Every January the same thing happens: the tree box leans in the hallway, the lights sit in a knot on the counter and the wreath ends up on top of the fridge. In a small apartment you live with these boxes for eleven months and enjoy what’s in them for one, so it’s worth deciding where everything goes before you buy any more.

One bin

No garage, no attic, no storage unit. So the rule is: all your Christmas decorations fit in one bin. Two at most.

A standard 66-quart clear bin is about 24 by 16 inches and 13 inches deep. It holds a coiled garland, a wreath laid flat on top, ornaments in divided trays and a couple of light strands wound on cardboard. That’s a full apartment’s worth if you choose things that pack flat.

It also makes shopping easier. If something has to earn its space in the bin, the giant glitter reindeer stays in the store. Measure the spot where the bin will live first (under the bed, top of the closet) and buy a bin that fits it.

Ornaments

Ornament storage boxes with dividers (on Amazon) are ideal, but egg cartons or cardboard dividers in a shoebox work just as well. Wrap anything precious in one layer of tissue. The important part is keeping them in a single layer; ornaments stacked on top of each other turn into glitter dust. Put the ornament box on top inside the bin so it’s first out and last in.

Garland

Don’t stuff it into a box; the branches snap and it looks tired the next year. Coil it loosely, like a garden hose, around a flattened piece of cardboard and slip it into a large zip bag or a garland bag (on Amazon). If it has lights, wind those up separately first. Faux garland can also hang in a garment bag on the closet rod, as long as it doesn’t shed glitter on your clothes.

Lights

Wrap each strand around a flat piece of cardboard, tape the plug end down and write on it what it is: “window, warm white, works.” Stand the pieces upright in the bin like files.

Test every strand before you pack it, and throw out any that are dead. If a strand is a few years old and half the bulbs are out, let it go. Lights are cheap; closet space isn’t.

Wreaths

Never put anything heavy on a wreath. Lay it flat on top of everything else in the bin, like a lid; a 24-inch wreath fits across a 66-quart bin. If it doesn’t fit, use a flat round wreath bag (on Amazon) on the back of a closet door or under the bed. Fresh wreaths go in the compost.

Stockings and fabric

Roll stockings, runners and pillow covers rather than folding them, put each in a gallon zip bag, and tuck them into the gaps around the ornament box and garland. Wash everything first. A chocolate stain sealed in a bag for eleven months is not something you want to open.

Where it can go

  • Under the bed. A flat 6-inch bin or under-bed bags (on Amazon) hold a surprising amount. Bed risers add six inches of storage under the whole bed for a few dollars.
  • The top closet shelf. Push the bin all the way to the back. You only need it twice a year.
  • Behind a door. An over-the-door hook holds a wreath bag or a garment bag of garlands out of sight.
  • Inside a storage ottoman. Blankets most of the year, Christmas overflow in December.

If you can see the bin in July, it’s in the wrong place.

What to let go of before you pack

  • Light strands with a third or more of the bulbs out.
  • Garland that leaves more glitter on the floor than on the branches.
  • Duplicate sets you never hang.
  • Anything you didn’t put out this year or last year.
  • Freebies that don’t mean anything to you.

Donate what’s usable in early January, when thrift stores restock their holiday shelves, and recycle what’s broken.