Decorating for Christmas can be such a joyful experience: the colorful ornaments, the stockings hung with care, and all those twinkling Christmas lights. But if you didn't take care to store your Christmas lights properly last year, you're in for quite the "bah-humbug" moment as you try and untangle them come December.
Rather than turn into Scrooge, learn a few ways to wrap and store Christmas lights so that next year, you'll roll merrily along as you decorate with ease. Bonus: Properly storing lights means less damage. Double bonus: You won't have to spend a lot to store lights because plenty of these ideas use household items.
First, make sure you know how to hang Christmas lights because the most important way to begin this process is to remove them in the reverse order of how you hung them. That way, you have less tangles and set yourself up for success. Now let's get wrapping―lights, that is! (Wrapping gifts is another topic entirely.)
Keep the Original Packaging
If you just bought new lights, hold onto the packaging. Most lights come in trays and held together with industrial-strength twist ties, which you can reuse after the season is over. It helps if you take note of how they were wrapped initially so you can do your best to mimic that process. Don't stress too much if they don't fit exactly in the box itself. In fact, it's better if you wrap them in a little bit of bubble wrap and place them in a sturdier plastic container.
Wrap Lights Around Cardboard
Check that recycle bin! You can use a flat piece of cardboard to wrap your lights around it. Before you decide the width of the cardboard, designate the storage container you want to use. It should have several inches of space on all sides so you can pad the finished product with bubble wrap.
Once you decide the size of cardboard, make a slit on one side and tuck the first end into it. Then carefully wrap the lights around the cardboard from one end to the other. You can pack them in snuggly. Tuck the second end into the slit to keep them in place or you can tape the end to secure. Then, wrap in a layer or two of bubble wrap before placing in a storage container.
Grab a Cardboard Cylinder
Repurpose those leftover wrapping paper or paper towel tubes! Tuck and tape one end inside the tube, then wrap the lights around the tube, tucking the other end inside and taping that, too. Then you know what to do: Wrap it in bubble wrap and place it in a storage container.
Buy a Cord Storage Wheel
Much like a garden hose wheel that you might have in your yard, they make smaller ones for extension cords. And they work much the same: You tuck one end in and then crank the handle to wind the lights onto the inner wheel. Many storage wheels also come with covers, so you don't have to worry about extra padding. But of course, a layer of bubble wrap around the wheel couldn’t hurt.
Storage Essentials for Christmas Lights
Perforated Cushioning Bubble Wrap
Plastic Storage Bins Containers with Lids
Cord Storage Reel
AnnMarie Mattila is the Commerce Editor for The Pioneer Woman, covering products ranging from home, fashion, beauty, and more.
