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Christmas light storage

Record which Christmas light set goes where.

Give each reel a tag you recognize, note the display area it belongs to, and save the tote and shelf it lives in. Next December you find the porch lights without opening every holiday box.

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Free to start. Record one light set.

Alder Street · Find

What are you looking for?

Search for the display area. The result names the tag, the tote, and the shelf.

porch lights
LIGHT-01 Front porch lights, reel 1
G8Garage · Lower left shelf · XMAS-01

Example

Three reels, one tote, three display areas.

LIGHT-01 goes on the front porch, LIGHT-02 in the window, LIGHT-03 on the tree. All three live in XMAS-01 on the lower left shelf of the garage.

1The reels, tagged

Three coiled strings of holiday lights, each with a blank paper tag, on a workbench beside a green tote.
Three reels with paper tags. You write the tags; DrawerPilot records them.

2The record

Alder StreetAJ

XMAS-01 · Lower left shelf

Spot G8 in the garage. Three items, each named after its tag.

Items in this tote 3
LIGHT-01 Front porch lights, reel 1Typed by you. Display area in the name.
typed
LIGHT-02 Window display lights, reel 2Typed by you.
typed
LIGHT-03 Indoor tree lights, reel 3Typed by you.
typed
A setup photo on the spot opens with the reels next year.

3Next December

Alder StreetAJ

Find

Search the display area, not the box.

porch lights
LIGHT-01 Front porch lights, reel 1
G8Garage · Lower left shelf · XMAS-01
tree lights
LIGHT-03 Indoor tree lights, reel 3
G8Garage · Lower left shelf · XMAS-01
Put the reel back in XMAS-01 and nothing needs to change.

Example with fictional data. Nothing is added to a household until someone approves it.

How it works

Three steps, start to finish.

  1. Tag the reelWrite a label you will recognize on the reel: LIGHT-01, front porch. The tag is yours; DrawerPilot records it as the item name.
  2. Record the reel and its toteAdd each reel as an item in the tote’s spot: XMAS-01, Garage · Lower left shelf. Put the display area in the item name, and set a photo on the spot if you want a setup reference.
  3. Bring out, put back, updateIn December, search for the porch lights and the answer is the reel and the tote. In January, put the reel back and change the record only if the tote moved.

One limit. DrawerPilot records labels you wrote. It does not check whether a light set works, how many strands can be joined, or where they can be safely installed. The manufacturer’s instructions cover that.

What it does.

  • The tag on the reel is the item name. The same words on the paper tag and in the app, so the box and the search agree.
  • The same tote every year. XMAS-01 on the lower left shelf, this year and next. Update the spot only when it moves.
  • Search the display area. Search for porch lights and the result names the reel, the tote, and the shelf. Smart Search is part of Pro.

January

In January, put the reels back in the same tote.

The tag goes back on the reel, the reel goes back in XMAS-01, and the record is already right. If the tote moved to a new shelf, move the items.

Hands placing a tagged reel of holiday lights into a green tote on a workbench.
Reels going back into the tote, tags on.

FAQ

Common questions.

Can I record which light set went on the porch or tree?

Yes, as the item name you write: LIGHT-01, front porch. DrawerPilot does not recognize where a strand was installed; the record is what you type.

Does DrawerPilot check whether the lights are safe or compatible?

No. It keeps a record of what you own and where it is. Testing a set, joining strands, and installing them follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Can I keep a photo of last year’s setup?

You can set a photo on the spot, so the tote’s record opens with the picture of how the porch looked.

Can I use this for other holiday decorations?

Yes. The storage features handle any stored thing. The holiday storage guide has the general method and a worksheet; this page keeps to light sets.

Related pages

Holiday decoration storage guideThe pack-away method and a worksheet.Halloween decoration storageOne tote, out in October and back in November.Storage bin inventoryContents and shelf for every tote.
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Free to start. Record one light set.