Whether you’re team real tree or artificial, this guide is packed with practical tips for choosing the best Christmas tree for your home, no matter what season of life you’re in. Learn the pros and cons of each, with some hilarious real-life stories thrown in.
Listen to this on the Bildirimlerim Podcast!
What’s a “Perfect Christmas Tree” Anyway?
The first thing you may notice as you approach your first Christmas as a newlywed is that you and your spouse may have very different ideas about the “perfect Christmas tree,” and about the TIMING of when to get and set up that perfect tree.
I can’t say I had strong opinions about the tree at first, but I certainly had them about the timing.
You see, I grew up in Montana with grandparents who were snowbirds. Every year, right after Thanksgiving, they’d pack up their big old sedan and head to Texas to enjoy blue skies and sunshine instead of freezing cold and snowstorms.
So Thanksgiving dinner (with all the amazing Thanksgiving side dishes) was immediately followed by Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa. There was ALWAYS a tree up by Thanksgiving, so that’s what I wanted our new family tradition to be.
The only problem? Did I mention I married a Canadian? And we live in Canada? Up here in these parts, Thanksgiving falls in early October.
Early. October.
Of course, we had only been married two short months when our first October together rolled around. Caught up in being wildly “in love” and figuring out how to navigate this new world as newlyweds, neither of us wanted to disappoint the other.
I wanted a tree by Canadian Thanksgiving. He wanted to chop down a real tree in the woods.
So that’s what we did!
I had never, in all my long days, chopped down a tree out in the wilds (and this was NOT a Christmas tree farm, y’all, it was just the woods!!). I remember that part being a great adventure. Tromping around in the snow (we had permission to be there and cut a tree), choosing one, chopping it down, and dragging it to the car to strap it on top felt like a scene straight out of a sappy holiday movie.
But, of course, it went downhill from there!
That tree was the source of our very first, very big disagreement. I wanted white lights. He wanted colored ones. It caused trouble. There were tears. There was compromise.
And by the time Christmas rolled around, that tree was so dry, with needles dropping daily, that we never made the same mistake again.
So with that preamble, here are all the lessons we’ve learned in the real Christmas tree department.
Tips for Choosing & Using a Real Christmas Tree
Disclosure: The following post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.
Along with the Christmas tree tips and tricks, I’ve included photos and links to our past Christmas trees. As you’ll see, the photo size requirements have changed over the years, so my early tree pictures look a bit sad, but the memories are fun! I thought you might enjoy them. Just click the buttons beside the photos to visit the original posts, where you’ll find a variety of Christmas tree decorating ideas.
Choose the Right Kind of Tree
Since my husband is a pro at identifying trees, this part was right in his element! You’ll want to choose a fir or pine. Under NO circumstances should you use a hemlock. It will lose its needles almost immediately.
Measure Your Space & Secure the Tree Well
Before you buy a real tree, measure the space where it will go and choose one that fits. When setting it up, tie the tree to the ceiling and/or wall to secure it. Ask us how we know…
Watering Is Key
Get yourself a really good tree stand (like this one) that holds water, and make sure there’s water in it every day! Keep the tree away from any heat sources that would dry it out, too.
Other tips when choosing a real Christmas tree:
- Look for a tree with bright green needles, which indicates a fresh tree.
- If you buy a tree that’s already been cut, cut a fresh slice off the trunk when you get home so it absorbs water well.
- Keep fire safety in mind with a real tree. Make sure the lights you put on it don’t get too hot, and keep it away from heat sources like wood stoves and fireplaces, which dry it out faster. Keep a fire extinguisher ready and handy in case something goes wrong.
- Think ahead about how you’ll dispose of your tree when you’re done with it. Look for recycling programs in your area. And did you know goats love Christmas trees??
Real or Faux Christmas Trees & Your Season of Life
A real Christmas tree was part of our family tradition for 24 years. Sometimes my husband took the boys out to the woods to chop one down. If we didn’t have the energy for that, we’d pick up a real tree when they arrived at our local grocery store.
If you love real Christmas trees and you’re in a season of life where that matters to you, go for it! Now that I’ve experienced a fake tree, I do think real trees are a whole lot more work in every way. But some would argue it’s worth it!
I’ll leave that up to you to decide. ;)
When we moved into our current townhouse, we’re in a strata that doesn’t allow real trees for fire safety reasons. So at that point, we entered our “faux tree” era.
And I have to say, I’m a fan! ;)
Tips for Choosing a Faux Christmas Tree
I’ll be honest: we didn’t spend much time researching before buying our first faux tree. We just kept an eye out for sales and bought the least expensive one we could find! ;) Now, eight years later, I have no regrets about our humble little tree.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing and using a faux Christmas tree.
Choose a spot and measure before shopping
Just like with a real tree, start by figuring out the dimensions you need. You don’t want to bring a tree home only to find it’s too tall for your space!
Decide whether you want a pre-lit tree
One of the big decisions is whether you want a tree with built-in lights. The pro is that the lights are built right in (yay!). The con is that I’ve heard they may eventually stop working (booo). Ours isn’t pre-lit.
You can set a short tree on a wooden box to make it appear taller
One year I wanted the tree in a different spot, and it needed to be higher. So I set it on a wooden box and covered the box with a big blanket. The bonus was that it freed up lots of room in our small place for stacking presents!
More tips for choosing faux trees
- If you choose a faux tree without lights, these twinkle lights are super fun to layer in. (They actually blink and twinkle, in a nice way!)
- If your place is small like ours, consider a slimline Christmas tree. They save so much space!
- If you’re shopping for a faux tree and want to save money, watch for sales. They sometimes go on sale before Christmas or after it!
Do you have a fun or funny Christmas tree story or memory?
If you do, I would absolutely love to hear it! Just share it in the comments below this post. I’m already looking forward to reading them!
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