I know, I’ve posted this at least once on my blog before. I can’t help it. This is by far the best packing up tip ever! If you are a REAL Christmas fan and have a REAL Christmas tree decked out with multiple strands of lights, then you need to know this!
All you do is start with one end of the strand. Put the first light at the bottom of your palm and pull the 2nd light to the top (vertical across your palm). The, while you are pinching/holding the 2nd bulb, pull the 3rd bulb down the the 1st. Like so…
Then keep matching the odd and even bulbs.
Eventually, it will look like this.
Then once you get them all in your tight little fist…
Just wrap the remaining cord around and plug it back in!
Now isn’t that better than my husband’s wrap job?
And it only takes about a minute a strand–it’s way easy! The best part is next Christmas when you dust off your boxes full of decor, your little strands of lights will be ready to go! You just hold it in your hand and wrap it right around the tree. No de-tangling, no pulling them across the floor, just easy tree lighting!
There you go. Pretty cool, huh?
Merry TakingChristmasDecorationsDown!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a FANTASTIC tutorial! We put 1500 lights on our tree this year and DESPERATELY need a way to store the lights (other than ball them up like your husband!) Super fun! Thanks!
There should be a web portal or something for pages like this – Most Useful Tips Ever. Fabulous. Happy New Year and Thanks.
NIIIIIICCCCCEEEEE! Great idea!
I am more like your husband and my husband packs his just as you do yours–I have to admit, much easier to pull out the following year.
.-= Jackie´s last blog ..When Left Unattended =-.
Ours are already put away, but I’ll try this next year (if I remember).
.-= Moriah @ Please Pass the Salt´s last blog ..Half therapy, half practicality =-.
This is one of the smartest things I’ve ever seen. Thanks for sharing.
Stopping by from Musings of a Housewife.
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..I resolve to… =-.
You are an absolute GENIUS! Mine, unfortunately look like your husbands, but not anymore!
.-= Alexia´s last blog ..Happy New Year! =-.
Going to ask my darling daughter if she’ll re-wrap the lights she did today before we put them up in the attic. Hers look just like your husband’s bundle. Thanks for the great tip!
.-= Sherra´s last blog ..Southern Babies =-.
Ooooooh yeah, this is what I did last year, but I totally forgot! No wonder they came out so easily! Thanks for the reminder, I would have definitely done it the “wrong way”!
.-= Meeks´s last blog ..We’re all in it together =-.
Strange this post is totaly irrelevant to the search query I entered in google but it was listed on the first page. – The food here is terrible, and the portions are too small. – Woody Allen Born 1935
Twitter: motherdaughters
December 27, 2010 at 11:21 pm
I love fingerless gloves! A couple years ago, when I did more knitting than I do now, I cranked out several pairs. Honestly, my hands aren’t often cold, but I think they’re a fun and cute accessory. Not exactly a classic look, but totally hipster.
Elizabeth´s last [type] ..A Tale of Cream Cheese Frosting
I can seriously put this to good use today! Thanks for the tip! See this is why you are on my top 5 list of best blogs! Happy New Year!
Karen Beagles´s last [type] ..Joseph! J-O-S-E-P-H! We love you!
Twitter: oohamanda
December 29, 2010 at 2:54 pm
*blush*
I love LED lights but never ever put them outdoors, they are not water proof and will only last one season, bad for still “expensive” string. The wire they use to make the LED will corrode in water, they literally rust away. I plenty of pictures to show.
I store my lights in boxes in layers of newspaper to keep them separated with one another. The strings gathered like regular extension cords around the arm and tied with the plug ends.
{ 6 trackbacks }