My mom called me last December. “I opened the decoration box,” she said, “and the lights are one solid knot. I have been untangling for forty minutes and I am considering throwing everything away and starting over.”

I understood completely. Holiday decoration storage is one of those things nobody teaches you, and everyone learns through pain. Here is what I told her — and what actually worked.

Wrap lights around cardboard

Stop coiling lights into a ball and throwing them in a bin. Cut a piece of cardboard into a rectangle about 12 by 6 inches, cut a notch at each end, and wrap the light strand around it like you are wrapping a cord. Secure both ends in the notches. Next year, you unwind from the cardboard in 30 seconds flat.

My mom tried this and called me back. “Why did no one tell me this thirty years ago?” Because we all had to suffer first, Mom. That is how it works.

Egg cartons for ornaments

Standard cardboard egg cartons are the perfect size for most round ornaments. Put one ornament per cup, stack the cartons, and they nest safely without wrapping each one in tissue paper. Label the outside with a Sharpie so you know what is in each carton.

Garment bags for wreaths

Those clear plastic garment bags that dry cleaning comes in? They are the right shape for wreaths. Slide the wreath in, zip it up, and hang it in a closet. No dust, no crushed decorations, and it stays round.

The labeling rule

Label every bin on at least two sides — the front and the top. When bins are stacked, you can read the top label. When they are shelved, you can read the front. Use a label maker or masking tape and a Sharpie. “Christmas: tree ornaments & lights” is better than “Xmas stuff.”