Christmas Tree Decorating Tips
Decoration of a Christmas Tree is not hard. If you bought a live tree you do not even have to deal with
edge protectors or even cardboard edge protectors because the typical custom packaging solutions used with a live tree do not use them. Of course it is a different story with an artificial tree that comes in a box. These types of trees will have all kinds of interior packaging that is designed to protect the tree in shipping.
The the first step with either type of tree is taking the packaging off the tree and giving it a once over. A live tree will need to be shaken out, picked over for lose crap inside it, and placed in water. It helps if you saw off a little of the bottom of the trunk to give the tree a fresh cut. It will soak up more water this way. For a artificial tree, the removal of the packing material includes taking off any straps and edge protectors on the outer box, opening the box and removing any cardboard edge protectors or other custom packaging solutions used by the maker inside the box and then “fluffing” the tree to make it look more natural.
The next step is putting the lights on the tree. If you have a live tree the light recommendation is usually several hundred lights for a four to five foot tree. Some experts go so far as to state a hundred lights per foot, but if you are placing other items on the tree too, this is likely too high. I personally cut it down to about half or a quarter of the recommended amount, using about four hundred lights for a eight foot tree on average. Some artificial trees have the lights built in so those just need to be plugged in to an outlet.
One additional word about lights. The newer LED sets use far less energy and are far more safe then older light sets. If you are using anything but a newer mini-light set, make sure you check it for wear and never use lights with damaged cords. If a set says “outdoor” on it never use it on the tree – the lights can become hot enough to start fires and many people lose much more then just their Christmas packages because of fires this time of year.
Placing your decorations on the tree can be done before or after garland is strung. The best garland is the kind made by hand – cranberries and popcorn, paper chains, beads, or what have you. Take the time to create garland and you will enjoy it much more then some tinsel covered fuzz on the tree. If you have pets consider placing delicate pieces higher in the tree to keep the animals from knocking them down. Another suggestion is to hang festive bells at the base of the tree so that you can hear if it is being played with.