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I can't do it. I just can't do it!

(36 Posts)
jinglbellsfrocks Mon 22-Dec-14 12:41:17

get the flippin' lights on the Xmas tree properly!

I mean, so that they look right. I've had them on and off the tree twice now and they still lack that, well , rightness! Does anyone else find this the most scream making jobs of all the Xmas things? I've been at it an hour now for goodness sake. And I'm back with my head in my hands, craving a mince pie. And they're not made yet. Helllppp!!!

[Wrings hands in despair]

Anne58 Mon 22-Dec-14 12:46:11

I find the lights the trickiest bit too jings, that's why I get Mr P to do it!

sunseeker Mon 22-Dec-14 12:47:38

I gave up this year a bought a pre-lit tree!

Riverwalk Mon 22-Dec-14 12:48:05

I got mine right, first time tchwink

J52 Mon 22-Dec-14 12:52:30

We have two sets one does top half, the other the bottom bit. Seem to work well. X

Anne58 Mon 22-Dec-14 12:56:14

We have 2 sets, both are the clear sort (i.e not coloured) but they are slightly different and don't look right if we use one at the top and one a the bottom, so Mr P has to sort of mix them. He has the patience of a saint! tchgrin

baubles Mon 22-Dec-14 12:56:42

Lights on first evenly spaced. Turn them on, stand back & with half closed eyes check there are no gaps.

Adjust where necessary and continue with baubles etc. tchgrin

granjura Mon 22-Dec-14 13:01:13

Put candles on, like what I do ;)

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 22-Dec-14 13:03:26

Daughter is having a go now. She is doing no better than me! tchhmm

Yes, we've got two sets. One set like little drums, and one set with flower "lampshades". I think it complicates things.

Teetime Mon 22-Dec-14 13:04:36

Mine is one of those fibre -optic thingys - DH loves it and wouldn't understand if I told him its a bit tacky. when we used to have light (only white ones please) I started at the top so that the star/angle is well lit and then wind downwards in a spiral so that the lead and plug are at the back- this always seems to come out right.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 22-Dec-14 13:05:35

I would love candles granjura but DH seems to be a scaredy-Mary. I've told him we had no real disasters when I was little.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 22-Dec-14 13:08:42

She's done it! DD's got the buggers them on beautifully!

All's well in jingl-land again. tchsmile

Elegran Mon 22-Dec-14 13:09:31

Mine are not long eonough to spiral, so I zigzag them down the front and ignore the side against the wall.

Why is it that when you lay them out across the floor, they all work perfectly, but by the time they are on the tree, one is dead?

loopylou Mon 22-Dec-14 13:18:18

Me too*Elegran*, especially as bought new CT and didn't realise it's 7 foot tall (ancient CT was 4' 6"......so lights wouldn't stretch around it)
DH and I nearly came to blows putting up the outside lights earlier on, so he's now out there in the rain determined to get every bulb to light up ( I don't think they were all twinkling last year), will be binned when they come down me thinks! tchgrin! It might be some time before he's finished....

Agus Mon 22-Dec-14 13:19:31

I switch the lights on first then arrange them around the tree, stand back, have a look and shuffle them about a bit, that's it. However, this year, after about 10mins, 6 of them went kaput! Did a bit of reshuffling and they are at the wall side unseen. That's it for this year, I'm done! tchgrin

rubysong Mon 22-Dec-14 13:20:37

Congratulations jings that's another job out of the way. Have a wine to celebrate. I have the cake half iced and then it's mince pie making. I should log off and go and find the (artificial) door wreath, it's time it was in place. Most difficult job for me seems to be delivering cards around the village. I carry them around hoping to bump into people and eventually have to do the walk around and deliver them.

Nelliemoser Mon 22-Dec-14 14:02:18

I got mine on in one go this year. I just wound them on from the top down. I have managed that before.

TwiceAsNice Mon 22-Dec-14 14:40:18

Bought new ones this year and they seemed really long so spiralled all around the tree from top too bottom .DD home for weekend when I put them up so she got them right. First time not me but I can get the gold decorative beads on the tree better than her.

kittylester Mon 22-Dec-14 14:48:13

Lights, tasteful baubles, rubbish the kids miss if it's not there and then loads of lametta - covers a multitude of sins! tchgrin

Nonnie Mon 22-Dec-14 15:28:47

I think a tree looks better when it is less than perfect. Our decorations all have some sentimental value and some were made by the children. None of them match and I like it that way.

Should someone come to our house expecting it to look like it is out of a magazine they will be very disappointed but it will be their problem not mine!

harrigran Mon 22-Dec-14 15:57:38

I get DH to put the lights on the tree, they are in a large box and he just walks round draping them as he goes. When I put the baubles on I tweak them into the best position. I bought all white lights which avoids clumps of colour.

Nelliemoser Mon 22-Dec-14 16:01:49

The earlier post from me about getting the lights on should have read...

I have NEVER managed that before.

glammanana Mon 22-Dec-14 16:10:54

My tree sits against a corner so the only part of the tree lite is the front bit you can see !! easy-peasy. tchgrin
Well done daughter of jings big star to you.

hildajenniJ Mon 22-Dec-14 16:26:31

I couldn't find the right lights for my tree, goodness knows what I've done with them. It was me who put them away after last Christmas.
I had to settle for a set of plain white lights, so no twinkly tree for me this year. tchsad

vampirequeen Mon 22-Dec-14 18:38:26

I have a flat tree. The lights are attached by poking them through. Once on that's it.