Let’s be honest: putting up dazzling lights on your house isn’t easy. We’ve all been wrapping, looping, and basically choking plants and gutters with lights for years. Yes, it appears like a party at night. But you should try to take them down in January. It’s like playing tug-of-war with an octopus on Christmas top rated holiday lighting companies.
Old-school stringing—up one side, down the other, around every shrub, back over the fence, oops, missed a patch—makes a tangle of spaghetti that would scare a cat. There is a way that is faster, cleaner, and surprisingly easy. Instead of wrapping your lights around in a horizontal way, try hanging them vertically.
Yes, up and down. You read that right. This is how: Begin at the roofline or the gutter. Let each thread hang straight down to the ground or the base of your home. Make the cords look like candy cane stripes by spacing them out. Take a step back. Look. Instant balance. Arranged.
You don’t have to weave in and out of thorny shrubs like you’re in an Indiana Jones movie anymore. Vertical lines make things look more modern. Plus, it’s easy to change the spacing on the fly. If you want a fuller look, try bunching them up closely. For style, keep it simple.
Cleaning up is easy. The threads aren’t tied up in tree branches or stuck on things. It’s as easy as unhooking and rolling up. You’ll be done before you can say, “Why did I ever do it the old way?”
Need some advice? For the top, use plastic hooks or light clips under the shingles or gutters. Don’t use tape or staples unless you enjoy pulling off sticky stuff next season. A tent peg or a basic garden post works great to keep lines taut on the bottom.
Are you worried that the lights may waver in the wind? To keep it from moving, wrap a twist tie around the middle and attach it to a bush, tree, or nail that isn’t too obvious. No more strands that flash and flap like scary ghosts.
Try out different color combinations. For a candy cane effect, try alternating lines of white and colorful bulbs. You could also go “icicle-style” and stagger the lengths to get a dripping effect without having to deal with special icicle lights.
Next Christmas, don’t undertake the Griswold-style ladder marathon or the tradition of untangling yards of seasonal knots. Put those lights up vertically, relax through December, and give yourself a pat on the back for being smarter than you were before. Your January self will be grateful. Your sanity will too.