Christmas is one of the most important holidays of the year. There is still an art to picking out a Christmas tree, even if it isn’t growing in the ground. This article will indicate how to pick the best artificial Christmas tree.
We have a brief break in the year after the family’s Thanksgiving rumblings have passed before a new battle is on the horizon heralding the arrival of the next holiday season: selecting the Christmas tree.
Recently, families have been using an artificial tree in a big-box store instead of picking a real tree from a farm. For a long time, there has been a certain principle-of-the-matter mindset to keeping a traditional live tree alive in your home for 25 days or more every year. And when you add in tangled string lights, curious pets, and busy schedules that don’t revolve around sweeping and watering, an artificial tree is a smart choice. Luckily we live in a time where these artificial trees become elegant Christmastime additions to your home. With that blessing, though, comes the burden of having choices. They’ve got short and tall, skinny and fat, dark green, bright green, and in-between-green trees, and that’s just the beginning.
Since the tree has a vital role in holiday décor, there’s no room for wasted time or money on the wrong artificial tree. This article will show a few things to answer the question: How to pick the best artificial Christmas tree for your home this year?
1. Consider your space.
Measure the area you plan to put the tree carefully. If you aim for the tallest tree that your room will allow, the top of the tree should be six inches from the ceiling. Otherwise, one advantage of the artificial tree is you can get a variety of smaller sizes like tabletop varieties or slim-width floor trees, perfect for apartments.
Do you intend to buy pre-lit or add string lights yourself? Pre-lit is convenient and now provides a variety of clear, white, and multicolored options. For your convenience, pick a tree that stays lit when one bulb goes out. If you like to change your décor each year, an unlit tree may be the better, less-committed option.
3. Pick a Pine Needle.
Today, we have myriad choices for the X-mas tree’s needle. Some designs imitate a natural tree as closely as possible.
Others may not look realistic up close but create a fuller, more voluminous tree. The best way to ensure you get the look you want depends on your standpoint. If shopping online, Balsam Hill recommends making sure you have the option of high-resolution images to zoom in and examine the tree.
4. Select Your Shape.
Are you trying to convince guests (ahem, in-laws!) that this tree is real? Or can you live with an artificial tree because you need the exact right shape? Many artificial trees come in unrealistic shapes such as pencil-thin and razor-edged ones. That shape might be just suitable for a specific look or space. Otherwise, look for the larger, fuller, organic shapes that resemble something you’d buy off a Christmas tree farm.
5. Get Precise With Color.
If the site or store you are shopping at has a style that incorporates both dark and light greens and browns, that’s the key to realistic tree coloring. Monotone green trees can be beautiful but may not look as natural.
6. Build a Winter Wonderland
One fantastic thing about artificial trees is the ability to mimic a cherished snowy Christmas every year—despite the weather outside. Choose a flocked tree to resemble the dusting of snow that would cover a tree found on a Christmas tree farm just after the first winter’s snowfall. Flocked trees are also available in different colors, so this is an opportunity to coordinate with your existing decor and make setting up decorations in the future more effortless.
7. Attached Elements
When selecting an artificial tree, attached components can impact how you display this tree in your home. First, the number of tips is a descriptor signifying the quality of the tree and, therefore, will affect the overall appearance. More tips generally indicate a better quality tree.
A second attachment is a faux trunk. If you were to select a tree from a Christmas tree farm, you would undoubtedly know there is a tree trunk that might be visible in particular areas. When buying an artificial tree, a box is an element that can add some realism to your decor but might not be the look you want to achieve.
Finally, when selecting an artificial tree, you should know if it includes a stand. An attached stand helps to ensure your tree stays upright and might make storage easier. Alternatively, if the tree’s stand is flimsy, this can increase the likelihood that your tree will be unsupported. After many uses, you might need to replace your tree earlier than you intended—which can be costly.
