Don't throw it out! These 3 items always end up in the trash, but experts say you can use them to store your Christmas lights instead

I love decorating for Christmas — mulled wine in hand, Holiday music blasting, and a festive candle burning. Undecorating for Christmas? I'm not as much of a fan. It causes me mild stress, especially when dealing with those pesky decorations that are really hard to store.

I'm mostly talking about Christmas lights, which are just renowned for being a total pain. I used to wrap mine around my hand and lay them neatly in my Christmas basket, or place them into one of my stockings and hope for the best the following year, but somehow, they always come out tangled.

Well, not anymore as I've come across a hack that is a complete game-changer — and it won't even cost you a dime.

There are certain items that you really want to avoid throwing in the trash over the Holidays. Because when it's used the right way, this trash can be used as a means of wrapping your Christmas lights. This way, you can avoid the whole untangling situation entirely come December 2026. Yes, we're truly thinking ahead.

'Tis the season to be practical, some might say.

3 items to keep this Christmas, to use to store your lights in 2026

Thanks to Mehran Charania, property and storage expert at Ready Steady Store , here are 3 handy suggestions of ways to store your lights, using things already at home.

1. Pringles tubes

Coming in at number one is the classic Pringles tube. Slide the socket part of your lights, or the battery, into the tube and loosely pop the lid on (or tape it on).

Wrap your lights around the tube and use another piece of tape to hold the end of the string of lights to the tube. Easy, and it'll save this tube from landfill — win win!

2. A coat hanger (the wire kind)

Wire coat hangers have no place in my closet. Sorry, but I find them annoying — they can't hold anything that has a bit of weight to it.

Instead, grab yours and turn it 180 degrees. Wrap the lights around the coat hanger, using its hook to hold the socket or battery part.

Again, you can use tape to stick the lights to the wire.

3. A sheet of cardboard

We mean the thick kind, as the thicker the better, really.

Just wrap your lights around this piece of cardboard and lay it into one of your Christmas storage boxes, and it should stay tangle-free.

Otherwise, you could cut lines vertically down each side of the cardboard, and the lights can slot into here to keep them in place.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

More from Tom's Guide

• 9 interior design tricks to make a big impact on a small entryway
• This $12 gadget from IKEA has just solved my dark hallway problem
• 7 ways to upgrade your home for the new year on a budget