Where To Put It.

This is one of the most important questions. Most people find the tree first. The problem is people go tree shopping and fall in love with a tree they simply have to have, only to get home and find it does not fit.

So take a look around your home and decide where the best place to display your tree is. Then how much work will it take to put it there? Do you simply move a small table to another room or do you have to completely rearrange the room.

Next measure the space you have created. How much room do you have between pieces of furniture on either side and how much room do you have from the wall out into the room. You must also know your ceiling height. Some building codes are 7feet 6inches but most are 8feet. Unless you have cathedral ceilings, then you can have slopes from 10 to 14 feet tall and more.

Choosing a Tree.

The first thing to consider is which kind of tree you want, Live or Artificial. The Pros to a Live Tree are; they smell nice and are considered by some to be traditional and they come in many shapes and sizes. The Cons are; they drop their needles and make a mess, they dry out fast, they turn brown you have to remember to add water.

The Pros to an Artificial Tree are; They do not lose their needles, they stay green, they need no water, you don’t have to add lights every year and they come in all

shapes and sizes ranging from 2 foot Miniature Christmas Trees to 9 foot Rustic Pine Christmas Trees with no lights and 2 foot Small Lighted Christmas Trees to 9 foot Pre Lit Artificial Trees. They can also come with matching 20 inch to 36 inch Holiday Wreaths or 24 inch to 60 inch PreLit Large Christmas Wreaths and 10 x 9 Artificial Christmas Garland to 18 x 9 PreLit Christmas Garland. The Cons are; they have no pine scent.

Once you decide what size tree you need, where you want to put it and which type of tree you want then go shopping!

Some things to watch for when selecting a Live Christmas Tree are; Is it brown or dark green? Are the needles dry and brittle or plump and soft? Are there needles all over the floor under the tree? Then check the shape of the tree and

Some things to look for when buying an Artificial Tree are; touch the tips, make sure the feel of the tree agrees with you. You have to get your hands into a tree to decorate and light it, if the needles and branches are scratchy and rough you might not like it. Then gently grab a tip and run it thru you hand. Then open your hand and look at it; is your hand green? Do you have a hand full of needles? Did the tree stay in place or almost fall on you? If the tree tries to come down when you do this, either you pulled way to hard or the stand is not stable for the size of the tree. This could be a problem if you have a small, curious child or animals.