The Christmas tree hack protects the decorations from unruly children and pets

Let New Year’s Eve be the only ball dropped this holiday season.

Ashleigh Barger, who goes by @ashleighbarger_ on TikTok, revealed a Christmas decorations hack to prevent kids from breaking Christmas decorations.

In a clip with over 2.2 million views, the mother of four confessed that she uses clear rubber bands to hang ornaments on her Christmas tree.

“The perfect Christmas decoration hack if you have kids or animals,” Barger captioned the viral clip. “Use small rubber bands as ‘hooks’ so they won’t fall off!”

Barger shows how she swapped out the small S-shaped hooks for clear ties to ensure her knick-knacks don’t fall off the tree because of her kids or pets.

She loops the elastic band through the ornament loop, knots it and pulls it tight. Once attached, Barger places the elastic loop on the branch.

Parents with young children are excited about the trick, while some wish they had seen it sooner.

“Damn, if only I hadn’t put up and decorated my trees already,” sighed one parent.

“Okay, now I have to redesign my tree to make it childproof,” admitted another.

“I did this last year and I really liked it, my daughter hated it,” one parent commented.

Over the years, many parents have had to clean up under the Christmas tree every day because their children and pets couldn’t stand not tinkering with shiny ornaments.

Young children’s fascination with removing the ornaments and dropping them on the floor can become a safety hazard due to shattering, as glass or plastic scattered on the floor can shatter.

“Thanks, I was starting to worry that I wouldn’t be able to put up my tree with my rambunctious 18-month-old,” one mom laughed.

“Wow, I’ll definitely do that!! Much safer than the hooks too!” admitted another.

Barger added: “So much safer. Ours always falls out of the tree with my toddler and I’m worried my 6 month old daughter would find one now that she’s mobile.”

Some TikTokers also recommend using floral wires or zip ties to prevent the ball from falling. Meanwhile, pet owners fear their cat could turn into a Grinch as their holiday decorations no longer function as toys.

“My cats are about to get angry,” one person confessed. “Perfect for the decorations on the bottom that the cat likes to destroy.”

“As a hairdresser with three cats, I buy as many rubber bands as I need. “I’m tired of finding light bulbs under furniture and appliances six months later!” commented the hairdresser.