Here is a suggestion for an easy way to store and then retrieve small bulb Christmas lights.

When storing Christmas lights from your tree,  start with the non-plug end in your hand,  loop the line back and forth in your hand, put about 2 to 3 bulbs on each side of where you are holding the line.  When you have about a foot of line left wrap that around what is in your hand.  Run the plug under one line and then store.  The next year when you retrieve the lights unwrap the foot of line holding the bundle togther and let the rest follow as lay out the line on the ground.    The line will not get tangled and it is a quick way to store without having to wrapped the lights around something.