Another holiday and you are on the ladder wrapping the strings of lights around the outdoor Christmas tree. It is bitter cold and your fingers are too numb to untangle the mess of twisted up lights. Believe it or not, there are easier ways to hang Christmas lights on an outdoor tree.

Lights on a Roll

Hang Christmas lights in the traditional way, but start from the bottom. Keep the end of the cord with the plug closest to the ground for easier access to the electrical outlet. The easiest way to do this is to use an empty wrapping paper roll and wind the lights around this first. This will help against tangles and knots as you make your way up the tree with the lights. The lights easily unroll and it is even easier if you have a helper holding the roll and feeding the lights to you as you hang them. Circle the tree, draping the lights about a foot away from each level as you go up around the tree. This will ensure that when the lights are turned on, they will look evenly dispersed. Clip them with light clips every few feet so they will stay in place.

Lights on a Net

Buy the outdoor Christmas lights that are sold in sheets of netting. These lights are easy to lay across the tree and there is no guessing on how far apart the lights should be, they are placed just right on the netting. Open the package of netted lights up and drape one on each side of the tree, this time starting from the top. Each net should cover one half of width of the tree. Depending how big your tree is, you will need a few more to go down the length. Use the light clips to keep them in place as you would the traditional strands of lights.

Make Your Own Sheets of Lights

Make your own light netting if you have some favorite lights or an abundance of them that you want to use instead of buying more. Buy a roll of green netting that's used to cover a garden. Find small twisting ties, like the ones that come on the bread bags, as these will attach your lights to the net. Put the lights back and forth in lines about 8 inches to a foot apart. Make as many as you need to fit around your tree. The green lightweight net blends into the tree. .

Source:

Holiday Christmas Tree, Learning the Easy Way, How to Hang Outdoor Christmas Lights

Better Homes and Gardens, How to Decorate a Christmas Tree