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Safety First with Pre-Lit Trees
We all remember the artificial trees that looked, well, artificial. These days, you can get a pre-lit Christmas tree that looks realistic and is also safe.
Pre-lit trees are typically made from flame-resistant material, so they shouldn't catch on fire. You can even purchase pre-lit trees made with lights that won't emit heat.
Most artificial pre-lit Christmas tree needles are made from PVC so they won't fade or be easily crushed.
A pre-lit tree most likely will be made with a polyvinyl. You can choose from several shades of green or even colors such as pink, purple, white or red. The pole in the middle of the tree is typically made of metal to make for a sturdy tree.
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Which Christmas Tree is Right For You?
Deciding between a pre-lit Christmas tree or a real Christmas tree can be a tough decision. Ultimately it comes down to personal choice.
Real Christmas trees can be messy and leave a trail of needles throughout your home. If this doesn't bother you, then a real Christmas tree may be for you. If you don't like tree needles everywhere, then an artificial pre-lit tree may be the best choice.
Real Christmas trees have that fresh pine aroma that wafts through your home; pre-lit Christmas trees don't. You can try to emulate the smell with pine sprays on your artificial tree, but it just isn't the same. If you enjoy the smell of a fresh cut tree, then a live Christmas tree may be for you.
Pre-lit Christmas trees cut out all the work of setting up a tree and stringing lights. If you enjoy cutting a tree down, perhaps a live tree is a good choice.
For some people, it comes down to Christmas traditions. Many families enjoy going together to pick out a fresh tree, cutting it down and bringing it home to decorate. Many other families enjoy getting that pre-lit Christmas tree out of its storage spot, popping it up and plugging it in.
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Before You Buy
Before you purchase a pre-lit Christmas tree, consider the following information before you buy.
How do the branches and needles look? You don't want to buy an artificial pre-lit Christmas tree that looks fake.
Is the tree durable? Are the pieces made of plastic or metal? Is it a heavy-duty plastic that will stand up to wear and tear over the years?
Check out the lights on the pre-lit tree to see how they are attached. Some pre-lit trees are lit with strands of lights that wrap around the tree. Others have the lights attached with just the lights showing and are secured to the tree by a professional. Look for lights that are attached snugly.
Is there a warranty?
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LED Bulbs
If you purchase a pre-lit Christmas tree with LED bulbs, you can expect a few perks.
LED lights will last about 10 years.
The LED lights are well-protected against damage because of a strong constructed case.
LED lights will start to fade, which warns you that it's time to replace a bulb. Good news: One faded bulb won't affect the other bulbs.
Having a pre-lit Christmas tree with LED bulbs will save you about 10 percent in electricity compared to regular Christmas lights.
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Set up Your Pre-Lit Christmas Tree
Setting up your artificial pre-lit Christmas tree doesn't have to be a daunting task. You will typically find two standard ways to assemble a pre-lit tree at Christmas.
On older pre-lit trees, you may have to insert each branch into a hole on the metal pole that acts as the trunk of the tree. Typically you will find each branch marked with a certain color that is matched to the same color on the tree trunk. Once you have inserted all of the branches to the correct colored matches, you should fluff up the branches and you are done setting up your tree.
Newer models are even easier to set up. Generally, the branches are already fused onto the branch poles. All you have to do is put three different pole pieces together to make the trunk and then lift up the branches. This type of tree sets up in minutes.
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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
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Make Your Tree a Tribute to Nature
While prelit Christmas trees may be artificial trees, they look realistic enough to be real ones. So, why not use your beautiful tree to make a fantastic tribute to the natural trees outdoors. The great outdoors is a vast playground filled with endless inspirations. Cover your tree with fresh berry sprigs, dried flowers, and birds' nests.
Here is a great way to create your own birds' nests: First, wind cording into a birds' nest shapes my securing each layer with hot glue. Allow the creations to dry. Next, glue moss and twigs to the exterior of the “nests,” concealing the cording. Finally, hot glue a small bird and some white marbles to the interior of the “nest.” You now have adorable little nests.
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Victorian-Style Tree
You can turn your artificial prelit Christmas tree into a Victorian masterpiece with a little imagination. Dress the boughs of your tree in colorful Victorian-style ornaments (harlequins, honeycomb bells, Santa Clauses, etc.).
To add to the overall feel of the tree, create a beautiful homemade garland by stringing bright red cranberries along the tree (be sure to wrap them around branches to secure them). *To add a little more pizzazz, adorn some of the boughs with shimmery apricot ribbons accented with gold trim.
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Make Your tree Sparkle!
An artificial pre lit Christmas tree can serve as the perfect canvas for a sparkling illuminated Christmas display. Once you have assembled and erected your tree, make that baby really shine. As you probably know, lights create a dazzling effect but imagine that you multiplied that dazzling effect to create a stunning masterpiece.
How do you do this? Use your noggin! Nothing reflects light better than, well, a reflective surface. When decorating your tree, only use shiny, reflective accents and ornaments that will cause the lights to dance around the room. Deck your tree out in glittery glass bulbs, gleaming iridescent ribbons, sparkly icicles, and shimmering accents. The final effect will be a gleaming work of art.
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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!
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History of Christmas Tree Decorations
Using small candles as Christmas tree ornaments dates back to the middle of the 17th century. An assistant of Thomas Edison, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882. Christmas tree lights were first mass produced in 1890.
The problem of wrangling unwieldy strings of lights, tangling and untangling them every season remained unsolved until the invention of the artificial pre lit Christmas trees.
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History of the Pre-Lit Christmas Tree
Christmas trees and Christmas lights have been around for quite some time. Trees were once decorated with candles to light them, which was a fire waiting to happen. After Christmas lights were introduced in the late 1800s, artificial lighting slowly caught on.
It wasn't until the 1900s that people began thinking about how to pre-light a tree and save time and effort when stringing lights on one. It took until the late 1900s for pre-lit artificial Christmas trees to be made. Since the late 1990s, pre lit artificial Christmas trees have caught on and are now incredibly popular.
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Colored Light Choices on a Pre-Lit Christmas Tree
You can purchase a pre-lit artificial Christmas tree with a variety of light colors. The most popular color remains the one solid color choice of white or clear lights throughout the tree. Multi-colored pre-lit trees are the second most popular choice in pre-lit tree.
You don't have to limit yourself to picking from just a multi-colored tree or a tree lit with clear or white lights, you can pick other solid colors, as well. Though not as popular, you can purchase pre-lit artificial trees that have a solid color of lights in choices other than clear or white. For instance, there are pre-lit trees that have just blue lights throughout.
You may also find a tree with only red or green lights throughout. Start by doing an Internet search for the specific type of tree and colored bulbs you are looking for.
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Pre-Lit Christmas Tree Prices
You may be concerned that a pre-lit Christmas tree will cost an exhorbitant amount compared to a real tree. Just think -- you won't have to go out every year to get a new tree, so the cost savings add up. As a general rule, pre-lit trees with white lights cost more than pre-lit trees with multi-colored lights.
If you are looking for a white pre-lit Christmas tree that has colored lights, you can expect to pay about $120 for a 4 foot tree to $180 for a 7 foot tree. If you purchase the same type of tree, but with clear lights, you can expect to pay about $120 for a 4 foot tree and about $200 for a 7 foot tree.
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