4 Real Christmas Tree Tips

Before I was born my mom loved real Christmas trees.

But as the family legend goes, one Christmas changed everything.

She was preparing for a big Christmas celebration with family coming in from out of town and the day before the party she discovered her tree had turned brown.

How she did not see it was slowly turning from green to brown, I do not know, and it’s not for me to question. We do not question family legends!

So she quickly scrambled to get a new Christmas tree, take all of the decor off of her old one, and quickly put it all back on the new tree before the guests arrived.

And ever since that fateful Christmas, my family has only ever had faux Christmas trees.

But when I married Roger, I married into a family that only celebrated Christmas with real Christmas trees!

And so a new magical Christmas world was opened up to me and I began to learn all of the tips to getting a great tree that lasts all Christmas season, and beyond!

Do you prefer faux or real Christmas trees?

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1. Get a Fresh Tree

While I love the tradition of waiting to get our live Christmas tree until the weekend after Thanksgiving, the reality is that the freshest trees are the ones that are the first to arrive at the Christmas tree lot, usually sometime in mid-November where we live.

The sooner a tree goes from being cut on a Christmas tree farm, to being placed in water, the higher the chance it will still be fresh and green at Christmas (and well beyond)

Although new trees will be arriving at the Christmas tree lot over the holiday season, the new ones often get mixed up with the older ones.

So it’s best to get one ASAP so that it will last longer and you won’t be wasting your money.

ps. Feel free to use this as an excuse when convincing your spouse you need to get a tree sooner than planned.

2. Cut off a slice of wood at the base of the trunk.

This will help the tree take in more water, and therefore it will stay fresh longer. Cut this thin slice off the base of the trunk right before you put it in water if possible, so the sap doesn’t have time to harden again.

Oh & don’t throw out that wood slice!

There are so many fun Christmas DIYs that you can do with them.

I’ll be sharing a new one in the next week or two, so be sure to subscribe below so you don’t miss out!

3. Use really HOT water

We like to put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a simmer, then let it cool slightly, before pouring it into the base of our tree. The tree stand will also cool the water some when pouring it in, so very hot/almost boiling water works well for us.

Fresh trees will be extra “thirsty” during the first few days after you bring it home.

Be sure not to let it go dry, or the sap at the base can harden again.

You can even add hot water to it several times in the first 1-2 days.

4. Blow the tree with a blower to remove debris, spiders, etc.

Depending on where you get your tree, it could have any number of hidden things within its branches, from old bird’s nests to hay, to spiders, to insect egg masses (I’ve even heard of mice). Or even a squirrel could be hiding deep inside your tree if your name is Griswald!

By blowing it off with a blower, and giving it a good lookover (by pulling down each branch and looking inside), you are less likely to have an unexpected surprise while you are decorating your tree.

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I hope you have fun decorating your tree for Christmas!

If you are looking for more home decor inspiration you can find many more home posts, inspiration, and tutorials by clicking here.

And if you use this post to help you decorate your home, be sure to share a picture and tag @DomesticallyBlissful on Instagram so that we can all see your beautiful home and so that I can share your photo on my stories!

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Do you prefer faux or real Christmas trees?
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With love, Giusti

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 NIV