When you don’t want to or can’t have a live tree in your home for Christmas, you can still have a lovely tree on display. The artificial trees on the market today are lusher and fuller than ever. Some of them look so realistic you’d think they were real. Others come in funky colors perfect for a mod and hip décor.
Start by assessing what kind of space you have for a tree. Can you get an eight foot tree into your house? How high are your ceilings? Do you live in a small apartment? If space is tight, opt for a potted artificial tree. These trees are tall and thin and often resemble topiaries in that they look almost carved. Because they reach upward and not outward, they’re perfect for a cramped space.
If you have high ceilings, the entire world of artificial trees is open to you. But if you have a modest home with standard ceiling heights, you can go with any number of trees that you’ll want to bring out year after year. You’ll just have to forego the 12 foot trees.
Believe it or not, you can now get online Christmas gifts, even Christmas trees! Some web shops offer artificial trees year round. You can select from pink, blue and even black boughs. Anything and everything is yours for the asking. The allure of the artificial tree is that it can be set up and taken down every year and you never have to buy a tree again. But with styles this cool, you may want to get a new one each year or put trees in more than one room.
When selecting your artificial tree, go for one that has realistic looking branches. Some are so fake and look sadly sparse. If there’s too much space and not enough greenery around the branches, no amount of ornaments is going to fill it in. Opt for a tree that has a point at the top like a real tree would and tapers out to a wide bottom.
When you set up your tree, place it in a sturdy tree stand. Don’t try to rig up something or just lean it against a wall. You’ll be sorry when you hear the tree crash in the middle of the night with all your glass ornaments along with it. Place a tree skirt over the bottom of the stand and circle it around the tree. Now you’re ready to decorate. Artificial trees can take just about any ornamentation you can dish out short of an open flame. Go ahead and do up a tree full of tinsel or a themed collection of ornaments. Do a different color scheme every year by changing out your tree skirt and ornaments. Try reds one year, golds another and blues still another year.
Some people like having a tree but not setting it up. If you’re one of them, place a specially made bag over the tree when you’re done with the season and stand it up in an attic or garage with the ornaments still on it. Next year when you go to get it out of storage, it will already be decorated. There’s something to be said for an instantly decorated tree. You can get right into the holiday spirit without having to do much work.
