There are two ways. One is a huge under the bed plastic box which is about the length of a long roll of paper and only about 12 inches wide. The other is a big box which looks like an umbrella stand with a top. Both worked just great and survived remodeling. I did not buy any new stuff this year, just used the old and don't plan to buy more unless I run out.
We do have a few trims and cute package wraps that we re-use each year and the kids kind of like seeing some of them.

I used both methods that Marge mentioned. However, recently I cleaned out the guest bedroom. Among other successes, I gained two empty dresser drawers. The width of the drawers are perfect for rolls of paper. I have one drawer for folded paper and ribbon and the other for rolls of paper. I'm loving it because it is more accessible than under the bed or the vertical paper holder. In fact, I Freecycled my vertical paper holder and the hanging wrapping supply organizer.

I do the under the bed storage box. I have all wrapping supplies, tape, scissors adn gift bags that people give me.

It's a regular size one that I've emptied of the sweaters I never wear!

I do the standing up storage. I have some rolls that are still good from years ago. I usually buy some after Chritmas and recently got some very nice paper at the Dollar stores.
I don't wrap much anymore but still love the paper

I have it everywhere at the moment - the top of my closet (in a long box), in the storage room in the basement (in a huge gift bag), and under the bed (mostly gift bags). :-) All of it is still good though, not wrinkled or anything, so I'll use it again this year.

I just ordered a "gift wrap organizer" to keep under the bed. It has a section specifically for rolls to be held in the bottom, pockets for different sized gift bags in the top, sections for bows, and ribbons, and a pull-out section for things like tape, tags, and scissors. It should be here this weekend, and ironically, that's when I'm wrapping all my gifts, so all the gift wrap will get put in there when I'm done, and under the bed it goes (or in the top of my closet, whichever place seems to suit it better). I'm pretty happy that it will all finally be in one place, and neatly organized...

Hanging in a closet inside a garment bag (like you travel with) works well.

LauraG

I keep gift wrap of all sorts in one of my cupboards that I use for all sort so pens, paper etc... and for Xmas I try to buy only as much seasonal print as I will definitely use, and for the extra just-in-case supplies I get plain gold wrap and red/green/gold curling ribbon. This way I am rarely left with paper that can't be used for weddings, birthdays and housewarming and baby shower gifts, and I don't have to organize separate storage for the seasonal stuff.

I saw a show on TV. They recommended wrapping in a plain solid paper like red or white, and really going to town with ribbons. When my patterned paper is used up,I'm going to white. They suggested if you have red paper left over,it's perfect for Valentim's Day.

I keep all the gift wrapping materials in the basement storage room. (Yes, I know. I'm very lucky to have a large storage closet.) Everything I need is on one shelf. I keep smaller pieces of paper rolled up, stuffed into a gift bag. Labels and ribbons and bows go into that bag, too.

One year, I had a bright idea. I am a quilter. I sometimes clean out my scrap basket to make a colorful and useful quilt out of tiny, irregularly shaped scraps of fabric. Why not do the same with paper? So I "pieced" a crazy quilt version of wrapping paper. Everyone in my family knows I like to make quilts, so they realized why their gifts were wrapped in such a creative fashion. No complaints, and a few compliments!

I know none of that answers your original question. Is there some other nook or cranny in your home where you could safely store your gift wrapping materials so that they won't end up crushed? Under a bed or sofa?

Perhaps the solution is to do more (decorating) with less (different materials) so that they will take up less space in your home. I like your solid colored paper with colorful ribbons idea. That would look sophisticated and artistic! :-)

I tend to prefer spare motifs, myself. Santa Claus: no. Snowflakes or gold swirls: yes. I buy my Christmas wrapping paper AFTER Christmas, when it is dirt cheap. But at the same time, I try to find designs that can be used for other occasions. The right paper can be very versatile.

I have 3 boxes: one under-bed type [goes into the attic] for rolls; one for labels/small rolls and one for ribbons and bows. The latter 2 live in the spare room's closet, along with 2 rolls of paper [birthdays and a plain all-purpose]. I always roll the paper onto a tube, even scraps; if you pull a stretchy nylon stocking over the roll, the edges don't get nicked and the paper doesn't unwind.

LOL, Maryliz! I've done scrap paper quilts since I was a small child [let's just say a lo-o-oong time ago]. Some were so popular that a few years later, I would get the "quilt" back wrapped around a gift to me. FYI, for those who haven't tried this... it's easiest if you use spray craft glue to fasten the scrap to plain butcher's paper. When I first did it, school paste was applied along the edge to attach one piece to the next ~~ let it dry before wrapping the package!

I have a storage closet in the bathroom that houses all my crafts supplies. I placed cuphooks on the underside of the top shelf, near the four corners, about 20" apart. I strung an enormous rubber band from each of the back hooks to the front. I tuck all the rolls of wrapping paper in between the rubber band on the shelf, so they are easily accessible but out of danger. (When I buy fancy flat folded paper, I roll them onto spare cardboard cores and tuck them up there as well.) Rolls of ribbon are suspended from a dowel that hangs from the shelf in a similar fashion.

A friend had a great way of dealing with ribbon. She loaded all the spools sideways in a shoebox, then punched holes in the side for the ribbon to feed thru. It was a tidy way to keep the ribbon tidy, tangle free and easy to use. (She saw a similar system made out of plastic and selling for $20 one season, and thought -- I can do that!)

Like others, I try to keep the paper choices simple. Some basic colors that I can use year round, and dress up with appropriate seasonal touches. My standby -- believe it or not -- is brown kraft paper. And I keep a range of "art" paper to use for all sorts of projects including special tags. (Has more of an impact as a touch than a whole sheet, I think.)

Storing tissue paper is my big problem.

Alison, I like your brown kraft paper idea very much. I would like the contrast of the matte, earth tone paper with bright, colorful ribbons. I'm gonna hafta swipe that one! I also think that other natural objects (pine cones, feathers, raffia bows) would be very attractive and understated, especially when contrasted with the shiny glitz of most wrapping papers and ribbons.

And I agree that a small splash (such as an attractive handmade tag) of a colorful paper actually catches the eye more than an entire gift wrapped in extravagant paper.

I think fabric could be used the same way. I haven't gotten around to trying this idea myself, since nearly all of my wrapping is already done and I was using up the regular labels, but I think one could iron freezer paper onto the fabric (shiny side of freezer paper toward the wrong side of the fabric) then cut with scissors to the shape & size desired. Fold into a card, write on the inside. One could also use iron on interfacing, and write on the interfacing with a fabric marker.

I don't store used wrapping paper because I don't have the space; I used to feel guilty about not saving it because my mother trained us to carefully open gifts so she could re-use the paper. I can't live that way. I recycle the used paper and each year it's easier.

However, if tissue is not torn or too wrinkly I'll save it (folded flat). If a ribbon is still nice I'll save it, and if I like a gift bag a lot and it's still in good condition I'll save it and re-use. I store these items in similar places that other people have mentioned: under bed storage and tall, narrow box storage.