3 simple tricks to keep your Christmas lights untangled

Store your Christmas lights to save and reuse them for years to come using these simple tips.

Christmas is a great time to decorate both the inside and outside of your house, but it can be dreadful to deal with Christmas lights that have gotten tangled in storage.

By the time you open them up again next year, you might be tempted just to throw them away and start all over.

Thankfully, there are ways to salvage your lights and keep them manageable so you don't have to spend hours untangling them every year.

One way to keep your lights in good shape is to cut some heavy cardboard into rectangles.

• Use scissors to snip a notch on one side where you can tuck the end of the lights to keep it secure.
• Wrap the strand of lights around the cardboard and tuck the other end into another notch when you're done wrapping.

Buy some long and strong twist tabs to wrap around your lights.

• Take the strand of bulbs and fold it into loops across your fist so the length of each loop is about 30 centimetres long and you are holding the middle of the loop in your palm.
• Use the twist ties to secure the lights at each end, using a third tie to secure the lights in the middle. This will keep lights from tangling or breaking.
• Store them in a garbage bag or canvas sack for extra protection.

Another way to keep your lights safe and sound is to wrap them around the cardboard tubes you find in rolls of paper towels.

• Cut a notch into one end of the tube and tuck the end of the light into it.
• Start wrapping the lights slowly around the tube and when you get to one end, circle back and start up again on a second layer.
• Secure the second end of the lights in another notch, and they should stay safe and unbroken in storage.

These are just a few ways to keep your Christmas lights organized and undamaged all year. With a little planning and effort, your favourite lights will be ready to illuminate your house again next Christmas, hassle-free.