Worst Christmas decorating job ever...

[Lightseverywhere]

Half an hour in, putting two sets of Christmas lights on the tree, already on my third attempt! Taking a break with a brew (rather it was a Baileys) to assess the situation. This HAS to be the worst job of decorating, or am I just being a Scrooge?!!

If you were a Scrooge you wouldn't be putting up your decorations in November

The mistake you made was not drinking the Baileys first. Everyone knows alcohol is mandatory when putting up Christmas decorations!

We’ve bought a pre lit one this year. It also works with Alexa so there’s no digging around under the tree to try to get to the switch 😂. Saying ‘Alexa turn the Christmas lights on’ will at least keep us mildly amused for a while!

I am fucking hopeless at decorating trees. I've no idea how people get them to look nice. How do you get the lights even? And tinsel in the right spots? Mine always looks like it was done by a toddler.

I hate putting the lights on the tree. I have absolutely no patience so just lob them at it.

DH does it

I also have no patience for taking them off the tree so just chuck them in a box.

Every year when I get them out I say that I will put them away properly this time - never do.

Third attempt, tree is lightless at the bottom and very bright at the top...

@ParadiseLaundry, I'm with you here, off to the (newly stocked) alcohol cupboard, Baileys must be able to help, right?!!

@coldspaghettio, I might just blame it on the toddler!!

I've got a pop up tree in my bedroom. Yesterday I had the bright idea of replacing all the lurid coloured baubles with subtle ones which I then ruined the effect of by adding bright pink lights. It was a horrible job trying to attach new baubles to the plastic attachments, while fielding the cat, who likes to steal them!

Old mn hack , rather than going round your tree the lights should go up and down if that makes sense

I went rogue this year and bought coloured light and some lametta, threw it all at the tree and called it 80s inspired . It's a lot less faffing.

I always made the mistake of unraveling every light and putting them round the tree that way which meant they'd just tangle up midway round. This year once I'd untangled the bastards and got all the knots out the wires. (Why do they always seem to tangle up when you put them away no matter how tidily they go back in the box) I wrapped them back around my hand and starting from the bottom of the tree began to wrap the lights around each branch. So much easier. The only downside is my tree is snow effect one, my lights are black not clear so it is annoying when I can see the wire. It's bauble placing I'm shit at.

Just bought a new set of 750 (think it is 750, 700 something anyway) LED warm white and a set of 480 colour. Ever since I watched a few u tube videos and realised that you are supposed to wind them in and out and not just go round and round the tree I have been hankering after enough lights to be able to do it so I am quite excited about trying them next week. Got the 480 coloured because I have been using warm white and cold white for a few years and am thinking if surprising everyone with coloured tree lights and a mixed theme next year. Usually i go for a base of one or two colours only. Will see what tge coloured ones are like next year. Bit dubious as I've read that colour LEDs are a bit grotty!

Lozz22
I am also shit st bauble placing. Then again, I have the artistic flare of a mongoose!!

@Longbarn5 snap!! I don't think I ever progressed from drawing the sun in the corner of the paper and a couple of stick men

Hehe 🤣

@giggly

Old mn hack , rather than going round your tree the lights should go up and down if that makes sense

How does that work?

Trees are more narrow at the top 🤔

Old mn hack , rather than going round your tree the lights should go up and down if that makes sense

OMG - mind blown!

Trees are more narrow at the top

How about different length zig zags? So alternate going 1/3 up the tree then 2/3 then all the way to the top? Or whatever proportions work.

I am totally trying that this year! can't be worse than my usual attempts

How about different length zig zags? So alternate going 1/3 up the tree then 2/3 then all the way to the top? Or whatever proportions work.

I am so going to try this 😂

There was thread the other day about women acting helpless making men do things that they could easily do like take the bins out, etc etc.

Putting the lights on the tree is definitely my acting helpless thing. I'm perfectly fecking capable of doing it, & did when I lived at home, but I really cba because it's an utter faff, so Dh does it not at all helpful. I do the baubles while he tells me about any bare areas. I do take the whole lots off, lights included, when it all comes down.

Did mine yesterday. Two sets and all the baubles and decorations.
Woke up this morning and one set has stopped working. Fml!

This is why we bought a pre-lit tree this year 😂

I wrap one set of lights one way around the tree then do second the other way, so they criss cross each other. Might add red lights this year.

I think I just have a low threshold of what I think looks nice. I just twist them round the tree...never found it difficult. We always get a real tree so maybe that has something to do with it as it looks on fake trees like the branches are so close together so maybe that makes it more difficult?

I've been to Lidl today and got some new lights. There is a circle that goes over the top of the tree and there are lights that cascade down from the circle all the way down the tree. Apparently.
I can't link it because I don't know how otherwise I could show you!

helpful video showing both how to string lights up and how many you need per 1ft of tree. Invaluable!