Decorating the Christmas tree should be a fun and magical time of the year, but nothing dampens the Christmas spirit like getting your Christmas ornament box down from the loft, only to be greeted with a tangled mass of string lights. Spending half a day trying to untangle the lights isn't exactly the epitome of festive fun, but we have a solution to help. Instead of tackling a headache-inducing problem, why not do some forward thinking, and wrap your lights away neatly so that next year's Christmas decorating is more of a pleasant experience? We've done some digging and found a viral hack that is going to make your life a whole lot easier.
The Christmas viral hack to make tidying easier
This Christmas lighting viral hack couldn't be simpler. All you need is a square of cardboard. Make two slits using scissors - one on either side of the cardboard cut-out. Thread your wire through with the plug on one end (firmly in place), then wind your wire around until there is none left, neatly threading the end of the string of lights through the other incision.
Make sure you leave a little space on either side so you can write on the cardboard and easily pick it up - it's so much easier than being greeted with a box of messy string lights every year. To help you get to grips with the hack, watch @makelifesimpler's easy tutorial.
Finally, make this hack all the easier with a notch on one edge to hold the light in place so you know exactly where to unwind, and think ahead by popping your cardboard cut-out in a zip bag to place in your ornament box. Because it's cardboard, you can also label the card with the lights - 'white, outdoor' or 'multicolored, Christmas tree' - for example, will help you remember where and what each stack of lights is used for. You could also use your cardboard cut-outs for tinsel or ribbon too.
What I love about this simple Christmas craft idea is that Christmas is a time when you'll have surplus cardboard floating around the home. From wrapping paper tubes that would otherwise get recycled, to bits of boxes that your gifts were packaged in, you certainly won't be short on cardboard - and this hack makes use of that! It's also great because you can unwind as you go, meaning you're not trailing your lights behind you, but rather controlling where you place each part of the string with your hand.
