Our Christmas tree is artificial and I'll tell you what went into our thought process when choosing to go artificial. And up front, I'd like to say, I have absolutely nothing against a fresh tree. We've used those many years as well. This is a post on the merits of an artificial tree, in case you've been feeling the "pressure" to go real, but you still like your artificial one.
Prior to buying this tree, we had been cutting down trees from our property. That was really great fun and I hope our kids always remember going out into the cold and helping to choose the "perfect" tree (which by the way doesn't exist on our property, every tree we picked had huge bald spots, were thin and spindly, and looked more like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree).
So, if we had these free trees, why buy an artificial one?
Well, we were running out of appropriate-sized trees from our own property. But also, ease of having one ready to go was a swaying factor. It's not as if either my husband or I are lumberjacks here. Chopping down a tree is hard work!
So, why not buy fresh cut trees every year? They're beautiful and they smell lovely.
Agreed!
Artificial trees are part plastic, and part metal. The manufacture of plastic is not exactly highly desirable. However, consider this. If every year we went out and bought a fresh tree, we'd be using fossil fuels to travel to make that purchase. Getting a Christmas tree is usually a family outing of it's own right. We don't just pick up a tree on the way home from work.
And it's not just fossil fuel in our car, but the fuel in the trucks used to haul all those cut trees into town. This expended fuel multiplied by all the years of life we'll get out of an artificial tree, and the "green" equation of artificial vs. real begins to balance, in my mind.
You can get 20-30 years or more out of a quality artificial tree. If you choose a classic style/color, buy quality, and take good care of it, your artificial tree should last for many, many holiday seasons. We bought ours in 2000, and it is still looking great.
We're thrifty folks, here. We likely won't discard any part of this tree for decades. I'll do something crafty, like make wreaths or garlands from the branches, in another 15 years or so, whenever our tree begins to look too shabby to put up. But like I said, it's 12 years old already and not showing any signs of wear. In part, that is due to choosing a high quality tree, as well as following good care instructions.
Choosing for quality
When looking for quality, first, check the hinges on the branches. Are they machined well?
Do the needle test, the same way you check a fresh cut tree. Gently grasp a branch with your thumb and forefinger and pull down the branch. If the needles remain on the tree in the store, they have a greater chance of remaining on the tree in your home.
What kind of stand does the tree come set in? Does it look like quality construction to you? And keep in mind, a manufacturer's level of quality in tree construction is standard throughout their line. The expensive tree of a cheaply made line is likely priced high because of size and fullness, not quality of craftsmanship.
A high quality tree will cost more, that's true. But it is one of those "you get what you pay for" purchases. We paid about $200 for our tree, 12 years ago. So far, averaged out over 12 years, that's just $16 per year. If we continue to use it for just 8 more years, this tree will have cost us $10 per year. That's pretty crazy cheap, if you ask me.
And we opted for an un-lit tree. We wire our own tree and so far, it's no problem. We felt a pre-lit tree may not be all it's cracked up to be. If part of the lights fail to work, then we'd be back to putting our own lights on anyways. And the price difference between an un-lit and pre-lit was far more than the cost of buying strings of lights.
What about the fragrance that we are missing?
I cut a bunch of branches to bring indoors every Advent season. The house smells lovely from those branches alone.
So, what do you need to do to care for an artificial tree to prolong it's usefulness?
Be gentle when moving it in and out of storage. Don't let it bump down the stairs, etc.
According to the manufacturer of our tree, where we store it matters. Extreme temperature fluctuations, such as in an attic, garage or unheated portion of a basement will age the tree prematurely. Discoloration of the needles, as well as needle drop will occur years sooner in an uncontrolled climate. We've got ours in a closet under the main stairs.
Don't store in an area subject to vermin and insect infestations. And if possible, keep pets from chewing on the lower branches. This can be a challenge with some pets. I know, I've had several cats over the years and they like to chew on things.
Gently fold the branches back up before wrapping in a sheet or bagging the parts. If you still have the original box, use it. The manufacturer suggests lining the box with a sheet, allowing the ends of the sheet to overhang the sides of the box. When the tree/parts are in the box, fold the sheet over the tree and seal the box shut.
If you no longer have the box, wrap it in a sheet or black plastic garbage bags. Tie this wrap securely with rope or twine. Having your tree bagged or wrapped will prevent a loose branch from accidentally being pulled on when moving it, as well as minimize dust accumulation.
Every year, you should vacuum the branches when they are bare, using the upholstery brush attachment, unless your tree is very old or fragile. In that case, it's better to use a whisk broom to gently dust the branches.
Every 5-7 years, the bare branches should also be gently wiped off with a damp rag. Use mild shampoo (like baby shampoo) and water, with a soft rag, well wrung out. Do this when there are no lights on the tree. Or if a pre-lit tree, make sure it is unplugged.
When the tree is totally ka-put, it still has value. You can use the branches for making wreaths and garlands. Remove the branches from the hinges and wire to a form, for a wreath, or wire to a length of rope, for a garland. So an old and worn artificial tree doesn't necessarily have to end in the landfill in just a few years. A thrifty person could probably get 30 years out of an artificial tree.
I also wanted to show you our tree's stand's stand. Yes, that was how I intended to type this. Our tree stand has a stand. But in case you're faced with a similar situation, where your tree is just a tad short for what you want, here's what we did.
When shopping for a tree, we had our choice of one that was just a hair too tall for our ceilings, or one that was a hair too short. Well, short of chopping off the top of the too tall one, it looked like the too short one was our only option. But we still wanted it elevated. That's when my husband got busy in the garage with some plywood and 2 X 4's.
Hubby used a jigsaw to cut a large circle from the plywood. To this circle he attached two 2 X 4's to elevate the platform. When the tree is all set up, the tree skirt completely covers the platform and we get the added height we wanted.
If you are happy with your fresh cut, or even live Christmas tree, no worries. I'm not in the least trying to persuade you to do what we've done. I'm only explaining our choice.
