According to a survey conducted by The Real Christmas Tree Board, the cost of real Christmas trees is expected to increase anywhere between 5%-20% this year, which may cause some people to make the switch to artificial trees, a more cost-effective option over the long run. Whether you’re sticking with the real thing, or going artificial, there are a few things buyers should know.
John DeCosmo, president of Chicago-based Ulta-Lit Tree Company, invented a unique device that brings string lights back from the dead by repairing the shunt and resetting the electric pathway. From working in the Christmas business for over 20 years, he’s learned several do’s and don'ts when it comes to trees.
Top 10 Christmas Tree Tips
By John DeCosmo, CEO of Ulta-Lit
Artificial Tree Tips:
- Don’t: Leave the house without measuring. Unlike real trees, cutting a bit off the top or bottom isn’t an option. Determine your ceiling height, and subtract a foot to leave room for the tree and topper.
- Do: Add scent. Artificial trees may look like the real thing, but they definitely don’t smell like it. Thankfully, with the use of ScenTree, a new holiday fragrance home diffuser combines the scent of a Christmas tree with the festive and nostalgic scents of cooking, cocktails and more.
- Don’t: Store your tree in the cardboard box it came in. Instead, consider a designated box or bag that is designed to keep moisture out. Moisture commonly found in basements and garages can cause mold or mildew, and even fade the color of the tree. Some bags are designed to be stored vertically, saving floor space!
- Do: Fluff up your tree. Artificial trees can look a bit sparse. To increase fullness, pick up a real or fake garland and loosely wrap the tree from top to bottom.
- Do: Check for broken bulbs or sockets, burnt out light, and loose connections. To make sure your tree is always bright, consider having a repair solution on deck. The LightKeeper Pro and LED Keeper repair broken incandescent and LED light sets used for holiday decorations.
Real Christmas Tree Tips:
- Do: Wait a few days to put lights on a live tree. While it’s not necessary, it can make decorating easier, since the branches will have time to “flower” and settle.
- Don’t: Place your live Christmas tree within three feet of a radiator or any heat source. According to the National Fire Protection Association, live-tree fires outnumber artificial-tree fires by 3-1 and cause 20x more injuries.
- Do: Put up at least 100 lights per one vertical foot of your tree. Serious decorators often double that amount.
- Don’t: Throw out a whole light set before attempting to repair it. And, check your lights before stringing them up on the tree. Use the LED Keeper or LightKeeper Pro to identify the bad bulb and fix the shunt.
- Do: Water your tree daily. Be sure to cut ½ inch off the stump once the tree is bought or when you get it home. A poorly watered tree will lose its scent quicker. To keep that Christmas scent in the air, consider using a ScenTree diffuser, which can hang on the tree like an ornament and lasts 30 days.