One of the most dreaded parts of the post-holiday season is upon us. Storing holiday lights. But as much as you may hate putting those strings away now, carefully stashing them after the holiday madness means that when you go to take them out next year life will be a little bit easier.
Of course, before you put any of these ideas to use, remember to check that your lights are all in working order. If you see any frayed cords, broken lights, or other damage that can’t easily be repaired, it’s time to discard the strand.
(It’s also time to head to the store—you may be able to find Christmas decorations for as much as 80 percent off, so if they aren’t gone yet, now’s the time to stock up on LED lights for next year!)
Should you choose to use the old-fashioned method of winding the strands around your arm, here’s the best technique I’ve found: Hold the plug in your hand and bend your arm in an “L.” Then, with your other hand, loop the strand around your elbow and up between your thumb and forefinger until the entire strand is neatly wrapped around your arm. For an alternative way to do this technique that allows you to easily package the lights in a plastic bag, check out this handy YouTube video.
Want something a little tidier this year than the old hand-and-arm wrapping trick? Here are some supplies to help you keep your lights in order—easy!
Empty wrapping paper tubes. You probably have them on hand already, so why not put them to good use? Sarah Aguirre at about.com recommends cutting a small slit in each end of the wrapping tube, threading the end of a set of lights through the slit, and wrapping the lights around the tube. Then just thread the other end through the opposite slit and you’re done.
A piece of cardboard. As Martha recommends, storing lights is easy when you use pieces of cardboard cut to fit a plastic storage bin. Chrisjob at Curbly does a nice job of walking you through the steps involved in doing just that—I think I’ll follow Chrisjob’s instructions this year and try this method myself.
Storage reels. Holiday light storage reels—which can be purchased online—will keep all your lights tidy and safely stashed in one place.
Storage kits. Here’s another product if the cardboard ideas above just won’t cut it. This kit allows you to funnel a string of lights into a plastic bag. Once they’re in the bag, you can roll the lights up for storage next year.
Do you have other creative ways for storing holiday lights from year to year? Share them here!
Until 2008,
The Home Know-It-All
Note: The Home Know-It-All does not endorse the quality or effectiveness of any of the products listed above.
Such a wonderful post! Switch in to led holiday lights beacause it's much cheaper and energy efficient.
Posted by: Led holiday Lights | May 08, 2011 at 12:28 AM