Ornaments, Stored Right, Can Last for Generations

Collectors are given lots of advice on how to display their Christmas ornaments but relatively little on how to store them, writes Marie Proeller in an article in the December issue of Country Living.

“People love these items and sometimes spend a small fortune for them. Proper storage helps carry the pieces through generations in the best condition possible,” says Steve Stanton, president of I Was Framed, a Gardena company that began manufacturing specialized ornament storage boxes and packing materials four years ago.

According to the expert advice of Stanton as well as Jeanine Head Miller, a curator at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich., and Frances Walrond, director of the Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum in St. Louis, the following is a three-part system to ensure safe, long-term storage for the ornaments you treasure.

The ideal storage container is a rigid box with compartments or adjustable dividers to prevent delicate pieces from knocks against one another. The sturdier the material, the better the protection provided. Although acid-free corrugated board or other archival material is preferred, museum-quality materials may not be a practical option for every family. “The divided boxes that glass ornaments are sold in provide some protection when they are stored carefully inside a larger, sturdier box or in a drawer,” Head Miller says. Avoid placing ornaments in hard-plastic storage boxes: These containers, once sealed, do not allow for airflow and can trap moisture. Some plastics also contain chemicals that can prove harmful to the items stored in them.

Proper packing materials give ornaments an added buffer throughout their off-season hibernation. Good choices include acid-free tissue and 100%-cotton fabric. Frances Walrond points out one advantage to using fabric: “It doesn’t tear the way tissue can,” she explains. Never wrap ornaments in plastic (a material that retains moisture and breaks down over time), bubble wrap (the air pockets contain gases that can seep out and damage paint colors), or newspaper (the ink can transfer onto smooth surfaces). And take care not to overstuff each compartment, thereby avoiding unnecessary pressure on these delicate items.

The experts advise against attics and garages (temperature and humidity fluctuations from summer to winter can cause painted surfaces to flake) and basements (notoriously damp and prone to flooding, these rooms count mildew among their imminent dangers).

“Closets in the main living areas of the house are ideal,” says Miller. In these settings, temperatures and humidity levels are kept stable thanks in part to central heating and air conditioning. Other options in your home’s principal living areas include roomy cupboards, chests of drawers, and high shelves that keep pets and children at bay. In homes where the basement is the only viable storage space, Miller continues, place boxes on high shelves and install a dehumidifier to control moisture in the air. And always remember to store the heaviest boxes on the bottom of the stack.