In Bayonne and around the BAB, Halloween is becoming a bigger event every year: spooky windows, pumpkins on balconies, little graveyards in gardens, costumes for the kids… The only downside: more and more boxes of decorations piling up at home. To avoid having skeletons, spider webs and orange garlands lying around all year, here is how to store your Halloween decorations properly – either at home or in a nearby self-storage unit.

Why Halloween decorations often end up as clutter

Unlike Christmas decorations, which are often well organised, Halloween items are usually bought at the last minute and added randomly to existing boxes.

Lights, fake spider webs, LED candles and party props are thrown into a box on 1 November.
Boxes are rarely labelled clearly and get mixed with other festive decorations.
Outdoor props (signs, plastic pumpkins, crows, ghosts) are bulky and hard to store in small flats.
Small accessories (plastic spiders, skulls, confetti) get lost or broken in overfilled boxes.
Humidity typical of the Basque coast quickly damages cardboard boxes, fabrics and electrical items.

The result: every year you buy new decorations even though many are hidden away in poor condition. A simple seasonal storage system can change that.

Step 1: sort and gather all your Halloween items

Before thinking about boxes or storage units, start by bringing everything Halloween-related together.

Walk through your flat or house: living-room, kids’ room, cellar, garage, attic, car boot.
Gather all black, orange and spooky items in one place: banners, garlands, lanterns, webs, figurines, signs.
Separate indoor decorations (fragile, paper, textiles) from outdoor decorations (plastic, wood, weather-resistant).
Set aside costumes, wigs and accessories you plan to reuse.
Use this opportunity to throw away or recycle broken or unwanted items.

Step 2: choose the right containers

In Bayonne, where humidity can be high and cellars not always well ventilated, cardboard boxes alone are not ideal for long-term storage.

Plastic storage boxes with lids are perfect for most decorations. Transparent models make it easy to see what is inside.
Small boxes or zip bags are ideal for tiny accessories: spiders, eyes, mini-skulls, confetti.
Garment bags or fabric covers protect costumes, cloaks and witch hats.
Reinforced boxes are useful for fragile decorations (wax candles, ceramic figurines, glass items).
Moisture absorbers help protect textiles if you store them in a cellar or storage unit for several months.

Step 3: protect fragile decorations

Many Halloween decorations are light but delicate: thin plastics, paper, LED circuits. A little protection goes a long way.

Wrap light strings around a piece of cardboard to avoid knots and broken wires.
Protect pumpkins and figurines with bubble wrap, tissue paper or newspaper.
Store candles (even LED ones) in a separate box away from heat sources.
Group make-up and special effects (fake blood, palettes) in a toiletry bag so they don’t stain everything.
Remove batteries from decorations stored for several months to avoid leaks.

Step 4: organise by theme and by room

Think ahead to next Halloween by organising your boxes according to where decorations will be used.

One box for “façade / balcony”: outdoor banners, door signs, weatherproof garlands.
One box for “living-room / hallway”: spider webs, skeletons, skulls, fake frames, candles.
One box for “table & party”: themed tablecloths, napkins, cups, straws, serving dishes.
One box for “costumes & accessories”: outfits, hats, wigs, sweets buckets, props.
One box for “garden / outdoor”: tombstones, large plastic pumpkins, silhouettes, outdoor lanterns.

Label each box clearly (“Halloween – living-room”, “Halloween – kids’ costumes”) so you can find exactly what you need next October.

Bayonne: cupboard, cellar or self-storage unit?

Once sorted and packed, your decorations can be stored in different places depending on space and conditions.

High cupboard shelves are fine if you have only a few boxes and enough space at home.
A cellar or garage is possible if the area is dry and ventilated and boxes are well closed.
A self-storage unit is ideal if space at home is limited or if you want to group all seasonal decorations together.

In Bayonne, a small 1–2 m² self-storage unit – for example in our Bayonne – Les Arènes centre – is usually enough for Halloween, Christmas and other festive decorations. To select the right size, use our storage size guide.

Case study: centralising all decorations in Bayonne

In Bayonne, a family who loves decorating for Halloween, Christmas and birthdays had decorations scattered across cupboards and a damp cellar. They decided to rent a 1.5 m² unit in a local self-storage centre. They sorted everything by event (Halloween, Christmas, birthdays), invested in a few sturdy plastic boxes and labelled them clearly. The flat feels lighter, the cellar is free again and preparing each celebration is much easier: they simply pick up the “Halloween” boxes from the unit.

Gather all Halloween decorations in one place as soon as the festivities are over.
Prefer plastic boxes with lids to protect decorations from humidity.
Group items by theme and room to simplify next year’s installation.
Use a self-storage unit in Bayonne to centralise all festive decorations.
Think of seasonal storage as a whole: Halloween, Christmas, summer and sports equipment in the same unit.

Love decorating for Halloween but hate having cobwebs and pumpkins taking up space all year? By sorting, protecting and storing your decorations in a self-storage unit in Bayonne, you free up space at home and make next October’s preparations much easier. Estimate your needs, explore our centres in the Basque Country and book your unit online in just a few clicks.