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Artificial Christmas Trees
If you are tired of sweeping up dried needles
and remembering to add water to your tree
stand, it may be time to consider buying
an artificial Christmas tree. Real trees
can become a fire hazard if they dry out
and are often a mess to clean up after the
holidays. Real trees have also become so
expensive in most areas of the country that
buying a tree you can use year after year
soon makes up the difference in the initial
cost of a good artificial one (a good artificial
tree should last at least ten years). Artificial
trees used to have a plastic look that made
them much less attractive than real trees,
but newer models now look so realistic that
you have to touch them to tell the difference.
If you are thinking of buying
an artificial
tree, consider the following:
- Cheaper artificial trees made with plastic
branches that plug into metal stands will
not look at all real. More expensive trees
whose needles are made with a quality silk
product are the most realistic. These trees
come in a variety of sizes, shapes and needle
textures. You can also select from various
shades of green. Look for those with painted
wooden trunks.
- Decide if you want to purchase your tree
with the lights already strung on it. Some
artificial trees also come partly decorated.
Both of these features can add to the convenience
of an artificial tree.
- One of the chief advantages of artificial
trees should be their convenience at a busy
time of year. Look for trees that are easy
to put up and take down. Some trees rely
on a complicated system of coded branches
that must be installed in a specific order.
These trees are time consuming to assemble
and pack away.
- Make sure you have the room to store it,
since you'll no longer be tossing out your
tree after the holidays. A large tree will
need a big storage box.
If you like the convenience of an artificial
tree, you should also consider buying artificial
wreaths, swags and garlands. |
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