The sparkle and glow of the Christmas season is slowly but surely over and many of the fairy lights are now returned to the attic, cellar or closet together with the Christmas decorations. As annoying as this clean-up job may be, you should give it enough attention and time so that you can get started easily the next time you decorate for Christmas. Tangled and knotted fairy lights are particularly nerve-wracking, so you should store all fairy lights correctly straight away. We have tips and tricks for this purpose.
Light chain reels: Buy or make yourself
There are special light chain winders available in different designs that you can use to store them perfectly. As the name suggests, the fairy lights are wound up very simply and carefully and just as easily unwound without knots before the next use.
But you don't necessarily have to go out and get such a winderStoring the Christmas decorationsbuy. You probably have one or two materials on hand that you can use as alternatives. Alternatively, the following household items are suitable if you want to store fairy lights properly:
Store fairy lights properly with hangers
How about storing the fairy lights hanging? Use for thissimple clothes hangers! Using adhesive tape, attach the beginning of the chain to one of the two pointed ends. Now wrap it around the hanger until you get to the other side. You can also glue the other end there. If you want, you can also pack the fairy lights by putting a breathable bag over it, for example. This protects them from moisture.
Any cardboard rolls for wrapping
Kitchen paper roll, Pringles can or toilet paper roll - you can easily wind fairy lights on any cardboard roll, depending on the length and bulb size. Small LED fairy lights, such as those used to illuminate bottles and glasses, can be wrapped around the smaller toilet rolls. However, longer chains require a little more space.
They seem to be the most practicalCans of Pringles, as they are wider than kitchen rolls and therefore offer more space. And if you wind the chain so that the plug is on the open side at the end, you can even store it in the box (or vice versa: put the plug in the box and then start winding from this end ). You can then make a hole in the lid and cut up to that hole. Then you can pull the cable through to the hole and close the socket so that the plug doesn't accidentally slip out.
Store fairy lights properly with simple cardboard
We are sure that you collected one or two cardboard boxes for Christmas. Before you throw them away, make use of some parts of them. You can make practical winders from a simple piece: simply cut the edges of two opposite sides and start winding. The cuts prevent slipping. When wound flat, as in this case, the fairy lights can be stored upright in a cupboard or box.
Build your own wooden stand for storage
A small board into which you drill holes in order to glue suitable wooden sticks into it - you now have a practical stand that you can use to wind the chains in order to store the fairy lights without knots. Maybe you still have an old plug-in game from your children when they were babies? Then you can simply remove the middle rods and only use the outer two for wrapping.
Further tips & tricks on how to store fairy lights correctly
- When winding the chains, you can attach the beginning to your winder with a piece of tape to make it easier for yourself.
- If the string lights are battery operated, be sure to remove the batteries before storing them. Use them for other electronic devices instead, because by next year they wouldn't just discharge. It can also leak acid, which is not only harmful to the environment but would also ruin your fairy lights.
- Try to wrap evenly so that the individual rows of cable are next to each other and do not overlap. Do not crush the bulbs.
- No matter how you store the fairy lights, you can also label them so that next time you know exactly what they were used for (for the Christmas tree, the tree in the garden, the banister, windows, etc.).
- Protect the fairy lights from moisture and direct sunlight.
Discard fairy lights
Did you notice when packing or unpacking that the fairy lights were no longer intact, or did they stop working during Christmas? Then you should dispose of them correctly (under no circumstances reuse them). The accessory contains small electrical parts, which is why household wasteno wayis suitable. Instead, simply take them to larger electronics retailers. You also don't have to pay anything for the service. Alternatively, recycling centers are also suitable.
