Should you hang your Christmas tree lights vertically instead of horizontally?

There’s a viral TikTok I read about on Huffington Post where you run your Christmas tree lights up and down the tree vertically in a “zig zag” pattern. Most of us, including me, do it horizonallly. When I saw the title “You’ve Been Hanging Your Christmas Tree Lights All Wrong” I thought it was a clickbaity title to useless tip like those folding hacks that are impossible to do unless you train at The Gap. It’s surprisingly easy and awesome-looking though. I’ve included the original TikTok below and also a follow up, where the original creator, Clare Hoops, eats popcorn while watching user Kristi Reedy put the lights on her giant natural tree that way. It’s said to be quicker and easier to do, easier to switch out if one of your light chains breaks, and easier to take off. Plus it takes less lights! Here’s what they said in the videos if you can’t listen:

Claire Hoops’ original TikTok
If you coil your Christmas tree lights you’re doing it wrong. Decorating Christmas trees used to be part of my job. We use the zig zag method it means you don’t waste lights round the back of your tree and if a set breaks you can take them off really easily.

Kristi Reedy, follow up
Each year we get a large real tree. One of the most difficult parts is putting lights around the tree. It never fails we run out of lights and have to run out and get more or midway through the season one strand of lights will go out and it’s next to impossible to change the lights out once the ornaments are on. I saw another creator… instead of going horizontal around the tree she goes vertical. That way if a strand goes out it’s much simpler to take them off… it also takes a lot fewer lights.

Now that I saw this I’m mad I didn’t hear about it before I put my lights and decorations on my tree! I do the horizontal method where I start at the bottom and go row by row, going on top of one branch and under the next one repeating that all the way up. It’s a pain in the butt and invariably involves some cursing. Then you have to hang all the ornaments on top of that. This is a reminder to myself to try this next year! My tree is fully decorated and there’s no way I’m redoing all of that to try this out.

As a sidenote, I got a new artificial tree this year from that fancy mail order tree place, Balsam Hill. I got the cheapest 6.5 foot model, which was on sale for $200 and it came just two days after I ordered it! I wanted to get one from Lowes, the local big hardware store, but it was more expensive and had a delivery cost. Balsam Hill didn’t pay me for recommendation, although I’ll do some social media posts about them if they send me one of those big lighted wreaths. The tree looks really pretty and is close to natural-looking. Plus they sent two pair of gloves with it so you can fluff it out. It’s much nicer than the ratty one I had from Target.

This method saved me so many times 🎄#christmasdance #mumslifeinlockdown #festiveness

♬ Rocking Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

#duet with @kristireedy this explains the zig zag method way better!!! Thnx for sharing #festivemood #christmascountdown #christmasdance

♬ Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms

photos credit: Pixabay on Pexels, Karolina Hotyur and Jung Ho Park on Unsplash

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