Every January I told myself I would store the holiday lights properly. Every December I stood in the cold, swearing at a knot the size of a grapefruit, unwinding the same string of lights I swore I fixed the year before.

The fix is a piece of cardboard and ten minutes of patience. That is it.

The Cardboard Method

Cut a rectangle of cardboard about ten inches by six inches, or use an old gift box. Cut a small notch in the top and bottom of each short side. Then wind the light string around the cardboard, sliding the wire into the notches to hold it in place.

The notches keep the coils from sliding off. When the string is fully wound, tuck the plug end under the last loop so it stays put.

Or Skip the Cardboard

If you do not want to cut cardboard, wrap the lights around your hand and elbow, then secure the bundle with a twist tie at both ends. The trick is securing the ends, because the ends are what tangle.

What I stopped doing:

• Stuffing lights into a bag loose, the guaranteed tangle
• Wrapping them around the box they came in, which collapses in storage
• Coiling them in big loops without tying them off

Label the Bundles

I write on each cardboard piece with a marker: white string, 100 count, front porch. December me is always grateful for January me.

One more tip: do the winding while you take the lights down, while they are still dry and not frozen. I used to toss them in a bin first and deal with them later. Later never came.