Here are 26 tips and everything you need to store your holiday decorations

When the holiday season comes to a close, one dreaded chore still looms: putting away all that festive decor. Kate Pawlowski and Ann Lightfoot, professional organizers and the authors of "Love Your Home Again," know that packing up and organizing the decorations at the end of the holiday season can be a real drag.

"The best tip we have is to be mindful and intentional to your future self when you pack up your decor at the end of the season," they say. "You think you’ll remember where you put the velvet pumpkins and holiday wreaths, but we guarantee that a year from now, you’re going to be searching through your storage area with frustration and angst if you didn't store things properly."

To help you face the task of putting away all those holiday decorations and other seasonal pieces, we asked storage and organization experts for their best tips on safely packing, storing and labeling everything from holiday lights to family heirlooms.

Montanez says, "An easy way to keep your holiday decor organized is to use matching storage containers for individual holidays." mDesign's buffalo plaid holiday set also includes coordinating tree bags and wreath holders.

"The clear container makes it easy to see what holiday decor is inside," Montanez says, "and these bins can be stacked, which saves space in a closet or attic."

Inexpensive spools designed for holiday light storage are a great way to get organized on a budget. This light holder is as simple as it gets — simply wind the strand of lights around it and store it with the rest of your holiday gear.

If you're looking to complete a matching set of holiday storage, mDesign offers wreath storage bags, which can also be used to hold coiled garland, in buffalo plaid that coordinates with the tree bag and ornament organizer boxes.

Wreaths that are especially fragile — including ones with glass ornaments that can easily sustain damage — will be safe in this heavy-duty latching plastic wreath storage container.

Before putting delicate or very precious items like family heirlooms into storage bins, Montanez says that it's important to use protective packing materials. "Bubble wrap, foam sheets, peanuts, stretch wrap or packing paper," she says, "can help keep precious items and family heirlooms safe when not in use."

Fine or delicate textiles like holiday table linens or handmade decorations should be wrapped in acid-free archival tissue prior to going into storage bins, to help protect them from yellowing and to deter pests.

When it comes to storing large outdoor holiday decorations like inflatables or animatronics, Lightfoot and Pawlowski say, "We would recommend making sure they are wiped down if you are bringing them in from the outside, deflating any inflatable decorations and storing them in either large bins or wrapping them in clear contractor bags to keep them clean until next year."

When it comes to storing large outdoor holiday decorations, Bancroft says, "Things can potentially get tricky, purely for the fact that these are often light but large! We would recommend utilizing an overhead storage system to get these bulky items out of the way and in a spot that is sturdy and secure."

The experts we spoke to also offered some general tips and tricks, as well as things to avoid, when it comes to dismantling, packing and storing holiday decorations.