When it comes to decorating for Christmas, there's no sight more iconic than a tree or house decked out in strings of lights. And when it comes to Christmas lights, a classic complaint is that no matter how carefully you put them away, they're always tangled the next year.
But one organizing expert on Instagram has a shockingly elegant solution — and all you need is a piece of packaging that you would otherwise throw out.
The scoop
Nicola Lewis (@thisgirlcanorganise) shares this incredible hack in a video on her Instagram.
"Want to avoid untangling clusters of Christmas lights next Christmas? … Get an empty can of Pringles."
In the video, Lewis shows viewers how to use scissors to cut two slits at the top of the can, on opposite sides. Then, she finds the ends of her string of lights. Since this strand only has a plug at one end, she takes the end without a plug and slots it into the two cuts she made. Then she coils the strand of lights around the Pringles tube.
In the end, she's left with the plug of her Christmas lights. She unhooks the original end from the lip of the can, feeds the plug end inside the can, and replaces the original end — turning an unruly strand of lights into a tame, easy-to-manage bundle. You can also put extra bulbs and fuses inside if your Christmas lights came with those.
"Then pop the lid on the Pringles can," she concluded in her description. "This will prevent any unraveling during storage."
How it's helping
When you store your lights this way, you'll save yourself time and headaches next year when you're ready to decorate again. It's cheap, it's simple, and it'll even keep big tangles of Christmas lights from getting in the way when you go through your storage space.
It's also great from an environmental perspective. Not only are you keeping the Pringles can out of the landfill, but by caring for your Christmas lights, you'll extend their life. That means less money spent on replacements and less e-waste going in the garbage can.
What everyone's saying
Commenters were eager to try the trick with their own decorations.
"Argh! Just saw this and now will have to finish the Pringles to get the tube!" said one user.
Another simply called it, "Brilliant."
"This is so satisfying," said another user.
"Wow! We're just about to open a can of Pringles — it's meant to be!" another commenter joked.
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