Although you probably haven't even put up your Christmas decorations just yet, it is never too early to start thinking about how you'll put those items away after the holiday is over. In order to keep this organized and safe, while creating less hassle for you next Christmas, it is important to start planning early. Here are a few ways to help ensure your holiday décor is protected, condensed, and detangled:

1. Use Belts or Concrete Tubes to Condense Your Tree.

If you no longer have the box that your tree came in and you want to try to conserve some space, consider using some old belts to cinch your tree up. This will take your Christmas tree down to a more storable and manageable size. If you don't have any old belts on hand, head to your local thrift store to pick up some cheap ones. Alternatively, you could use concrete form tubes to pack and store your artificial tree. Make sure you label it so you need which piece you'll need first.

2. Use Egg Cartons for Small Ornaments.

If you no longer have the original packaging for your Christmas tree ornaments, no need to worry. All you need are some egg cartons. You can place the smaller ornaments that you have inside the cartons, close them up and then place them inside one large storage container. This keeps the ornaments safe from rolling around, tangling up with one another and breaking. More than likely, you're going to go through plenty of eggs between now and the end of Christmas, so save those containers because they can be quite handy.

3. Use Coffee Cans and Pieces of Cardboard for Lights.

Ugh, everyone has probably dealt with spending hours on end untangling Christmas lights from them simply being thrown into a container the year before. Don't let this happen next year. Take pieces of cardboard, coffee cans or even plastic soda/water bottles and wrap your Christmas lights around them. Make sure to cut an "X" in the top or side to hold the plug. In the end, this helps to keep them untangled so they're easy to grab and put up next year and minimizes the damage that the tangling can have on the lights.

These are all great ways to store your Christmas décor, but what do you do when you don't have room in the house or garage to put this stuff? Consider renting a self-storage facility. They're affordable and easily accessible whenever you need something. You can use it for a lot more than just your Christmas décor, including other holiday décor, off-season clothing, and more.

For professional self storage, contact a company such as Acorn Self Service Storage.