Everyone has experienced the struggle of disentangling string lights. Avoid this problem after finding the best LED Christmas lights so you can use them for years to come.
If you love getting creative with holiday decorations you probably have several types of lighting. On the more traditional side, you have the best outdoor Christmas lights or for something unexpected and futuristic there are Christmas laser lights for your home.
Table of Contents
Best Way to Store Your Christmas Lights
Whichever has your preference, don’t forget to store them carefully to prevent damage to the bulbs and endless knots that are difficult to pry open. Read on for tips on the best way to store Christmas lights so you never have to untangle them again.
Storing Lights Using Household Items
Basically, you can wrap Christmas lights around any unused household item. The key is making sure the string does not tangle and covering with a tissue or soft cloth for padding.
Choose a leftover household item that has enough length. Preferably, you do not let the lights overlap to prevent tangling but there are few things that are several feet long so this is difficult to avoid.
You likely have to work from one end to the other and back again but do this carefully. Scroll down for step-by-step instructions on how to do this.
The paper tissues or soft cloth is to bundle it all up at the end and protect the light bulbs. Again, you can use practically anything from paper towels to an old t-shirt.
Wrapping Christmas Lights Around Cardboard Tubes
This is one of the many great ways to use empty paper rolls that you have not recycled yet. The kitchen paper rolls work better than toilet paper rolls for this purpose, simply because they are longer.
Step 1: Cut a Slit
At one end of the tube, cut a small vertical slit about an inch deep. This is to keep one end of the string light in place.
Step 2: Tug the String Into Place
Take one end of the string and tug it into the slit leaving just a couple inches to hang loose inside the tube. Widen the slit if the string does not fit.
Step 3: Start Wrapping
Once the string is secure, begin wrapping from the end of the tube to the other end, making sure that it sits tight. Leave about one inch on the opposite end of the tube, you might need this later.
Step 4: Overlap If Necessary
If you still have some length left on the Christmas lights, continue wrapping the string around the tube but moving in the opposite direction this time. Repeat this step, moving from end to end, until you only have a couple of inches left of the string.
Step 5: Secure the End
If the last bit is on the same side as where you started, you can secure the end of the string into the same slit. If it is on the opposite end, cut a new slit making use of the inch of space that you left bare.
Step 6: Cover for Padding
Fold paper tissues or a scrap piece of soft cloth around the Christmas lights and tube. Do this gently without pressing so you don’t damage the light bulbs.
With the soft padding, you can stack several pieces on top of each other. It also prevents other objects in your decorations box from scratching the LED lights or pulling on the string.
Alternative Materials
Alternatively, you can use other cardboard tubes like empty potato chips can or even tall paper cups. Get crafty with empty Pringles cans and use the lid as an extra seal – simply pop the lid back on after you have placed the string through the slit.
Another popular way of storing your Christmas lights is by using cardboard. Here’s a short YouTube video on how to do just that!
Or use flat pieces of cardboard for storing lights – you can cut off a flap from a cardboard box, for example. In fact, flat pieces of cardboard might even work better because you can overlap differently.
When using a flat square or rectangular piece of cardboard, wrap in opposite patterns. Similar to the above instructions, cut a small slit in one corner to secure the last few inches and then start wrapping towards the other end.
Then, rotate the piece 90 degrees and fold the wire over one of the corners. Now, start wrapping again towards the other end. After completing, you should get a cross pattern with the corners still left bare. Cut another slit in the nearest corner to secure the end of the wire.
You can also use a small piece of easily removable tape to keep the ends in place. Finish by wrapping with something soft, again. These storing instructions are easily adapted to other items that you might have laying around in the house.