You and the fam have finally decided it’s time to put up Christmas decorations, so you grab all the bins tucked away in storage and start digging through to find those bright, sparkly LED lights you all love so much. Now don’t get me wrong. We all love decorating our Christmas trees, but circling around the tree over and over again making the lights perfect can be such a hassle.
That’s where this ingenious TikTok hack saves the day! It turns out there’s a much easier way to string up lights and without using so many at a time. Here’s how and why you should be hanging your lights vertically.
It’s All About the Vertical
When it comes to decorating with lights, we’re used to wrapping them around the tree over and over until we get from top to bottom. That can prove to be quite a task when you’re anywhere under 5’7″. But, according to this amazing TikTok video, we can put all that unnecessarily hard work behind us.
In the video, TikTok user @lizlovery explains that we should be hanging our Christmas lights vertically (from top to bottom) instead of horizontally (all the way around). But why is this better? According to her, not only do you use fewer lights in the process, but they’re much easier to deal with and look a lot neater. On top of all that, if you find you have a pesky row of lights that don’t seem to be working anywhere, they can be replaced with ease!
@lizlovery
Wow what a difference this made! Thank you @mrsclarehoops ! 🎄 #HolidayVibes #christmas #holidaydecor #homedecor #decortips #IntroVideo #hometips
♬ O, Christmas Tree – Christmas
This is the ideal hack for any kind of tree, real or fake. And if you’ve opted for the half Christmas tree this year, this technique means you’ll be able to save even more lights. If only setting up lights outside were this easy, eh? The good news is Walmart will install those pesky outdoor lights for you this year.
We Love a Good Christmas Hack
One of the best parts of stringing your lights up in this manner is the fact that you can decorate your tree in sections. If you’re only going to see half of the tree, you don’t have to worry about decorating the back. Maybe you want different lights and ornaments on different sides? The process is all up to you. And, you know, we shorties appreciate the help, too.
If you’re looking to shake up Christmas this year, start with our favorite alternative Christmas trees. They’re the perfect talking point for any (socially distant) holiday party!
Christmas Tree Cookies
Delight family and friends with these holly jolly evergreens. Iced with creamy frosting and dusted with sparkly colored sugars, the 3-D cookie trees are as delicious as they are beautiful!—Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Buttery Herb Christmas Tree
Your guests will adore this pull-apart treat shaped like a festive evergreen. Each roll is tender, flaky and flavored with a homemade herb butter, sure to make mouths water. If you like, add decorations to the tree using seasonings or veggies. —Kathryn Pollock, Tropic, Utah
Festive Guacamole Appetizers
For ages, my brother's family and I have gotten together on Christmas Eve, and we always eat Christmas snacks while we open our presents. This Tex-Mex spin on classic appetizer pizza is one we have again and again. —Laurie Pester, Colstrip, Montana
Lemon Shortbread Tree
Here's a fun holiday recipe children can help with. And no cookie cutters are needed! I just shape the dough into a triangular log, refrigerate it and cut it into tree-shaped slices to bake and decorate. Broken pretzel sticks form the tree trunks. —Phyllis Schmalz, Kansas City, Kansas
Tropical Butterhorn Trees
Coconut turns ordinary butterhorn rolls into a tropical treat! The tree shape is fun for Christmas. —Carolyn Faust, Caldwell, Texas
Mocha Truffle Trees
I serve my layered, Kahlua-spiked wedges every year at our annual Christmas party. They're so decadent, and the Pirouette cookies for the tree trunks make them fun. —Erica Janssen, Lindstrom, Minnesota
Touch-of-Gold Christmas Trees
You can decorate these pretty Christmas trees with other types of sprinkles if you don't have the gold dust. The filling alone makes the cookies special and so delicious! —Linda Sweet, Cornwall, New York
Gingerbread Sandwich Trees
Fun and festive, these cookie sandwich trees will be a huge hit with kids of all ages. They're a super-cute holiday treat! —Steve Foy, Kirkwood, Missouri
Christmas Tree Savory Rolls
Topped with festive pepper stars, this appetizer tree consists of tender yeast rolls with a savory cream cheese filling. It's good with or without the crabmeat. —Maryalice Wood, Langley, British Columbia
Christmas Tree Brownies
My son, Jeremy, is 36 but acts as if he's 5 when he sees these brownies—I've been making them for more than 30 years! My daughter, Jayme, and my four grandchildren love them, too. If you're short on time, a boxed mix works just fine. —Jeannine Schneider, Fremont, California
Coconut Yule Trees
People say they love my coconut macaroon-like Christmas trees because they look so festive. Once decorated, these trees light up a room—just like the real thing. —Michelle Retterer, Marysville, Ohio
Cinnamon-Roll Christmas Tree
It's so fast and easy to make these rolls for the holiday. What a sweet way to celebrate Christmas morning! —Alyssa Helm, Caledonia, Michigan
Stacked Christmas Tree Cookies
Using prepared cookie dough gives you a nice head start to your own little forest of Christmas trees. Get the kids involved in this holiday craft to keep them busy making memories.—Sue Draheim, Waterford, Wisconsin
Creme de Menthe Cream Puff Tree
A tower of creme de menthe-flavored puffs makes a spectacular centerpiece for your dessert table. Guests will have this sumptuous pyramid deconstructed in no time at all! —Agnes Ward, Stratford, Ontario
Lemon-Rosemary Cutout Trees
I recommend serving these cookies with tea. They're not too sweet and the lemon and rosemary pair well with a cup of Earl Grey tea.—Sarah Reynolds, Victoria, British Columbia
Garlic-Herb Parmesan Rolls
Fresh-baked yeast rolls are always a hit at dinners. To make it easy on the cook, these start in the bread machine. They are arranged in a tree-shape for the Yuletide season, but they can also be baked in a 13x9-inch baking pan. —Lorri Reinhardt, Big Bend, Wisconsin
Lime Christmas Tea Cookies
Brighten your holiday cookie tray with these tangy frosted fir trees that are flecked with pistachios and flavored with lime juice and vanilla. They're a deliciously different cutout cookie. —Mary Ann Taday, East Lyme, Connecticut
Peppermint Cheesecake on a Stick
Surprise guests with a fun holiday treat—dipped cheesecake wedges you can eat without a fork. Whenever my son has one, he jokes that he wants to quit his job so he can sell them! —Maria Morelli, Kelowna, British Columbia
Chocolate Shortbread Trees
You can use this rollout chocolate cookie dough to create all kinds of shapes and sizes, but I like to make trees because they are so easy to decorate. —Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, MissouriThe post This Viral Video Shows How to Hang Christmas Lights the Easy Way appeared first on Taste of Home.
Melany Love