Holiday Decoration Storage Ideas for Orlando Homes: What Stays in the Garage and What Comes Inside

Holiday Decoration Storage Ideas Built for Florida, Not Snow Country

It happens every January. The tree comes down, the inflatables get unplugged, and a pile of bins, boxes and tangled light strands ends up on the garage floor, where it stays until next Thanksgiving. Most holiday decoration storage ideas online assume a cool, dry basement. An Orlando garage is the opposite: it gets hot for most of the year, it stays humid, and it often doubles as the storage room, workshop and hurricane-supply closet. So the real question isn't just where to put the decorations. It's which ones can handle the garage and which ones need to come inside.

The January problem

Bins on the floor block the car, soak up moisture from the slab and get buried under everything else. The fix usually isn't more bins. It's a plan: sealed containers sized for what's inside, shelves deep enough to hold them, and a clear rule for what stays in the garage and what moves to a closet. Our guide to garage storage solutions for Orlando homes covers the bigger picture. This article sticks to the seasonal gear.

What Orlando Heat and Humidity Do to Lights, Ornaments and Fabric

Heat and moisture damage decorations slowly, so you usually don't notice until you open the bin in November. Glue holding glitter, beads and hangers on ornaments can soften and let go. Candles warp or melt into their packaging. Fabric like stockings, tree skirts, table runners and felt decor can pick up a musty smell or mildew spots when it sits in damp air. Cardboard boxes soak up humidity, sag and draw pests looking for shelter. Batteries left in animated figures and light timers can corrode the contacts. Light strands hold up better, but wire insulation and plastic sockets can get brittle after years of summer heat.

In general, these can usually live in the garage if they're sealed and off the floor: the artificial tree in a zippered bag, outdoor light strands, extension cords and timers (with batteries removed), yard stakes, plastic ornaments, and inflatables that are fully dry before you pack them.

• Glass, ceramic and handmade ornaments, especially family heirlooms
• Stockings, tree skirts, table linens and anything sewn or felted
• Candles, wax figures and scented items
• Battery-powered and animated decorations, plus their remotes
• Photo ornaments, paper crafts and kids' artwork
• Wreaths and garlands with glued-on picks, berries or ribbon

That list above is what should come indoors. If a closet shelf can hold even part of it, your favorite pieces will last a lot longer.

Bins and Shelf Depths for Trees, Wreaths and Inflatables

Shop for containers around what goes in them, not by grabbing whatever tote is on sale. Then build or adjust your shelves around the containers. Clear lids make it easy to see what's inside, and a matching set of bins stacks neatly and fits the same shelf depth from end to end.

For shelf depth, measure your biggest tote and your tree bag before you buy or design anything. Deep shelves belong low, where the heavy, bulky items go. Shallower shelves up high hold light bins you can lift down safely. Adjustable shelving is worth it here, because your decoration collection will change over the years.

Overhead, Wall or Closet: Where Seasonal Items Should Live

Overhead racks for once-a-year gear

A ceiling rack works well for things you touch once a year, like the inflatables and outdoor light totes. They come down in late November and go back up in January. Keep in mind that the space up near a garage ceiling is usually the hottest air in the house. Put only the toughest, fully sealed items up there, and keep lighter bins on the rack so lifting them down is safe.

Wall cabinets and shelving for the bulky pieces

Closed cabinets along a wall keep dust and pests away from the tree, wreath cases and big totes, and they let you park in the garage again. Our garage storage cabinets in Orlando come in EGGER thermally fused laminate or heavy-duty steel, with adjustable interiors that can hold tall tree bags. Most garage cabinet systems are installed in two to three days. If you're deciding between hooks and doors, read slatwall vs. garage cabinets.

Before

After

A closet for the pieces that matter most

Give heirlooms the air conditioning

A few adjustable shelves in a hall, guest or bedroom closet can hold everything that shouldn't sit in the heat: glass ornaments, stockings, tree skirts and candles. A custom closet design can set aside an upper section or a bank of drawers for seasonal items without crowding the clothes you wear every day. Most reach-in and walk-in closets are installed in one to two days.

Label and Zone So Decorating and Packing Up Go Fast

The fastest decorating day is the one where you pull bins in the order you'll use them. Zone by where things go in the house, not by what they are. Then label so anyone in the family can find the right tote and put it back in the right spot.

If the garage is too full to zone anything yet, start with our guide on decluttering before a remodel. The same method works for seasonal bins.

Using the Space Under the Stairs or in a Guest Closet

In a two-story home, the closet under the stairs is often the best indoor spot for decorations. It's air-conditioned, it's usually only half used, and its awkward sloped ceiling suits bins you only pull out once a year. Guest closets are another good option, since they tend to hold spare coats and luggage that leave room on the upper shelves.

• Put the tallest items, like a tree bag or wreath cases, at the tall end of an under-stair closet and step bin sizes down as the ceiling drops.
• Pull-out shelves or bins on the floor make the deep back corner reachable.
• In a guest closet, give the top shelf to seasonal bins and keep the hanging rod free for visitors.
• Hang wreath cases on hooks along the closet's side wall to save shelf space.
• Use one consistent bin size so stacks stay stable and labels line up.

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