Fill Out That Tree

Don't allow your prelit Christmas tree to fall short of it's potential. After you have assembled your tree and separated the branches to give it a fuller look, be mindful of any spaces that may have been created—you don't want and of the trunk or branches to be exposed. Making sure that all empty spaces inside the tree are filled will help create a captivating look from the inside out.

Many average tree decorators don't realize that filling inside spaces draws in more attention and compliments the adds to the overall feel of the tree. What can you use as filling? Here are some great suggestions:

• Ornaments
• Ribbon
• Garland
• Toys
• Pinecones
• Fruit
• Mirrors

Ask About Tree Suppliers

When choosing a tree farm from which to purchase your tree, it's important to know where those trees are coming from. Christmas tree farm suppliers should definitely be taken into consideration before picking a tree. It's smart to select a farm that has had the same supplier for a minimum of five years. If the farm has a strong relationship with the supplier, it's likely that they have been satisfied with the trees in the past and are more certain of their products.

No matter how long a farm has had a supplier, you should make your own assessment of the tree quality. Examine the color, needle retention, customer demand, customer satisfaction, and the overall appearance of the trees. The more thorough you are, the more likely it will be that you will be pleased with your purchase.

Douglas Firs for Christmas

Choosing a great Christmas tree be tough. Don't just grab the first tree you see on the lot, find the best tree for you.

Looking for suggestions?

Douglas Fir trees have been a popular choice since the beginning of the century and are a great pick. These beautiful trees are covered soft needles that are a shiny green hue. They have wonderful symmetry, making them. These trees are perfect for those who don't want an overwhelming piney smell. They exude a sweet, subtle aroma.

If you're big into ornaments and decorations and are set on a Douglas Fir, make sure that you choose one that has not been trimmed into a conical shape. Choosing one of these trees will make for decorating difficulties as they leave little space between branches. If the pickins' are slim, invest in ornaments that won't break easily as they are likely to fall off frequently.

Make Your Tree Reflect Your Personality

Surf's up! Your personal decorated Christmas tree should reflect you, your personality, and your lifestyle. If you live on the beach and are a self-declared beach bum, let that come across in your Christmas decorating. Decorate your tree using a beach theme. To achieve this look is simple, use the tips below:

• Select a color scheme that is pastel and “beachy.”
• Invest in some sea-themed Christmas lights (a simple online search will score you some shell-shaped lights).
• String shells or beads up on your tree instead of popcorn or garland.
• Instead of traditionally wrapping the gifts you will place under your tree, put the one that will fit into colorful beach buckets and accent and conceal them with tissue paper.
• Use a colorful beach blanket or towel as a tree skirt.
• Top the tree of with a starfish.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving…for 200,000 hours

What's so great about LED Christmas trees? Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are made from tiny chips that are very similar to the ones used in computers. The chips convert electricity into light without using filaments or bulbs. Instead, the versatile chips are enclosed in plastic that can be molded into countless sizes and shapes.

In addition, LEDs can last 200,000 hours—I think that about covers the rest of your Christmases. Imagine never having to change pesky bulbs on tangles strings of lights again! LEDS are so reliable that they are taking the place of light bulbs in a variety of applications that are a standard in all of our everyday lives. Just a few of these applications include:

• Traffic lights
• Brake lights
• Emergency exit signs

Create Tiny Frosted Panes for Your Christmas Tree

There's nothing quite as beautiful as a frosted windowpane on a cold winter morning. Why not transform your Christmas tree ornaments into tiny little frosted windowpanes? The process is simple, just follow the steps below:

You will need:

• Wax paper
• Clear glass ornaments with removable metal caps
• Glass cleaner
• Paper towels
• Self-adhesive letters
• Square Styrofoam block
• Drinking straws
• Rubber gloves
• Etching cream
• Sponge brush
• Hand towel

1. Spread wax paper on a flat, clean surface
2. Remove the caps from the ornaments and set aside.
3. Spray ornaments with the glass cleaner and wipe of all smudges and finger prints with a paper towel.
4. Use the self-adhesive letters to spell out anything that you would like (Noel, X-mas, etc.).
5. Place the Styrofoam block in the middle of the surface and insert a few drinking straws into it.
6. Put on the rubber gloves then apply a thick coating of etching cream using the sponge brush. Let balls sit for 5 minutes.
7. Still wearing the gloves, take the balls off of the straws and place under cool running water.
8. Pat balls dry with towel and recap the ornaments.

Make That Rotating Tree Presentable

Using a rotating Christmas tree stand is a great way to display every beautiful angle of that fantastic tree. The stand will slowly rotate, showing off every inch of your tree. If you're going to use a stand like this, it's important that every part of the tree is presentable; in other words, if you run out of that tinsel, don't skimp out on the back of the tree, go out and get some more. Evenly disperse your decorations and make sure that each side of the tree is equally beautiful.

*If you plan on investing in a rotating tree stand it's smart to choose a tree that's symmetrical. The easy fix to this situation is to pick an artificial tree. If you go the live route, however, pick a full, symmetrical tree like a Fraser Fir.

Be Prepared for Christmas

Being prepared is a great feeling and it helps to prepare ahead of time for big occasions. And, being it that Christmas is one of the biggest, most celebrated occasions of the year, there's no reason why you shouldn't get your ducks in a row far in advance.

A great start is to order an artificial pre lit tree so that you will have the entire Christmas tree selection process out of the way. In addition, you'll also eliminate the hassle of having to untangle and hang strings of lights on your tree.

Next, get started on your decorating theme. Months before Christmas start perusing through Christmas magazines. Tear out or Xerox pictures of themes and ideas that you like. Then, as it get closer to Christmas, pick your favorite picture and start collecting ornaments, accents, and decorations similar to those in the image.

When Christmas arrives you'll be equipped to decorate almost effortlessly—isn't that a great feeling!

Artificial Trees Have Come a Long Way

America's first fake trees were produced around the 1930s by the Addis Brush Co.—they were made with the same machinery used to make toilet brushes! As you can imagine these trees weren't exactly realistic looking. Artificial trees have come a long way from toilet brushes.

Today's artificial trees, the most realistic ever, are created using petrochemicals. And, on top of the trees themselves improving, the technology of the trees has advanced even further. Today, instead of putting the trees together by attaching each branch one at a time, the trees come with hinged branches that don't need to be assembled one at a time. If you ask any person what the worst part about Christmas trees decorating is, they're likely to tell you that it's putting up the lights. Untangling and stringing lights can be a pain so why not avoid it.

The best fake Christmas trees come with the light already built in, completely eliminating the hassle of putting up lights.

Give a Heartfelt, Homemade Gift

Providing someone with a great Christmas gift shouldn't have to break the bank! News flash: Homemade, economical gifts can be seen as very thoughtful and heartfelt. Why not make someone a gift that they can reuse year after year. Want a great idea? Why not try a crochet Christmas tree skirt? Before you get started put some thought into the type of person that you're creating the skirt for. Here are some questions to think about to help you better assess the type of skirt you should crochet:

• Do they have a Christmas decorating theme you should adhere to?
• Do they like goofy patterns or would a plain color better suit them?
• How large of a tree do they typically have?