How do I connect a very short wire to an electrical outlet?

If the wire has been cut back too far to make wiring feasible, you will have to extend it by using a pigtail. To do this, you will need an extra piece of 12 AWG copper wire (6" should be enough) and a yellow wing wire nut. Strip back the wire half an inch on both sides. Twist together one side of the new wire with the existing wire using the wire nut (the copper ends must make contact inside of the wire nut). Connect the other end of your new wire to your wiring device as normal. For added safety, use electrical tape to secure the wiring nut and the wires together so they don't come loose.