Melissa Tedone and Debra Hess Norris look on as Madeline Hagerman spot cleans a 50-year-old Christmas stocking using water and a cotton swab.

Preserving decor

Article by Megan M.F. Everhart Photos by Evan Krape December 18, 2025

UD faculty share tips for keeping holiday decorations in shape year after year

Whether your decorating style is “understated elegance” or “Santa’s workshop exploded on the lawn,” everyone agrees opening storage boxes to discover a broken ornament or ruined family heirloom puts a damper on holiday joy.

Holiday decor is lovely to look at, but it also symbolizes what we value about the holidays: spiritual meaning, time with family, traditions and memories.

We asked experts from the Department of Art Conservation in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) for the best ways to take care of holiday decorations, ensuring that items — along with the memories they represent — last for years to come.

Debra Hess Norris, Unidel Henry Francis du Pont Chair and professor of photograph conservation; Madeline Hagerman, assistant professor and director of the undergraduate art conservation program; and Melissa Tedone, assistant professor of library and archives conservation and WUDPAC associate director, shared their expertise on preserving decor and keeping the holidays magical.

No matter what you want to save and display, the general rule is to store objects in a cool, dry, climate-controlled space away from direct sunlight or heat sources. It might be hard to find space, but interior closets are ideal. Avoid attics and basements when you can, as the humidity and temperature fluctuations can cause damage.

Below are tips for specific types of decorations and memorabilia.

Stockings and textiles

Although they are only used for a few days, or weeks, each year, and are never actually worn, Christmas stockings can show signs of wear.

Hagerman said wool is like catnip to moths and tiny critters, so if you have a wool stocking be sure to store it in a tightly sealed container away from windows. Synthetic materials like polyester are safe from pests, but light exposure can cause fading for many types of dyes.

Don’t throw your stockings in the washing machine — especially if they are wool! Items in good condition can be soaked in cold water with a gentle dish soap. Do not squeeze or ring out textiles, as this might distort their shape. Lay flat to dry.

Textiles like wool and polyester can be spot cleaned with plain water, but avoid putting items in the washing machine because it can cause them to lose their shape. Here, Hagerman removes stains with water and a cotton swab.

Glass and glitter

For many decorators, Christmas is synonymous with sparkle, but all that glitters may be difficult to store. Tedone said that if it’s not possible to store items with glitter in a climate-controlled area, you can try to mitigate damage by creating a “microclimate” for them.

Pad the items with lightly crumpled wads of tissue paper.
Place them inside a cardboard box.
Nest the cardboard box inside a larger box or plastic bin.

The layers buffer the atmosphere inside the box from outside temperature fluctuations.

Hagerman uses the same method to store handblown glass ornaments, which are thin and prone to breaking. She said there is no need to buy bespoke ornament storage containers. Simply using tissue paper and nested boxes is enough protection.

It’s okay to gently wipe off dust with a microfiber cloth before storing glass ornaments — just be careful not to catch the cloth on any spikey bits. You can safely spot clean plain glass with water and a cotton swab, but never try to clean hand-painted glass. Even gentle cleaning can damage the paint.

Glass ornaments can be delicate. Antique ornaments like the one above should not be cleaned — even plain water can damage hand-painting — and be careful not to snag appliques like flowers.

Silver and metals

Silver tarnishes quickly when exposed to air, but Hagerman explained that tarnish is a stable surface that will not further corrode, and some people choose this preservation method.

For those who prefer the un-tarnished look, the best choice is to prevent the chemical process in the first place. Wrap silver items in acid free tissue, or use a specialty cloth like Pacific Silver Cloth that has pieces of silver embedded in the fiber. The pieces will preferentially tarnish, protecting the other items.

If you decide to polish your silver pieces, use a silver polishing cloth or silver polish. Wear gloves when using a silver polish, and make sure you have air circulation. Rinse items thoroughly in water and dry them to remove and polish residue.

Books and paper objects

Watching a favorite holiday movie is an annual tradition for some, but many classic stories began as books, and there’s nothing like curling up with a book on a cold winter night.

Tedone recommended storing books upright supported by bookends, or flat on a shelf. Never store a book on its fore edge (where the pages open), which can cause the book to separate from its cover. When possible, leave room for air to circulate around books, and dust or vacuum bookshelves regularly to reduce damage from air pollution, mold and insects.

Repairing tears: Tears in books are common, but for well-loved copies, use a document repair tape to reinforce pages and mend rips. The adhesive is less likely to dry out or stain than regular tape, and the matte finish is less noticeable than a shiny scotch tape. Do not try to repair or tape rare or valuable books — leave that to the experts!

Pop-up books are especially prone to tearing. Don’t try to mend a valuable or rare volume, but it’s safe to fix the books in a personal collection with document tape.

Photographs

Looking through old family photos can be nostalgic and fun — realizing how much you look like your mom when she was younger, checking out the hottest toys from way back when or marveling at just how much tinsel people used to put on their Christmas trees.

Hess Norris, one of the country’s leading photography conservators, explained that improper storage can accelerate the natural aging process of photographs. Prints may fade, or yellow, but following a few basic steps can help prevent damage:

Use archival materials: Enclosures labeled acid-free, lignin-free, or “PAT-passed” are safest for photographs.
Support the prints: Store them in sleeves, folders, or boxes that prevent bending and shield from dust and handling. Framing is fine for long-term storage, but use UV-filtering glass and keep framed photos out of direct sunlight. Norris suggests displaying a high-quality copy and storing original prints.
Keep originals flat or vertically supported: Avoid stacking heavy items on top.
Label and handle carefully: Use a soft pencil on the enclosure, not directly on the photograph. Handle with clean hands or gloves.

Dust and fingerprints, as well as acidic storage material, can leave permanent marks on photos. It’s okay to gently remove loose dust off with a clean, soft brush, but removing marks is tricky and best left to a professional photograph conservator.

Final words of advice: Be wary of objects made before 1940 with “snow” because they could contain asbestos, and antique icicles or tinsel might have lead. Also, old electrical wiring poses a fire hazard.

For more advice, check out Caring for Your Cherished Objects: The Winterthur Guide, with information from WUDPAC faculty and other experts.

Plant-based material, like these nativity figures made from corn husks, can be enticing to pests. Help protect them by placing tissue-wrapped items in a food-safe plastic bag before storing.