Picking a Christmas Tree: Tips and Trends

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How to Pick a Fresh Tree To guarantee that your tree is fresh, check the needles. Pine and spruce tree needles should bend and not break and be hard to pull off the branches. For firs, a needle will snap sharply when bent, like a carrot. Also, a trunk sticky with sap is a good sign of a healthy tree. Real Trees vs. Fake Trees Real trees are lovely, but require more work. They must be kept properly watered, not only to stay healthy throughout the season, but also because a dry tree is a fire hazard. If you are out of the house for most of the day or have a pet, its better to select a fake tree. The needles from trees, poinsettias and mistletoe can be a threat to your pet because they can cause gastrointestinal problems. Tree Trends: * Go Retro Go the "old school" way with trees that evoke nostalgia. To create a retro feel, you can use old-fashioned oversized bulbs. * Metallic Metallic trees are perfect for seldom-used areas, such as an alcove under the stairs. Decorate them with silvery gray ornaments and glitter. * Minitrees If you want to try the newest Christmas tree trend, try a minitree. "Plant" one in a champagne bucket or a garden planter. You can decorate one with mini ornaments or everyday items like playing cards. These work well on a holiday table, a bar, or on an entry hall table. * Decorated Bushes Decorated bushes make great holiday hostess gifts. Try using a decorated rosemary bush. * Edible Ornaments in vogue Cookie ornaments can be baked with ready-made dough, cut into "holiday" shapes, and hung on the tree with ribbons. But they're not the best idea if you have a pet. Candy canes can also be used as ornaments. How to Make Cookie Ornaments Buy ready-made dough. Knead in 2/3 cup flour until smooth to increase the dough's density, making it suitable for ornaments. Roll dough. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Before baking, use a drinking straw to make holes for hanging. Chill and bake per manufacturer's instructions. Once cooled, clear out holes with a toothpick. Pipe dots and outlines with royal icing; add silver ball decorations. ohh it was too long but i could not resist myself sharing it with you . how do u like it??? plz tell