What Is The Best Way To Store Christmas Lights?

I know that we can have a love-hate relationship with Christmas Lights because they are pretty when they are up, but when you have to take them down and store them, it can become a problem, not this year but next time you want to use them.

So, what is the best way to store Christmas lights so you don’t have a fight with them next year being in a tangled mess that you just throw in a box and hope that next year you have some patients when putting them up?

It’s about creating the right Christmas Storage Solutions so you can put things away quickly but also get them out easily when you need them.

There are lots of options out there, so there is no excuse for just dumping them in the box with the idea that they will be fine!

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The Best Way To Store Christmas Lights

Let’s just think for a moment, there is a multitude of different lights we can now buy and not all lights are going to be suitable for the Christmas tree, you have to distinguish the different types of lights and the easiest way to do this is to label the lights and the storage solution with the type of lights and what they are for.

You can use labels or even small pieces of tape to indicate which set of lights is which, such as a “tree lights” label or “rope lights” label. This will save time when trying to find the correct lights for each holiday occasion.

I love to use my D30 Phomemo label maker, it is simple to use and you don’t require any ink, just labels.

It can also be helpful to organize your lights by color. Put all the white lights in one box, all the red lights in another, and so on.

This will make it easier to find the right lights for each holiday project.

Free Storage Options For Christmas Tree Lights

You don’t have to buy storage devices for your Christmas tree lights, there are some ways that you can use simple items that you already have and still have perfectly stored lights that aren’t a tangled mess.

Sometimes the packaging that the lights come in is suitable for reusing as storage when you aren’t using the lights. Not all light packaging is made to help store lights after the first use, don’t assume it to be the case.

Think how you could use it, if not use a piece of cardboard, like the side of a breakfast cereal box, carefully wind the lights around this card and use that as your storage method for the year.

Alternatively, if you leave the tree together you may want to consider leaving them on the tree for the next year.

Make Your Own Light Storage

You don’t have to do anything elaborate but there are some things you can make to store your lights.

A wooden spindle that has wooden discs on the ends so the lights can’t fall off.

Use a selection of cable ties to keep the lights together in a loop

Make a wreath shape from cardboard and wrap the lights around this to keep them organized and untangled.

No matter which storage option you choose, it is important to make sure that the lights are secure.

Purchase Christmas Light Storage

If you want to have the light storage made for you purchasing a system will be perfectly adequate and will do the job too.

Not All Christmas Lights Are Made For Trees

There are so many different types of lights that you can get and they aren’t made just to go on trees but they do need to be taken care of too.

Outdoor string lights are pretty and if they have the small bulbs winding them onto a winder is going to keep them untangled and ready to use.

However, there are some string lights that contain larger bulbs and you really need to take these off before storage as they might break winding them onto a light storage device.

Place the bulbs in a bauble storage bag to protect the bulbs but keep the bulbs and the cable together.

Projectors are lights and will need to be dried, cleaned, and stored in their original packaging and then in a plastic tub to keep them safe for next the following season.

Curtain lights I would fold and then roll, being careful not to get anything tangled in the process.

For dangly lights that fall off a single cord, I would wind up to the cord and attach each strand to the rope and then wind onto rope onto a card or similar type of organizer.

Where You Store Holiday Lights

Additionally, it is important to store your lights in a safe and dry place, such as a climate-controlled storage unit. This will help keep them in good condition and ready to be used for many years.

But you also need to be able to locate those lights when you need them and this is why it’s so important that you label your holiday light storage container not only with the type of holiday light, like ‘lights for tree’ but also the color of the lights too.

This makes it easier to find lights if you are having a different color scheme so make sure you right the color of the lights when labeling them.

Other Resources To Help You Organize The Holiday Season.

Let’s be real the holiday season can suck, there is so much to do and think about that often it’s nice to have some tips all in one place.

• How To Declutter Toys Before Christmas?
• The Best Way To Store Christmas Decorations
• How To Get Your Home Really Clean Before Christmas