After a decade or so of being the one responsible for arranging the Christmas lights on our artificial tree and getting scratched and generally beaten up by the tree every time (doesn't help that our tree has to go in a corner so the room is limited) I have finally discovered there is an easier way!

Instead of assembling the tree then winding the lights from the top down ending with the cord and plug, I started adding the lights from the bottom as I built the tree. I know the string was the right length, knew more or less how it should go and I didn't have to tangle with extra cord and plug. IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER. And it this how people normally do it, could someone have mentioned this earlier?!