How to Choose the Best Fake Christmas Tree for You
As the holidays approach, you might be having that all important debate in your head. Should I choose artificial trees over real trees? So let’s talk about how to choose the best fake Christmas tree for you and your home decor.
Don’t worry, I haven’t lost my mind and put my tree up yet. But I am definitely in the planning stages and I am super excited about my new addition for this holiday season.
Is it better to get a real or fake Christmas tree?
There could be so many answers to this query about real or fake trees. Over the years, because I love to decorate for Christmas and have multiple trees, I have always had a mix of artificial and real Christmas trees.
But finding the perfect tree, whether the real thing or not, will depend upon your home decor, storage space, and personal preferences. If you have the space for storage, I highly recommend getting an artificial one.
This year, I wanted to find the perfect tree with a slim profile for the corner of our family room and was able to get the best Christmas tree from King of Christmas.
Do fake Christmas trees save money?
It may seem like shopping for artificial trees can be a little pricey, but think of all the years you will use it and the math becomes more reasonable.
In Michigan, many of the tree farms around me charge about $100 or more for a live tree. Multiply that by 10 years, and you can see the savings of finding the perfect artificial Christmas tree to use year after year.
So, it may seem a bit of a high price now, but it would be definitely worth it after a few years! Plus, I find the prices to be a great value.
Why do people prefer fake Christmas trees?
For me, the answer is simple. We travel a lot and although live trees can offer a great smell for a short time, watering it can be a major hassle. If I am not around to do that (like really, who even remembers?) then my floors are full of fallen pine needles once the tree becomes dry. In many climates, a real tree can even be a fire hazard.
I also love knowing the tree size and shape for planning my holiday home decor and themes. Every year, I tend to switch things up a bit. Knowing I have chosen the best artificial Christmas trees for my spaces, allows me to plan for any changes I want to make to my Christmas decorations.
Fitting a tree in small spaces can be challenging. Or if you are like me, fitting multiple trees in the living room, family room, kitchen and beyond requires some planning. I also decorate with a lot of Christmas vintage items, so I like my Christmas decor to be space efficient so I can fit a lot!
The last reason I prefer a fake Christmas tree is because I can buy a pre-lit tree and not have to deal with the hassle that lighting options sometimes bring. I love clear lights, and having them already incorporated into a beautiful tree is a big win for me!
What type of artificial Christmas tree is most realistic?
The type you choose may depend on your memories. We all have a type of tree we like, right? The magic of Christmas plays in the backs of our minds until the holiday celebrations come back around. I bet most of us can circle that back to good memories, and the type of tree that was at the center of them.
For me, I like slim trees versus a full tree. I prefer to have a bit of space between branches so you can see the ornaments and decor. If you like the winter wonderland look, flocked trees are a nice option too.
How to Choose the Best Fake Christmas Tree
If you are choosing an artificial tree, I am a stickler for it having a natural look. Realistic trees are much easier to find these days then in the past. There are dozens of species, along with various sizes. Here are some tips for finding the real deal faux tree.
Evaluate your space
Decide where your tree will go. Will you display it in a front window or will it be further into the back of the house?
Know your ceiling height and the floor space the tree can take up for the perfect fit. The consistency of faux trees lets you know that you won’t accidentally get one that can’t stand up in your room, or frankly, can’t easily be brought into the house.
Of course, I have a funny story about that
Our first Christmas together after being married, we ventured out to buy a real tree. I was a young bride, and clearly had not had any experience of choosing a realistic Christmas tree for the size space we had. But I let my festive spirit guide me, and we purchased a tree that the guys at the tree lot placed on top of our car.
When we got it home and tried to bring it in our condo, we could barely carry it, it was sooooo heavy! Uh oh, not a good sign. Somehow we wrangled it in and set it up in the corner, only to realize that it was about a foot too tall. Who knew we didn’t have high ceilings? Hahahaha. So we had to drag the whole tree back outside and find a saw to cut some of it off.
Okay, back inside and into the stand it went. I decorated it with all the Christmas ornaments I had collected in my “hope chest” and reveled in the twinkly lights I strung. When I was all done. I laid under the tree to get the tree skirts situated and I was unprepared for what happened next. The entire tree fell over on top of me! I was screaming, and when my husband came to save me, we later laughed at his view of the giant tree toppled over, holiday decorations strewn about, and just my legs dangling out from underneath. That was over 40 years ago, and needless to say, I have gotten a lot smarter about my tree choices!
Let your memories guide you
I love a fir type tree so this year I got a new 7′ Nobel Fir Artificial Christmas tree from King of Christmas. It even came with a storage bag and these cute gloves to wear while you shape it so the needles don’t poke you! How genius is that?
But the best part for me was, I can set it up myself. I recently had shoulder surgery, so once my hubby brought the box in the house, I could set it up by myself with one arm only! It came in 3 pieces, is pre-lit, and has this cute little remote that will turn on the tree’s lights when I am ready. It even came with a storage bag, which is soooo much better than having a box you have to keep taping closed year after year.
In the name of “prepping for the holidays”, I wanted to see it in the room and take some pics to make plans for my Christmas decor. I am not officially setting it up for the holiday, but so far, I am LOVING it!
Check back soon for that blog post that’s coming shortly. I am determined this year to pre-plan as much as possible and enjoy the holidays.
What type of ornaments will you use
The noble fir tree I chose for the family room has great space between the branches. Usually in this room, I put all the classic red and green ornaments and the memory ones from when my kids were little. Having hanging space between branches allows the ornaments to really be seen.
The kids, all married now and with babies of their own, love to gather at the Christmas seasons and reminisce about ornaments they remember and which ones they made. It’s such a special time of year, and I am super excited to decorate come November.
Don’t forget about garlands and accessories
If you like all your greenery to match, then you might want to consider buying your garlands as well when you choose a tree. Having artificial garlands offer the same benefits that a fake tree does, and they are the perfect backdrop for you to update and add little decorations each year, if you like to switch things up like I do.
Are you in the market for a luxury artificial tree?
If you need a new tree this year, check out King of Christmas. Whether you choose an unlit artificial Christmas tree, or one that is pre-lit, a tall skinny one, or a fuller fat one, you will find the quality of the various foliage types on point. There are even colorful Christmas trees, which would be so fun to have, I may need to get another one! I love to decorate with a blue and white Christmas theme in some of my rooms.
Don’t worry, we are still enjoying the fall and I am a stickler for no Christmas holiday decor until after Halloween. Things will trickle out throughout November, and pretty soon it will look like the magic of Christmas has spilled out into every room!
Items shown in this post may or may not have been gifted to me. However, all opinions expressed in this post are my own honest feelings. You know I tell it straight!
Every year, when I begin dragging all the Christmas home decor out, it brings so many memories rushing in. Having a great artificial tree as the backdrop is such a great way to eliminate the stress of having to buy one and drag it home.
Check out this post for more ideas on getting prepared early for the holidays.
If you’d like to get inspired about more stuff for your home, let’s hang out more. Follow along on these platforms. Check back for more Christmas prep and design tips, along with lifestyle hacks.
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Dude!!! LOL. That is hilarious, I can just see you standing there and holding up that tree. Hahahaha
I’m loving your Christmas tree Jill! I also love your tree story. It reminds me of the time we bought such a big tree that my husband had to go to town and get a bigger tree stand. I remember it well, especially since I had to stand there holding the tree to keep it from falling the entire time he was gone.
Thanks! I really like it.
Great choice on the tree! It is beautiful and very lifelike!