I love to organize. And when I have the time, resources, good music, nobody else around the house (unless they’re really good at organizing and in the self-sacrificing mood to help me) and a great cup of coffee, I don’t do too badly. Of course, when these items occur together it’s rare, so 
I continue to blame my lack of organization on that fact. But I digress…
I need help. Does ANYONE have any TIPS on how to store/organize ornament hooks? You know, those green (or silver) paper-clip type things, twisted around to hook one end onto an ornament, the other end onto a tree branch..? I have tried different methods over the past several years, and none of my methods have worked. I always end up frustrated, trying to pull the hooks apart, wishing there was some inexpensive-but-fabulous product out there to do this.. maybe there is… the key word here is inexpensive. Nothing expensive will do. Not in this economic season.
So, any tips? I realize that this is not an earth-shattering or life-changing request, or cry for help. But it’d be a fantastic help in my holiday season. I wish my friend Jeff was around. He usually has great tips for this kind of thing.
And while I’m at it, how about storing un-used clothes hangers, off the clothes rack.. any tips for that?
Help!
pressed but not crushed 
No tips… but very cool picture!
I guess I never though of organizing them. I store mine in a small gladware bowl. To get them untangled I just pick up one of them (of course the whole mess comes together) and shake a few time. Hooks fall off separately. WHen I’ve used all that fall off I pick up the bunch again and shake. I use the same method with quilting safety pins. I use these to baste the three layers of the quilt together while I hand quilt it. I store them in a tin, each pin open. (It saves time not having to open them each time I want to use one.) I pick up one of the pins and the whole bunch comes. Give it a shake and some fall loose. That’s good enough for me.
1. Get some Duct Tape. ( I am sure Jesus had some in his carpenter’s box)
2. Unroll the tape to twelve inches (biblical – 12 apostles)
3. Place each hook on the sticky side apart from each other. (death)
4. Place a strip of paper over the hooks.
5. Tape another strip of tape over this.
6. Hang in a dark closet or basement (burial)
7. (the # of completion) Bring out next December and use again (resurrection)
depends on how much time you want to take storing them i guess… here’s and idea, get a roll of wide tape and stick the ornament hooks to the tape then roll the tape up and put it away ’till next year…. we just leaves our hooks on the ornaments and most are still attached from year to year… good luck
Hey… sheblogan stole my idea! ah well… great minds and all that…
it never occured to me to take the hooks off the ornament but when you presented the problem my solution also was to use tape. I’ll still leave mine on. It is faster.
coat hangers: look at how they do it in stores like Kohl’s. The hangers go into a box which may or may not have a slit for the hook part. Mine are hung on a pipe in the basement.
My trick for the coat hangers (especially the wire ones) is to stash them on my husband’s side of the closet, way toward the back behind the pants he rarely wears. Ten years of marriage and its always worked great. Bet that’s gonna change now. . .
(This is Jen SM BTW, with a different login)
Don’t take the hooks off. Get boxes with dividers so each ornament has its own little square.
Here’s my solution to the ornament hooks.
Step 1: Get the worst Christmas tree possible, the older and more misshapen the better.
Step 2: Cut off any attractive branches, especially those that would hold heavy ornaments.
Step 3: Put tree in stand, pour in too much water, then sweep up any pine needles that have fallen to the floor and scatter them on the couch and in the bed.
Step 4: Grab all hooks, bend them if straight, put them in a ziploc bag, then shake it up.
Step 5: Pour up a cup of eggnog and listen contentedly to Jennifer as she grumbles about how next year she’ll have to do it all herself while playing with the dog.
I think I will just straighten mine all at once and I can just bend them back in a loop when I need to. Won’t have to mess with tape or anything. Just keep them in a ziploc bag.
I just figured out how to organize my hooks. I used a toilet paper tube. Just slipped the hooks around the outside of the tube and secured them with a no tangle hair band. Used both ends. Now I can gently pull one hook at a time,and easily untangle the end as I pull it out.