ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Putting Christmas decorations away is easy if you throw them in random plastic storage bins.

Even if you write “Christmas decorations” on the bin, it won’t help much and will make finding them difficult next year. Here’s a cheap solution: QR codes.

You can pick up a pack of QR code stickers online. One pack of 48 was $16. Here’s how they work:

The stickers connect to an app that both reads and labels them. It’s fairly simple to use. Just place one of the stickers on a storage bin and then scan it with the app. You can label it simply “Christmas decorations,” or my recommendation is to be more specific. 

Next November when you’re ready to begin decorating, just use your smartphone’s camera and the app to see exactly what’s inside before taking it down.

It’s a good idea to do the same with other holiday decorations too. Rather than opening every bin looking for plastic Halloween pumpkins, just scan the code.

You can use the stickers for many other things, such as paint you use in rooms, or labeling charging bricks.

It takes a little work doing this the first time, but once bins are labeled and things put away correctly, you’ll shave time off your decorating.