Whew. We’re doing some sort of Christmas tips blitz for you guys. Best for those who are into dealing with things during crunch time. If you still don’t have a tree for the holidays, then better get out there and buy one. Here’s our more-or-less definitive guide for buying a Christmas tree.
What pine tree?
Trees come in all shapes and sizes but here’s a basic question: What type of pine tree would you like to have?
- Douglas firs - Probably the most popular of pine trees for use as Christmas trees. They’re colored dark and bluish-green. What’s great with them is that they retain needles better than most trees. They are also the most fragrant.
- Norway spruces - Quite popular too. Dark green in color but only has moderate needle retention.
- Scotch pine - Gray-green, sometimes blue-green with relatively long needles (3 inches) that hold great.
- White pine - Green to bluish green in color that retain needles well. The flexible branches make them great for long transport.
- Colorado blue spruce - Green to silver blue in color with inch-long needles that hold moderately well.
Buying a tree
You have to be sure of the size of the tree that you want. If you’re placing it indoors, make sure that you have ample room in your home for one. Make sure that you have enough ceiling clearance and that the door can accommodate it.
Freshness is key for a decent tree. Try shaking it lightly and see if it sheds only a few needles. That’s a sign that the tree is still fresh.
Buying it early
If you decide to buy the tree a bit early, you definitely have to make arrangements for it. Once you get the tree home, store it in a cold garage or a tool shed outside your home. Make sure that the tree trunk has been cut diagonally and place the tree in a bucket of water.
Make sure that you provide water for the tree everyday until you’re ready to trim it. One to two quarts of water for a average-sized tree (6 to 7 feet) would be enough.
Trimming
Just in case you need to trim some inches off the tree, make sure you do it from the bottom. Cutting from the top makes it lose more moisture and you’d get pine needles all over the place.
Tough pruning shears would do well to trim off some wayward branches. For a cleaner cut on tougher branches, a hand saw will do great. Just make sure you trim flush to avoid having sharp branches poking out. Not safe when you have kids around.
Break off sap pockets to make the tree give-off the most fragrance.
To create the illusion of sheen on the tree, spray on some hairspray on the needles and branches.
Decorations
Here’s a quick formula for a tree. For the number of ornaments, multiply its height (in feet) by 8. Say you have a six foot tree, you need 48 pieces of ornaments to fully decorate it. As for the lights, multiply its height (in feet) by 30. So for a six foot tree, you need to have around 180 miniature lights.
If you want to go tightwad on the ornaments, you need not invest on some store-bought ones. You can always DIY. All you need is some craft strings (gold and silver would be classy) and a couple of cans of spray paint (gold and silver would again do great).
Spray paint some trinkets - old wooden thread spools, cardboard cutouts, whatever piece of decorative item that you can use. Tie a string to them and hang them on the tree.
Ribbons would also make great decors. Just tie ribbons all over the tree as substitute for hung ornaments.
So ..Anyway.. for DIY craft idea , I have some suggestion with Xmas Crafts Ornaments Decoreating Tree that will give you idea to decorate and help ful
This program provides easy to follow directions to create a wide variety of Christmas ornaments as well as showing how to create a unique, themed Christmas tree. Using easy to find supplies, these 8 projects range from unique contemporary designs to whimsical ornaments that are perfect for kids to make! Give your home a unique and personalized flair for the holidays with Smart Styles' Christmas Crafts series. Features detailed easy to follow instructions, a printable supply list, project summaries, and helpful crafting tips.
and another choice for Xmas tree 6.5' Pre-Lit Fiber Optic Noble Fir Artificial Christmas Tree..as
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Oh, and don’t forget the gifts under the tree.
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