Do you need storage ideas and a better organizing system for seasonal decorations and decor you occasionally use? Let me show you my completely revamped system that is functioning better than ever!
If this topic gives you a headache just thinking about it, do not despair, my friend! I was in your shoes until very recently. Until I decided enough was enough, I needed a SYSTEM! A place for everything and everything in its place.
The hot mess I’m about to show you will probably make you feel better about your situation if you are not already a regular Martha Stewart with organizing.
Places to Store Seasonal and Occasional Decor
- The attic – popular in warmer climates
- The basement – popular in colder climates
- The garage – for us, that is also too cold during winter
- A closet – empty-nesters usually have the luxury of a few empty closets
- A cabinet – can be more than enough for people who don’t go overboard with seasonal decor as I do!
Our Basement Storage Room
When we decided to turn our unfinished basement into more living space, a storage room was at the top of my “need/want” list. I got the “under the stairs” area plus a little extra, which I share with all our luggage and sentimental toys.
It’s a decent amount of storage space, but I did not have a system from the beginning, and it turned into a bit of a nightmare.
It used to be a mission to get to the Christmas bins and then move a lot of stuff back in once they were out. I can deal with that once a year, but the biggest problem of all was my stems and silk flowers!
Before Organizing
I feel embarrassed showing you this mess, but here goes! Walking in the door, you could see a yellow sideboard (a future project). On top of that, a coffee table is lying on its side (also a future project), with stems and florals tucked into the base of that coffee table like it’s nobody’s business!
To the left were shelves with toys, pillows, curtains, and random ornaments. I could not see or access most of them without taking half of them down.
Under the stairs were luggage, toys, and storage bins with Christmas and fall decor.
Beginning With a Clean Slate
Step one was to get EVERYTHING out of the storage room. My sweet mother-in-law, who was visiting, helped me carry everything into the living area, where we created a new but temporary mess!
An empty room is easy to clean and gives you a better idea of how much space you have to work with.
The toys and luggage went back in first, out of the way but easy to reach when needed.
Things that did not go back in:
- The sideboard – will stay in the basement living area for a while until I make time to work on it
- The coffee table – I gave it to a friend who will hopefully give it the makeover I never did
- The shelving unit – was moved to the garage.
Storage Ideas for Vases and Ornaments
I may have said it before, but I am no fan of wire shelving! That’s why I removed these from our pantry when we moved in. They were still in the garage where I left them three and a half years ago. They were the perfect size for one of the walls in the storage room, and they were free!
You might think this is still a cluttered mess, but I promise you, it is a working system!
I moved all the vases and random decor in the kitchen cabinets, the pantry, and the craft room down to the storage room. It is easier to pick what you need when seeing it all together.
I found two much longer shelves tucked away in the garage and installed them on the opposite wall to store pillows and curtains. They were also the perfect size for that area!
Storage Ideas for Wreaths
These wrought iron shelf brackets are perfect for keeping all my wreaths together. The brackets are 10 inches long with a small lip, keeping the wreaths from slipping off. Hanging wreaths on the wall saves a lot of space.
Storage Ideas for Stems and Florals
As I’ve mentioned earlier, storing stems and florals was my biggest headache. That is why I am most excited to show you this idea!
I headed to Home Depot for PVC plumbing pipes. You can buy them in either 10 feet or 3 feet lengths.
The 3 feet pieces are not the best value for money, but they are much easier to handle and easily fit into the car. I bought three with a 2-inch diameter and one 4-inch.
With the miter saw, it took only a few minutes to cut them into smaller pieces. Most of the cuts are 6 inches long, and a few are 10 inches for the longer stems.
I bought caps to close one side of each tube, but I ended up cutting more and shorter pieces than I had initially planned, so I still need to get more caps.
I used dark green spray paint to “disguise” the ugly black pipe and bright orange caps.
Are you seeing my vision yet?
I sanded a small patch on each piece, just big enough for a Command strip to stick to the PVC and not just peel the paint off.
The Command strips are used to stick the tubes to the wall!
It took careful planning to fit everything onto the only open wall left in the storage room.
Measuring the available space and laying all the stems and florals on the floor was the best way to shuffle things around until I found the best configuration.
I stuck the tubes to the wall, row by row, starting at the top, using the layout I planned on the living room carpet.
Isn’t it pretty??
I feel like playing Flower Shop in here!
Finishing Touches
It is almost time to decorate for spring, so I brought all the winter decor down to see if EVERYTHING could fit all at once.
It does!
Can you imagine how empty the rest of the house is now?
Let’s take one last look around, starting at the door and moving clockwise.
Left from the door are containers with Christmas baubles and tree decorations. Last year, I began storing them in color groups, making decorating so much easier! The huge totes are for oversized ornaments like Santas, nutcrackers, and garlands.
The wall with wreaths is to the right of the small space under the stairs. The two big containers on the floor below the wreaths are filled with fall decor.
Turning to the next wall, we see the shelves with vases and ornaments.
On the right-hand side of the shelves, we are back at the wall with tubes filled with stems and florals.
I am incredibly pleased with how functional the storage room is now.
There is enough space to move around, and I know where everything is.
I have a system! And it works well!
I hope these storage ideas serve as inspiration for any decor storage dilemma you might have. Until next time, happy organizing!