‘Tis the Season to Pack Up Your Christmas Lights
Here’s 5 ways to store ‘em right and avoid holiday headaches next year.
Once the holidays have come and gone, and you start un-decorating your home, it’s tempting to just toss everything in a box. But 11 months from now, there you’ll be—trying to untangle the mess of lights, garland, and ornaments. So be patient, wrap your precious decorations carefully, and store your light cords properly by choosing one of these wrapping techniques:
- Gather pieces of sturdy cardboard that are sized to fit your storage bin. Put a 1-inch slit at the top of
one long side and the bottom of the other. Wrap each string of lights around a piece of cardboard, tucking the ends into the slits. Place the wrapped cardboard in a storage bin between layers of bubble wrap.
- Use empty spools from the curling ribbon you used to wrap up your festive holiday packages. Use one spool per light string, tuck the end under the cord, and pack ‘em away in a bin.
- Place two orange soccer cones in the bottom of a bin and wrap the lights around them in a figure-8 pattern.
- If your storage bin is oblong, wrap your lights around empty wrapping paper tubes. Cut a notch in each end so you can tuck in the plugs, and your lights will stay safe and secure.
- Coil up the light strings and place each one in its own gallon-size zip-lock storage bag, then place the bags in a bin.