This Small $30 Christmas Storage Gem from Target Keeps My Lights Tangle-Free (It’s So Smart!)

I go all out for the holidays. I love decorating so much that I enlisted the help of my husband to build me an expensive and slightly controversial storage rack to keep my growing collection organized. So when I heard there was a $30 solution designed to make light storage neater and installation easier, I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on it.

At first glance, the TreeKeeper Santa’s Install and Store Light Storage Bag with Reels concept is brilliant. The bag comes with three spools that allow you to wrap up your Christmas lights neatly (or, if you prefer, extension cords and wires, too). Each spool can hold up to 150 feet of extension cords, 125 feet of mini lights, or 75 feet of traditional Christmas lights. For those who decorate extensively (like me), the spools definitely help with organization — especially compared to my usual method of winding the lights onto themselves like a ball of yarn.

After unboxing and some easy assembling, I got to wrapping up my lights. Each spool held two strands without spilling over the sides. While the spools kept things neat, not all of the Christmas lights in my collection fit. 

I own about 12 strings of your standard lights, some oversized bulbs, ones in various shapes, plus a handful of micro-sized fairy lights. I keep some in their original boxes, and others I wrap in little bundles, but they all go in the same bin. I was only able to fit a portion of my standard Christmas lights in the storage bag, and they took up more room on the spools than with my go-to method. If you’re someone with a serious light stash, you might find this storage option a bit limiting, and the spools may take up more room than your current storage method, so keep that in mind.

However, the highlight for me was easily unrolling the lights. Usually, when I decorate my tree from my bundle, the bulbs get caught on each other, and sometimes the strings get tangled. I often unroll the whole thing and work from a long string of unwound lights. The beauty of the spools is they have a handle in the middle that continuously rotates, allowing you to walk around your tree or house and easily deploy them without having to unroll the whole strand.

Another genius feature is the included ladder and rain gutter hook. This tool clips onto the top of your ladder and allows you to unwind your lights while standing at your needed height. It’s a small touch, but it eliminates the risk of lights tangling on the ladder, making the whole installation process more efficient and less frustrating.

Overall, I’d recommend the TreeKeeper Santa’s Install and Store Light Storage Bag with Reels for those who love organizing their holiday decor and want an easier, faster way to install lights. If you’re looking for a way to streamline your decorating routine and keep things neat, it’s definitely worth the $30 price tag. But if you’ve got a massive light collection, it may not be the most space-efficient solution for you.

Buy: TreeKeeper Santa’s Install and Store Light Storage Bag with Reels, $29.99