Last night I went to Target and bought some of those tree trunk wrapping lights. I got them home and opened the box, only to realize that no method of securing the “web” of lights to the tree was provided or suggested.
I “jerry rigged” the installation by using electrical tape, i.e., I just taped the lights directly to the tree trunk. That worked, but when I woke up this morning, the lights had fallen down. I guess electrical tape doesn’t really adhere to a tree trunk all that well.
So, my GQ is this: How do I secure these lights to the tree trunk so that they securely stay put?
Should I go buy some fishing line and tie them up? Or use some kind of thread or string? What has proven to be successful for the teeming millions?
We always used threaded hooks attached to the trees, on which we hung our lights. They were large enough to accept the wire of the light strands, but not so large as to be visually obtrusive when the lights were removed. It makes installation from year to year much easier. However, if you have a problem with screwing things directly into the bark, I suggest using a piece of string or rope, threaded through the light strand and tied tightly to the trunk. The friction of the rope will keep the lights in place. You may even be able to use cotton yarn that will match the trunk’s color, if you’re so inclined.
Eh, Mars, not a “stapler” stapler–a thing called a “staple gun”, sold at hardware stores, Wal-Mart, and DIY lumberyards across this fair land. It’s not a compressed air power tool “gun” like a “nailgun”, it’s just a truly righteous heavy-duty stapler and tacker.
You’ll want the fairly long-shanked staples for penetrating tree bark.
Make sure you don’t pierce the electrical wires with the staples. Place the staple’s feet on either side of the wire, straddling it. Go slow, take your time. Get somebody to help you by holding the wire in place while you staple, because sometimes it takes both hands to hold the staple gun in position and then push the lever down (if you’re a weenie housewife with no arm muscles, like yours truly).
I bought a staple gun at Home Depot last night, the kind that uses “cable staples”. They have a “cutout” at the top of the staple to contain the cable.
It worked like a charm.
