There is no more annoying aspect of the festive season than unpacking the fairy lights for your Christmas tree, only to find a tangled knot of wire and blown bulbs.
Decorating your tree should be an enjoyable experience, but issues like this can turn it into a chore. So, how can you stop your lights from getting into that state in the first place?
The hanger option
One good way to prevent wire tangles is to wind your lights around a spare coat hanger when it comes time to take the decorations down.
Ideally, you would use a hanger made of plastic that has notches for shirts on it. Just slip one end of the wire under one of these notches, and then wind the rest along it until you reach the other one. This second notch can be used to hold it all in place.
The box method
You may be thinking, “I already put my lights in a box”, but this a craftier storage method.
Take one of the many empty cardboard boxes left after the festivities, and cut a rectangle out of it. Then just wind the wire of lights around this opening, taking care to avoid overlaps.
A tubular solution
If you have cardboard tubes lying around from your Christmas crisps consumption, you can use them to wind your lights around to avoid knotty problems.
Just wrap them round the exterior, and then slip the plug into the inside part. Paper tubes can also work, but less well, as they are generally flimsier.
We hope these tips and tricks help to give you a more stress- and tangle-free Christmas!
