Help for the Holidays

From decking the halls to packing up, these reader tips keep seasonal chores merry and manageable

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Keep the Bubbles in Your Bubbly

If you have leftover champagne on New Year's Eve, slide the handle of a spoon into the top of the bottle before putting it in the fridge. The metal spoon won't exactly replace the cork, but it keeps the air in the neck cold and acts as an obstacle for escaping carbon dioxide, keeping your bubbly fizzy enough for morning mimosas.

—Gregory Baptiste

Protect Breakable Ornaments

To keep fragile ornaments safe, I store them in plastic cups inside a large plastic storage tub. You can stack lots of ornaments by placing cardboard between layers—just don't overpack each cup. For very delicate items, I add some bubble wrap and newspaper for extra protection.

—Victor Kowalski

New Way to “Hang” Holiday Lights

Save yourself the stress of untangling a messy string of holiday lights by wrapping them around a hanger before storing them. Keep the lights neat as you wrap, starting at one end and working your way across with as little overlap as possible. If your string is quite long, you can wrap a second layer over the first, again with as little overlap as possible. This helps keep the cord organized and tangle-free for next season.

—Gerald Perkins

Crafty Uses for Christmas Scraps