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Trying to figure out how to store tree ornaments so that they don’t get lost, mixed up, or broken next year? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve unboxed tree ornaments only to realize that a surprisingly large number of them seemed to have simply gone missing. And every year, it seemed like one or more was broken—until I started doing things differently.

So I want to share a few tips for storing Christmas ornaments:

• Make sure you can see at a glance which boxes your ornaments are in. There are a couple of ways you can do this. You can use clear plastic storage containers, or you can try using colored ones. Red and green bins may work well since they will immediately shout “Christmas” when you look at them. You’ll know instantly what you’re looking at when you’re going through your bins in the basement or the attic each year. This will stop your Christmas ornament bins from blending in with the rest. You won’t misplace your ornaments ever again.

• Label your boxes using a logical organizing system. It helps to keep ornaments organized using some kind of category system. You can label them according to thematic categories (i.e. “angels,” “ball ornaments,”), or you can label them with the names of family members they belong to. You can also organize by size (more on that in a moment).

• Keep each ornament in a separate compartment. You can buy plastic containers for tree ornaments which include separate compartments for each. You don’t need a specialized container for this. You can just buy a plastic tote with dividers, and you will be good to go. You may want to purchase bins with different compartment sizes so that you have something for all of your large and small ornaments.

• Add in tissue paper or bubble wrap as needed. If you have smaller ornaments, or ornaments which are particularly delicate, keeping each in a separate compartment won’t necessarily be enough to protect them. Add enough tissue paper or bubble wrap to prevent them from being jostled around when you move the bin. That way you can be assured that next year when you go to open your Christmas decoration boxes, you will find everything intact.

It’s usually a lot more fun getting tree ornaments out than putting them away, which is probably one reason it is hard to discipline yourself to do so with care each year. We are often pretty tired by the end of the holidays. They are a lot of fun, but they do demand a lot of energy. But it really pays off if you take a little extra time and care. Buy your divided bins now before the season really gets rolling, and you will have them conveniently ready and waiting for you when it’s time to put away your ornaments. Next year, you will find everything right away, and all your decorations will be in great condition!