Quick and clever organizing hacks to get you holiday-ready – National

Gift wrap rolls have a way of overtaking closets and becoming hard to manage. A simple solution is to use a clear hanging garment bag. This keeps all your rolls together and lets you see exactly what you have on hand. Many garment bags come with pockets, making them perfect for storing ribbon, tape and gift tags so everything is ready to go in one spot. These particular garment bags are used for dance costumes, but this alternate use seems perfect to corral all things wrapping paper.

Regular tape can get finicky, and small bits tend to scatter everywhere. Consider using glue tape for a cleaner, faster wrap job. Glue tape is double-sided and applies smoothly; simply press one side of your wrapping paper onto the adhesive, and you’re done. It’s a quick fix that gives your presents a sleek, seamless look with far less hassle.

Cutting wrapping paper can be a surprisingly tricky task, but not with a wrapping paper cutter. This cylindrical-shaped tool allows you to cut perfectly straight lines without struggling to keep your scissors in check. It’s a small upgrade that can save you a lot of time and frustration, especially when wrapping multiple gifts (…at the last minute).

If you like to save and reuse gift bags (it just means you’re normal) and purchase cards throughout the year for various holidays and occasions, try organizing them with magazine boxes. Assign each box to an occasion—Christmas, birthdays, etc.—to keep everything separated and easy to find. This hack is ideal for keeping items organized, so you’re never searching through a pile of mismatched items.

Ornaments need special care, and a storage box with individual compartments is a perfect solution. These boxes make it easy to separate ornaments by colour, theme, or the room they belong to. With secure compartments, they protect your ornaments from breakage and make transporting them around the house and safe storage a breeze.

For larger lights, storage reels are a game-changer. They make it easy to wind up the cords without tangling, keeping your lights protected and ready to use again next year. Plus, they’re far more durable than the original boxes, which often wear down over time.

These compact light wraps are perfect for smaller strings of lights, beads or delicate garlands. Just wind them up, tuck them into a bin, and they’ll stay neat and untangled. This solution is ideal for mini lights that tend to get jumbled and are often tricky to store.

If you have a reusable tree, storing it in a tree bag will make it much easier to manage. These sturdy bags protect your tree from dust and damage so it’s ready for the next season. A wreath storage bag is also a smart investment; it keeps your wreath in top shape and can hang neatly from a garage or basement hook, saving you space and frustration.

Hosting often means lots of leftovers, and giving guests something to take home is always a nice touch. Keep a stack of cute, disposable to-go containers on hand. These containers save you from giving away your own containers and make it easy for guests to pack up some holiday cheer for the road.

For the bakers who go all out during the holidays, a multi-level cookie carrier is a must. This carrier keeps cookies separated and protected so your baked treats arrive fresh and intact. Plus, the tiered design makes it easy to bring a variety of cookies, making your treats look as impressive as they taste!