Decorate Your Pre-Lit Artificial Holiday Tree Like a Pro
With these tips and tricks, your tree will look like it belongs in a shop window this holiday season.
1. Take your time.
When you take your artificial tree out of the box for the first time, make sure you fluff each piece of foliage, from the center pole to the outer tip—remember, nature doesn’t come in a straight line—allowing the foliage to bend and flow. The branch will remain stiff. Plan on enjoying your favorite beverage and a good movie while fluffing your tree. Patience on this step will result in a more beautiful tree.
2. Add to tree texture.
Use pine stems/boughs (either real or artificial) of different species to layer into your tree to give dimension and texture.
3. Think beyond traditional ornaments.
Use artificial berries, flowers, twigs, and horizontal stems layered into the tree. Don’t get stuck in the “everything has to hang” mentality.
4. Hang ornaments with care.
Use both the interior and exterior of the tree to allow ornaments to be tucked into the tree for added dimension. If an ornament has a long string or ribbon hanger, then you can wrap it around the branch so that the ornament is closer to the pine and also has more support. Check the security of the ornament topper; a drop of super glue can help secure heavier ornaments so that they don’t end up separating from the hanger.
5. Keep your lights working longer.
Most light damage is due to breakage during the storage process, rather than the lights burning out. Don’t try to put the tree back into the original box. Compressing it can cause the light bulbs to break or become dislodged. Keep it as fluffed as possible. Even storing it upright or in sections will help protect the bulbs. If you are using a tree bag, make sure it is large enough for your tree. Even softer tree bags can cause bulb damage, if the bag isn’t big enough. When carrying it to the storage area, don’t drag the tree along the floor or up or down stairs. Don’t hang ornaments from the wires; this can cause chafing and the electrical charge to stop. You can always add additional light strands or supplemental strands if your tree has lost lights. However, remember to check the manufacturer-recommended number of strands that can be plugged together into one electrical outlet.
Howard Lunger is the President of Beck’s Silk Plant, a custom manufacturer and wholesaler offering the highest quality artificial trees, plants, and floral arrangements for trade professionals to choose from. View their profile or contact Howard at 303-934-3949.
Content for this article provided by Beck’s Silk Plant.
