[oeuviz]

So let us proceed to the real challenge: christmas lights. How can you avoid the guaranteed swearing the following year?

[jackbarclay]

Wrap them around a piece of scrap cardboard.

[geerlingguy]

Alternatively go buy a few of those orange plastic extension cable wrap things from the electrical aisle at a big box store (either the plastic ones that are flat, or the big circular ones with a handle). I've had them for a decade, and every year I wind up my cords on them, and they always unwind easily the next year.

[thewelder]

then cut some 1" slits in it to keep them in place.

[kaybe]

Careful coiling and then securing the coils with string in 3-4 places workes well for me. Coiling should be done while paying heed to the cable's preferred direction, if there is any tension it does not work well.

[jpindar]

Instead of string, I use twist ties, which also come in handy for attaching the lights to things when deploying them.

[nolanhanz]

Rolled up newspapers work well for this too, albeit I doubt a lot of us here get a newspaper delivered everyday anymore