By Hayden Simonis, owner of Gentle Giant Holiday Light
Has hanging your holiday lights been a chore for you in the past because you spent all day detangling light strings from the year before? Follow these easy steps to use the yarn-ball method, used by professionals for easy storage and safe, even light hanging. This process is sure to make hanging and storing your lights easier and a more joyful process for all your holiday seasons to come!
As you pull your lights out of storage, check them and make sure they are worthy of another year in this harsh winter environment. Look for any damage to individual bulbs or the wires.
If your lights are still safe to be used, take the time to detangle them gently. Even though it may slow you down, it will be worth it later.
Take the “female” end of the strand of lights and hold it between your thumb and fingers. Start wrapping the lights around your hand with the end of the strand still exposed (you will want to access this at the end of the process). Do about 3 wraps around your hand.
Slide the lights off your hand and continue to wrap the strand around, creating a ball.
If you’re going to store the lights, plug the “male” end into the “female” end.
If you’re going to start decorating, you can now start wrapping the lights safely, quickly, and evenly around a tree or anything else you’re decorating!
Bonus tip: Hire friends or family to help you turn all your light strands into balls! Pay a flat rate per ball. You can even make it a competition and see who can make the most holiday light “yarn balls!”
Have a save and joyous holiday season from our team here at Gentle Giant Holiday Lighting!