Christmas Tree Tecorations

Hallmark movies are a lie: Holiday magic does not just appear from nowhere. It would help if you created it.

Creating magical moments with twinkling lights, fresh pine needles, or fake pines can be messy and complicated, but it is possible. You might find yourself wrestling with tree stands, untangling cords, or arguing with your roommate about how to hang ornaments. Decorating doesn’t have to be complicated. These suggestions will make holiday decorating more accessible and more enjoyable for all involved.

Spend a lot on a tree stand

Getting your tree straightened in a standard tree stand can be difficult. This is especially true when you consider that it is usually only possible for a person to do this task with help. Over the past decade, we have tried many tree stands, but the Krinner Tree Genie XXL has been our favorite. The Krinner tree stand is not only the most secure but also the easiest to set up. Unlike traditional frames, the Krinner uses a foot pedal to lock your tree in. Place the tree into the air and press the pedal several times to secure the trunk.

Krinner stands to make it easy to maintain a Christmas tree life. It has a water reservoir that holds 2.5 gallons. This means you don’t need to water the tree every day. The Krinner stand can hold 1.5 gallons of water daily for trees 6-8 feet tall. However, a gauge at the tank will inform you of the tank’s level between fillings. Jackie Reeve, the senior staff writer, suggests using a tree waterer such as Santa’s Magic Water Spout. This product is only available locally, but similar products are sold nationwide. This tool can save you the effort of climbing under a tree to water it. It also helps to prevent water from leaking everywhere.

Fuff your fake tree

No artificial tree is perfect right out of the package. Even if the faux fir looks the best, you must still fluff it. You will need to fluff your artificial Christmas tree each year. Consider using gardening gloves depending on the branch texture. This can take between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on how large your Christmas tree is. However, it’s essential if you want your tree to be beautiful. So slip in some earbuds to listen to holiday music while you fluff.

Do not underestimate the number of lights you will need

You need 100 lights per foot to make a tree appear well-lit (but not too bright). A 6-foot tree needs 600 lights, while a 7-foot tree needs 700 lights. Although it may sound exaggerated, after testing different lighting levels on trees, we discovered that less light seemed to be more sparkly than Scrooge-y.

Our top choice, the GE Energy Smart ColoriteLED Warm White Miniature Lighting set, has 150 lights per strand. This means that you will need at least four spools in order to light a 6-foot-tall tree. It seemed like too many lights when we stood in front of the tree, with hundreds of tiny bulbs strung around our feet. But once we had strung them up, the tree was dazzling.

Although lighting can be expensive (it will cost you around $160 to light a 6-foot Christmas tree if there are several strands of our choice), the GE Energy Smart Colorite lamps are long-lasting enough to last a decade. We have light storage suggestions to keep them in top shape.

This is the best method for light stringing (and there are simpler ones, too)

Stringing lights around a Christmas tree can be frustrating. But there is an easier and more effective way to light it. According to most lighting experts, such as Wirecutter senior writer Doug Mahoney, the vertical track to hang lights around a tree is the best. Doug explains that you should string lights from the bottom to the top of the tree and then go in and forth as you go up. Then, you can bring the string down again and continue to go in and up around the tree.

Rose Maura Lorre, the senior staff writer at Wirecutter, suggests that string lights be replaced with net lights, which are usually reserved for outdoor bushes. However, they are not our top picks. Although the tree may not look as complete or as beautiful if the lights were strung vertically, this can reduce the amount of work involved.

If you hate working with light, then skip the natural Douglas fir and buy a prelit artificial tree. The National Tree Company’s faux tree is our favorite. It has LED lights built in that don’t require stringing. In fact, it can be set up in less than 10 minutes and can switch between all-white or multicolored, depending on your mood. This is one way to make sure you don’t have to worry about string lights ever again.

Decorate the tree only

You don’t need to add ornaments or lights to your tree if it is placed next to a wall. The naked tree is invisible to others. This allows you to increase the number of lights and ornaments that are placed on the wall-facing side of your tree. It will look fuller and brighter. This is one of few occasions you can afford to only half-assess something so crucial to your holiday decor. So, take it all in.

The tree skirt is more oversized, the better

Tree skirts with large diameters protect floors and catch any fallen needles. They also provide space for presents. Wrap a tablecloth or blanket around your tree’s base if you are having trouble finding a large enough tree skirt. Tree skirts are currently being tested, and we expect to have one by next Christmas.

This device allows her to save time by not having to reach the switch behind trees twice a night. Instead, her tree lights turn on and off at a set time every evening. It’s easy to create a schedule using our favorite smart plug: Once you have downloaded the app (available for iOS, Android, and Apple Home), and registered your device, go to the Schedules tab. This will allow you to assign your smart plug to a specific time period. Rachel finds automating her holiday decorations incredibly satisfying on nights when she returns home from work. She says, “It’s so nice to come home and see the lights greeting me.”