to just throw them all into boxes and sort it out when you unpack. Unfortunately, that may lead to your personal items becoming damaged. Here’s a quick list of packing tips.

Wrap breakables such as ornaments and china in bubble wrap to avoid breakages.
Put sheets of newspaper between plates to cushion them.
Seal any container of liquid carefully and, if you’re still worried, wrap clingfilm around the seal as added protection.
Use plastic boxes for clothes and leave an air gap in the box instead of stuffing everything in, so fabrics can breathe and won’t get crushed.
Use a wardrobe box for delicate materials so they can hang without creasing.
Make sure shoes, particularly leather, are clean and dry to avoid mould or staining.
Cover furniture and electronics in sheets to help keep dust accumulating in fabrics or inside vents.

Check the items you are not allowed to store

Our storage units are indoors, secure and protects your belongings from damp and rodents. However, some items are prohibited, so please read our FAQs thoroughly and ask us if you are not sure.

The most common items that are not allowed include:

Perishable items. We do not allow food to be stored as it may attract rodents and, as it deteriorates, will create a smell.
Live animals. Our units are not appropriate for keeping live animals.
Hazardous Materials. Chemicals, flammables, and explosive items are not allowed.
Medical Supplies. Medical items that require refrigeration are prohibited.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us on 0121 250 5055. We want to make your storage experience as positive and straightforward as possible.

You might not be able to tell right now by the slight chill in the air, but we are speeding swiftly towards the summer holidays. We’re all hoping for some sunshine, but at the same time, the unseasonal weather is a reminder of the impact climate change has on our countryside and wildlife.

With the holidays being a time when parents are stretched trying to find activities for the children, and our wonderful British weather always being a little hit-and-miss, we thought we would put together a list of greener activities for you and the kids to enjoy this year.

Sustainable activities for children.

Plant some tomato plants

Tomato plants are a very easy and fun plant for children to grow. You can get some baby plants from your local nursery and some supermarkets. Tomato plants don’t need a lot of space, and some varieties do well in hanging pots, which makes them a versatile option for balconies, window boxes and patios. Not only do your children have the fun of planting and caring for their growing plants, they can eat the tomatoes straight off the vines, which is when they have the best flavour.

Join a clean-up event

Organised clean-up events are becoming more popular as we become more aware of the devastating impact of plastic and litter on our countryside and beaches. Take a look online to find details of events happening near you. Clean-up events are usually hosted by volunteers who will welcome your contribution to the effort, and it’s a great way to teach children about caring for our green spaces.

Even if there are no events near you, you can always organise a picnic in your local park and take a bin bag to have a mini litter pick of your own.

Build a rocket

If you grew up with Blue Peter, you’ll be familiar with toilet roll rockets. There are a lot of craft ideas online, so gather together your scrap material, cardboard boxes and leftover paint tins, and see what you can create.

We love the idea of toilet roll puppets, and then you can turn a cardboard box into your very own theatre and put on a show. Or maybe you can cut up some old clothes and make a collage of family portraits. In fact, we’re sure we saw plastic jar lids around here that would make some wonderful windchimes.

Hop on a train

The wonderful thing about our country is that even the biggest city is always surrounded by beautiful countryside. Plan a day trip out to your nearest green space and enjoy a hike. All that fresh country air is good for your health, and exercise has the added benefit of helping the children sleep all night long.

Sew yourself some new bags

Being Britain, we know there will be wet days ahead. But that’s okay if you have an indoor plan. Get together some old clothes and see what you can turn them into with a little sewing. Make your shirts into cushions or cut up some jeans and create a new denim tote bag. Recycling old clothes is a good way to learn about upcycling. And, if your children don’t feel like sewing, just enjoy dressing up and throw a costume party.

Make a bird feeder

Collect the fat from your morning sausages, the last of the peanut butter and buy some birdseed to create your own birdfeeders. All you need is some pinecones, which you can find on your next woodland walk. Roll the pinecone in the fat or peanut butter, sprinkle in birdseed and hang them up in your garden. It may take a day or so for the birds to find the new food source, but soon they’ll be swooping in, so you can keep a note of which wild inhabitants you share your garden with.

Plan a toy swap

If your children are getting a little bored of the same books or outgrowing their toys, plan a toy and book swap. Talk to other local parents and bring together all the toys they no longer want. Your children will learn about recycling and reusing items and have something new to play with. It’s also a fun way to build a sense of community and meet some new parents.

Offsetting your carbon footprint.

If you are heading abroad in search of some sunshine, (and we wish we were, too), there are ways you can offset some of the carbon footprint caused by air travel. Climate change is already impacting our wildlife, with The Woodland Trust estimating that spring now comes an average of 8 days earlier. It doesn’t sound like much, but it has a serious impact on nesting birds and their food sources.

The Trust is actively working to restore some of the ancient woodlands that used to cover Britain by improving the condition of those remaining and replanting native species. You can help by donating to the Trust or even dedicating a tree as a gift for a family birthday. All the funds go towards supporting the fight against climate change.

Enjoy your summer.

With six weeks of cycling and picnics, pond dipping, learning to compost and enjoying the local parks, we know you’ll find plenty to do. Whatever your plans for the summer, we at Cookes hope you have a wonderful time.

When we opened the first Cookes Storage Service in Sutton Coldfield we knew that we wanted to build strong relationships with our local community. We are, after all, part of Cookes Furniture, a family-owned business established in 1946. We know that family – local and business – is important.

Now, eight years later, we’re proud of all we’ve accomplished. But as it’s been a while since we introduced ourselves, we thought it was time for a catch up.

About Cookes Storage Sutton Coldfield

Where are we? We’re located just off the Kingsbury Road in Minworth, which makes us very easily accessible. We’re also lucky enough to be right next to the Plantsbrook Nature Reserve, a beautiful local resource. The reserve is 26 acres, most of which is taken up by ponds. There is a wildflower meadow and small woodland, and the whole reserve is buzzing with wildlife. It’s a great place for locals to visit and relax, and for school children to explore with rangers or teachers to learn more about wildlife and the natural environment.

When you visit us, you’ll find our car park right in front of the doors with handily placed trolleys to help you unload and take your boxes and furniture to your own secure unit. We are always ready to welcome you with a cuppa and talk you through any questions about renting your unit you might have.

Supporting business growth in Sutton Coldfield

Come into the reception, and you’ll be greeted by our manager, Debbie, or one of the team. Debbie is also our business liaison and spends time meeting with owners and entrepreneurs who are exploring the benefits of a storage unit to grow their business. We are active in supporting growth in the area and offer discounts for local businesses. We are also active in networking groups which means we can promote our customers as well as ourselves while we’re out and about.

We know that business growth in the area helps us all, so we’re always ready to go one step further. As well as self-storage space, we provide a door-to-door service. So, if you need to move your office furniture into storage while you renovate, or preserve files in your secure unit for record-keeping, we can collect and move your items into your locker for you, saving you valuable time.

Our contracts are flexible too, which means your unit size can grow with your business. That means you don’t have to pay for space you aren’t using, and if you just need short-term options for seasonal use, we can help there as well.

Extra services in the community

Cookes are not just here for local businesses. We are proud of our record for supporting the local community too. Over the years we’ve been active in supporting charities. We provide short term services for some, such as acting as a drop box for Toys 4 Tots, providing boxes for annual YMCA sleep outs or donating space for hedgehog rescue.

We’ve also been long term supporters of other local charities, such as Buddy Bag Foundation and Variety Club Children’s Charity. The wider Cookes Furniture family have been taking part in the Royal Sutton Fun Run for years.

We are firm believers of giving back to the community that we are part of. That’s why we also offer a one-hour free collection to anyone within a 5-mile radius of B76. If this is something you think would help you, please get in touch to find out more.

We hope that gives you a little more insight into who we are. As part of the Cookes Furniture family, we’re a name you can trust. We’d love to meet you too. Just drop in, and we’ll tell you more about how you can make the most of a little extra space for your home or business.

Beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon is a known for its fabulous views, a charming town centre and, of course, its theatre. It’s built on history and tourism. But, what keeps it thriving is the multitude of businesses, small, independent and high street brands, that keep the streets vibrant and commerce flowing.

Our own business, Cookes Storage Service, opened here around five months ago. We’re a family-ownedbusiness started by Cookes Furniture, which has over 75 years of experience in exceptional customer service. And, as a family business we know the importance of being part of the community. So, we’ve taken time to get to know exactly how we can be part of Stratford-upon-Avon, and how we can give back as well.

The face of Cookes in Stratford-upon-Avon

It’s important to us that when you come into our self-storage facility, for a look about or to pop into your own unit, you’re greeted by a welcoming face. Those faces are likely to be either Louise, our site manager, or Carl, our sales assistant.

Our team are ready to answer all your questions about self-storage and our flexible contracts. The most common question has to be “Which size unit will I need?”. We do have a handy guide on our website, but we are always up for the challenge of a little mental maths as we help you calculate square feet. We’re also pretty good at advising you on packing, so you can maximise on your space by safely piling things up as well as around your unit.

Cookes in the community

We love being involved in the town. It’s our home as well as place of business. Cookes is a proud member of the Stratford-upon-Avon BID, which allows us to be a visible part of the community. We work alongsideother businesses to support initiatives and events that bring in visitors and keep our town buzzing.

We are also members of the Chamber of Commerce, which is another great way for us to meet local business owners and find ways to work together. Small businesses are the lifeblood of the local economy, and we are always keen to help them out.

Self-storage offers so much potential for a small business. Being a secure facility means we are a far better option that your garden shed or commercial van for keeping all your tools and equipment safe, or as a spare room to keep boxes of stock out of the way of your family. Open your own small storage unit and you’ve got a home for your business that’s cost effective and closes when you want it to.

That’s why we offer 10% off the original quotation if you are a local business. Just come on in to find out more.

Supporting local charity

Cookes is also committed to supporting local charities. Since they opened in 2015 our sister store in Sutton Coldfield has been helping charities in the Midlands by collecting funds, offering discounted storage space or acting as a drop zone for seasonal donations.

Now it’s our turn to help charities here in Stratford. We’ve recently provided discounted space to a charity after their own building was knocked down. But we know we can do more. So, if you are a local charity that needs a helping hand, please get in touch to see whether we can help. We consider every request.

Proud to be part of the Cookes family

We have very much enjoyed settling in over the last five months. We’ve been welcomed by the local community with open arms, and we can’t wait to be more involved. So, whether you’re a business in need of a home, a family in need of a spare shed, or just moving home, we have a solution for you. Give us a call. We’re here to help you.

A storage unit is the perfect solution to tackle an overcrowded garage or shed. It’s ideal for storing your belongings when in the process of moving house, or to simply keep things safe that you don’t currently have the room for.

However, we’ve seen many of our customers really think outside the box when it comes to putting their self-storage units to good use. It seems that there are limitless ways to get the most out of this extra space. Here’s a few of our favourite ideas and concepts…

A creative studio

Perhaps you’re an artist or a creator and you just don’t have the space at home for all those important crafty supplies. A storage unit is the perfect place to transform into a creative area for you to let your talents run wild. Whether it’s painting, making jewellery or pottery – turn your storage unit into a dedicated place to focus on your craft.

At Cookes, we’ve seen many creatives do this. We have seen the likes of a wedding dress maker set-up shop in a storage unit to work on their creations. With something as intricate as this, you need the space, lighting and the environment to concentrate and our storage units lend themselves perfectly.

Teaching a craft

Ever thought about teaching others what you know? Well now you can with our flexible spaces. Whether you are a dance instructor looking for a studio or your an avid sewer looking to start a local knitting club we have a space for you!

Running your business

A self storage unit can easily transform into an office space. With everything you could need from wifi, to an onsite reception and free parking, many business owners have already tapped into this opportunity within our branches across the country.

And it’s not just businesses with offices that can do this. We’ve seen everything from hire equipment services storing stock essential to their business, tradesmen and builders who have too many tools to simply operate from a van or are worried about leaving them overnight in their vehicle, and a massage and wellness clinic carrying out their services for their customers from inside our storage units.

More personal space

Of course, it’s not just businesses that can benefit from a little extra space – we can all welcome it within our personal lives too. Perhaps you could use a storage unit for your own mini gym.

Similarly, could you dedicate your storage space to practising yoga, or another hobby that you’re passionate about? We’ve even seen someone install a half pipe in a storage unit for skateboarding, and a burlesque troupe use their unit for storing and changing into their on-stage outfits. Whatever your personal interests, a self-storage unit offers a private space to pursue these without interruption.

Get in touch with us today to see how we can help find a space for you!

For more information, call us on 0121 250 5055 or email us atinfo@cookesstorage.co.uk