Wrapping Paper storage is not something everyone thinks about, but it is a problem many people have. The trouble is they just don’t think about it except at Christmastime, the one time of year when you need a lot of it. But who doesn’t have a few rolls knocking around in a closet or under a bed? And is there a more obvious mental image of clutter than a sloppy mess of wrapping paper tubes? Messy wrapping paper gets ruined quickly. Here’s how to kill your wrapping paper clutter fast.

Use a Clothes Hamper for Wrapping Paper Storage

Clothes hampers taller than 40 inches can hold almost any wrapping paper roll, and they can hold a lot of them too. If you find one that’s sturdy and has a lid on it, you’ll be able to stack things on top of it, which can mean extra space in the closet. Clothes hampers hold up well in the long term; the best scenario for this one is if you have an old one you can use, allowing you to spend money on a new one instead of investing in storage nobody will see.

Use Small Buckets to Store Your Wrapping Paper

If you don’t mind your wrapping paper sitting in the closet exposed, and you don’t care about stacking things on top of it, try using smaller buckets — like the 5-gallon buckets you can get for a few dollars at the hardware store. These are easy to get and will keep your wrapping paper rolls from getting creased and falling all over the place.

Use a Dowel Rack for Wrapping Paper Storage

If you want to mount your wrapping paper on the wall, one good way is to get a handful of thin wooden dowels (round wooden bars) from the hardware store. You can put a roll of paper on each one, mounting each one between two screw-in hooks fixed to the wall. These don’t need to be put into the studs of the wall since they won’t hold much weight. Just space your hooks far enough apart that your tubes can fit between them, making sure each pair is an equal distance from the floor. Then, slide the dowels through the tubes and hang them on the hooks.

Cordon off a Section of a Closet to Store Paper

Another system that’s wall mounted and easy to construct simply involves screwing four eyelets into the inside of a closet, set at two different heights. When you’re done, you should be able to draw a square or rectangle on the wall using your eyelets as the corners. Then, simply string bungee cords or string horizontally between each pair of eyelets. Simply slide your rolls between the wall and the bungees to keep all your wrapping paper tubes pinned to the wall.

Create a Hanging Wrapping Paper Storage Container

There are a few ways to create hanging wrapping paper storage containers, but the simplest is to get a cheap suit bag with a vertical zipper running down the middle. You can easily zip your rolls of wrapping paper inside the suit bag, especially if it’s long enough to accomodate a dress. Don’t use a full travel suitor, just the thin plastic ones. Clear ones work the best.

Buy a Wrapping Paper Storage Container

The internet is swimming with wrapping paper storage containers and setups of every variety. Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and TheContainerStore.com are all great resources for affordable wrapping paper storage containers. If you dig around, you’ll discover containers made exactly for this purpose that hang, stand up and lay flat, depending on your needs.

Keep Your Wrapping Paper from Unraveling

Even after you have a good system for keeping your rolls of wrapping paper (and other supplies) in order, you’ll still want to come up with a good method for preventing your wrapping paper from unrolling. Here are a few simple tips to help with that:

• Cut a straight line through old paper towel rolls and slip them over the outside of your tubes
• Use clothes pins or paper clips to secure the paper to the roll at each end
• Wrap a rubber band around the roll; not too tight or the paper will get creased

How do you deal with wrapping paper storage? Do you have any containers or DIY systems that work really well for you? Share them in the comments below.