Decorating for Christmas is a lot more fun than taking down the tree, safely storing your ornaments and finding a place to put everything until next year. When the time comes to dismantle your decorations and find closet space, try these storage solutions.

Keeping light strands untangled presents one of the biggest challenges every year. To safely stow the lights, I recommend using a device that's sturdy and durable.

One of the best remedies I've found are old picture frames. You can find a huge selection of inexpensive frames at your nearest Goodwill store. They are perfect because they don't bend. By securing with some twist ties from trash bags, the plugs are neatly held in place. Now, take your small picture frames and fit them in shirt boxes with sheets of tissue paper between each layer. This is also a great way to recycle gift packages, so nothing goes to waste.

Another option is to use cardboard tubing from wrapping paper or paper towels to straighten out that "birds-nest" of holiday lights. Simply wrap the lights around the tube. Finally, tuck the plug into the end for added protection and to minimize space.

Additional holiday decorations in need of storage solutions are your ornaments that can be somewhat fragile. If you have smaller ball ornaments or knick-knacks, egg cartons or old ice cube trays work nicely for these keepsakes. Check out the nearest Goodwill store for a bargain on ice trays.

Gently lay them in each section and carefully cover with tissue paper(left over from the shirt boxes).

Shirt and sweater boxes can easily be repurposed to hold larger ornaments. You'll want to create stock dividers, by cutting slits halfway through a piece of cardboard and fitting them together. You can easily customize the box to fit various sizes, so each will stay protected in its own section.

For the largest decorations, use big boxes lined with tissue paper or leftover wrapping paper to keep it all safely stored away.

Finally, take a minute to label the outside of every box and next year's decorating will be a cinch!

Happy New Year!