UP-CYCLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS WIRE.

7 Dec, 2020
5 likes

Hi everyone,

I have 5 sets of Xmas multi coloured lights, some solar, some battery. After several years, 3 or 4 of the sets no longer work. Two options,

1. up-cycle (use as gardening wire) OR
2. put in landfill, with all the problems that causes.

So .... having plenty of time on my hands I took a set of the lights and small pair of wire cutters and did the following:

IMPORTANT NOTE: The length of useful wire recovered depends on the ‘WIRING CONFIGURATION’ .

1. Pull out each small glass light so you can access and cut the two or three wires connected to each bulb. After first cutting all light bulbs off, you will end up with lengths of entangled wires.
2. Some short wires can be pulled out of the tangled wires easily (about 10 cms in length).
3. The remaining longer wires (approx 1 metre in length) can then be easily untwisted.

I spent a very therapeutic couple of hours and now have
a tub of 100 short (10 cm.) pieces and a roll of about 100 metres in length. Only downside is there is a knot every metre, which I can live with.

If every gardener did this, imagine how much wire we would save from going in landfill this Xmas. 🎄🎅🏻 MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄🎅🏻

Comments on this photo

Yorkslass

Well top marks for effort! It must have taken you ages. If you have some bare wall or fence you could use the roll to grow a clematis along?
You might even put the wire on Freecycle - lots of DIY people use the site and you never know, it might be just what somebody wants!
We had a big roll of coated wire large mesh from a dis,mantles chicken coop and we made a container for fallen leaves.

7 Dec, 2020

Shirley_tulip

Alan, sending you a PM re. this up-cycling idea.

7 Dec, 2020

Alanb

Yorklass, Shirley_t and Klahanie, thanks for your comments.

We need to do more to protect our planet for future generations. I find it so frustrating this throw away society that we now live in. Long live the ‘Repair Shop’ and all similar programmes. 👍

Watching ‘Blue Planet’ recently and seeing a young whale die from ingesting plastic was so upsetting.

7 Dec, 2020

Shirley_tulip

I do wonder if the damage done by mankind to our planet can possibly be reversed.

7 Dec, 2020

Amy2

Alan I admire your patience, well done I love the repair shop as well they are so clever .......

8 Dec, 2020

Alanb

Amy2 thanks for your kind comment. Evidently I have the patience of two Saints. He he. It was surprising easy once I got the technique mastered.

‘Repair Shop’ has given so many people so much pleasure in this difficult year. It must be so satisfying seeing the pleasure on peoples faces as they collect their items after repair.

8 Dec, 2020