Our pre-lit tree didn’t work out quite as advertised.

Christmas Lights 2014

On the right is a picture  of our barely used artificial tree with all the ornaments removed, getting ready for storage until next year.

All of the original lights are still on the tree, still plugged in.

Pretty sad, isn’t it?

During the 2013 holidays, part of one strand of lights went out.  We added an  extra strand of 50 lights to make up for it.

More lights went out after we set the tree up this season.

Needing another strand of 50 lights, we bought three.  Fortunately.

A day or so after adding one of them, more of the original lights went out.  Another box of 50 lights were opened and added to the tree.

The evening of December 30th, we noticed more lights out.  We didn’t bother to open the third box.

The next day – yesterday – our Christmas ornaments were taken down and stored.  After taking off the extra strands that had been added, there was half a strand lit at the top and the same amount lit at the bottom

wire cutterOur artificial tree is no longer “pre-lit.”  It was a bit of a chore, but all of the lights that came with it were removed before storing the tree.  It turned out to be easier just to cut the wires into smaller sections rather than try to unwind the light strands from the trees.

My suspicion is that the light strands were damaged during the process of winding, wrapping and attaching them to the tree.   I did discover one place were a wire was actually broken.

The tree, itself, is actually in pretty good shape.  We’ll probably be using for several more years, string electric lights onto it the “old-fashioned” way.

around home, christmas, holidays

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  • Hilary Jan 2, 2015 Link

    Hi Mike – frustrating to put it mildly … but you’ve worked out the crinkles for next year ..and will do your own lights – makes sense.

    Cheers and all the best for 2015 – Hilary
    Hilary recently posted…Happy New Year and Year End Thoughts …My Profile

  • nick Jan 2, 2015 Link

    We have a small artificial tree we bought about 30 years ago and it’s still going strong. Too small for lights really, so we stick to decorations. A lot of our neighbours put lights on their outside trees and bushes but we don’t bother with that. I have the rather old-fashioned idea that Christmas decorations are strictly for inside the house and external ones are a little vulgar.

    • Mike Jan 2, 2015 Link

      We have put up lights outside, but not for the last couple of years.

      Outside lights, whether ours or others’, have been a part of Christmas for as long as I can remember, even back to the 50s. Some are vulgar and some are very tasteful.
      Mike recently posted…Blue Bird of Paradise.My Profile

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