Tips for Trimming your Tree

Are you tired of decorating your Christmas tree the same way each and every year? Maybe its time to mix it up a little bit this year and try something new. If youre thinking about trying something different this year, great! Change is always good. Keep the following in mind while youre thinking about what kind of tree to get, where to place your tree in your home, and how youd like to decorate it.

Safety should be your top priority when youre deciding what kind of tree to get and where to place it in your home. Live trees should never be placed near any type of heating source. If you have the option, try to cut your own tree, that way you know it is fresh! If you dont have that option, take these steps to help determine just how fresh it is. While holding it, shake it and see just how many of its needles drop to the ground. Take a few and bend them. If they recover and return to their original shape, its a pretty fresh tree. It should also have some fresh, wet sap at the bottom if its been cut down recently. Check the shape of the tree as well. You want one that is strong and straight. The branches should be strong to support heavier ornaments.

Once you get the tree home, make a fresh cut off the bottom of the trunk to help it absorb water more readily. And just like a freshly cut flower, a tree needs to be checked daily to ensure its getting plenty of water.

Youve probably got a different theme in mind for decorating this years tree. Youre only limited by your own imagination and creativity. A Christmas tree is a reflection of the familys personality and history. Perhaps something big happened in your family this year, such as a wedding, the birth of a baby, or a college graduation. Incorporate those milestones into your tree if you like. You can even make your own ornaments by decorating colored glass ornaments yourself with glitter, glue, buttons, sequins or old jewelry or beading.

Decorate your tree from the bottom up. A good rule of thumb is 100 lights for every foot your tree is tall. If your tree stands six feet tall, that means youll need about six hundred lights for it. Dont just decorate the ends of the tree branches. Hang some ornaments and string some lights on your tree closer to the trunk as well to add some dimension and depth. If you have your tree lights plugged in while youre decorating, youll be able to see immediately how they look when you place them. Check for any bulbs that need replacing before you start placing the string on the tree. If you plan to use garland for your tree, youll need approximately 10 feet per foot of tree height. You can accent garland with ribbons, raffia, artificial flowers, and beads as well. Dried flowers can be used as well, just be sure to take special care they arent placed near any lights. Tree toppers can be just about anything. Again, youre only limited by your own creativity.

Enjoy decorating your tree and have a joyous holiday season!

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