How To Care For And Dispose Of A Real Christmas Tree
December 6, 2009 by admin
Filed under Xmas Decorating
Lots of time and effort is put into selecting the perfect Christmas tree for your home. The same consideration should be given to giving the tree the best possible care. Otherwise, the needles will start to brown or turn yellow, or the branches will begin to break with days or weeks to go before the season is over. Safety is also an important reason
to take proper care of your Christmas tree because a drying Christmas tree also presents a grave danger as a fire hazard. The average Christmas tree should last for about five to six weeks if the proper care is given to it.
After selecting a Christmas tree and getting it home, the first thing that should be done is to make a fresh cut and place it into a stand with water. A Christmas tree shouldn’t be put up dry and the water in its stand should be replenished regularly. A fresh cut is made by cutting about an inch off the bottom in a slight diagonal shape to help with the absorption of water. If a fresh cut isn’t going to be made immediately after getting the tree home, it should be
placed in a container with water and left to stand in a shaded area that is away from the wind. If a fresh cut isn’t made and the Christmas tree is left exposed to air, the vessels for transporting water can become blocked. If this happens, another fresh cut can correct the problem and the tree will need to be immediately put into a container with water.
Your Christmas tree should be secure in its stand and it should be placed away from open flames or sources of heat such as furnaces, fireplaces and air vents, all of which may dry it out. Decoration of the tree should also begin after it has been mounted in its stand. Several decoration precautions should be taken to lessen or avoid the Christmas tree being a fire hazard. Ornaments that have an open flame or candles should never be used for decoration. Christmas tree lights should be checked to make sure the bulbs are working properly, the connections are intact and that no part of the cord is damaged. If there appears to be any exposed wiring or bulbs that are not working or which are working intermittently, that string of Christmas tree lights shouldn’t be used.
A good Christmas tree stand should be selected since water is the most important item to getting the longest life out of your Christmas tree. In selecting a stand, find out the amount of water it can hold when a tree is placed in it. Some water will be displaced from the space taken up by the base of the tree so it is important that a selection is not made based on the total volume of water the stand can hold. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the average Christmas tree may absorb up to one gallon of water each day. It is therefore important to check the water everyday and replenish it accordingly. To make sure your Christmas tree gets enough water, the Association recommends that one quart of water is required for each inch of the diameter of the tree’s trunk.
After Christmas is over and your wonderfully decorated Christmas tree has provided much joy, it is important to remove it before it dries out. Options to discard your Christmas will likely depend on the services offered by your municipality. Some municipalities will pick up Christmas trees on particular days, with a cut-off date. Some towns may require that residents take their trees to specific locations, while in others Christmas trees will be picked up with the garbage, again up to a certain date. But Christmas trees should never be burned in the fireplace as it can cause the build up of creosote, a colorless, oily substance. There’s also the choice that you can continue to get a different use from your Christmas tree by cutting it to pieces yourself and be environmentally sensitive by using it for mulch.
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Product Description
- Artificial, pre-lit frosted Christmas tree with 1,280 tips
- 700 pre-strung frosted lights; lightly frosted foliage with removable pinecones
- Hinged branch construction for quick setup; flame-retardant PVC needles retain shape
- Sturdy metal base and wire branch construction eliminate tipping and sagging
- 7-1/2 feet tall and 66 inches in diameter; 10-year limited warranty
Product Description
Decorate Your Kitchen For Christmas
November 18, 2008 by admin
Filed under Xmas Decorating
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Product Features
- Set includes 3-solid terry kitchen towels in check weave pattern
- 100-Percent cotton kitchen towel measures 16-inch by 26-inch
- Holiday color theme: red, sage and dark green
- Absorbent terry towel
- Machine wash and dry
When someone mentions decorating for Christmas, the first thing that comes to mind is decorating the Christmas tree. While decorating your Christmas tree is a big part of the Christmas holiday, it is not the only thing in your home that you can decorate. To make your home truly festive, you can easily go about decorating your whole home for Christmas, including your kitchen.
If you would like to showcase your Christmas spirit in a room other than the one that your Christmas tree is in, you should start with your kitchen. One of the reasons for this is because there are an unlimited number of Christmas decorations that are designed for the kitchen.
One of the most popular ways to decorate your kitchen for Christmas is by purchasing and using Christmas themed potholders. You don’t even necessarily have to use them. Just having a potholder with a picture of Santa, snowflakes, or reindeers is enough to bring the Christmas spirit into your kitchen. In addition to potholders, you can easily find oven mitts and kitchen towels that come with a Christmas theme. Hang these items in your kitchen and they can easily be considered Christmas decorations.
In addition to potholders and kitchen towels, you can also bring a touch of Christmas spirit into your kitchen with some kitchen magnets. What is nice about these Christmas magnets is that they come in a number of different forms. You could easily purchase some cheap plastic magnets, the ones that look like they were made for kids, or you can purchase more elegant magnets, often handcrafted ones. In fact, it is even possible to purchase Christmas magnets that double as Christmas frames. What better way to bring the Christmas spirit into your kitchen than combining your Christmas decorations with pictures of your family?
You can also decorate your kitchen for Christmas by using Christmas kitchenware. Christmas kitchenware tends to encompass a number of different things. For the most part, Christmas kitchenware includes the items that you use in your kitchen, often on a regular basis. It is possible to find kitchen eating utensils that have a touch of Christmas on them. It is also possible to find plates, bowls, and cups that come pre-designed with Christmas pictures or symbols. If you have a number of these items showcased out in the open, they could easily be considered Christmas decorations.
For more ideas on how to decorate your home and kitchen for Christmas, you can check out magazines or do an online search. It is a good idea to start shopping for Christmas decorations early. While you may get a few cents off by waiting till the last minute, its really not worth it to spend money on decorations that will only be displayed for a few days. Once you see all of the Christmas decorations that are available, you will be able to determine which decorations would look great in your kitchen.
Decorating For Christmas On A Budget
November 9, 2008 by admin
Filed under Xmas Decorating
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Review
I love this book because I can make beautiful projects and recipes with supplies I can find easily! Five Stars! — Marcia Schultz; Aspen, CO
Product Description
Christmas Make it Sparkle is a wonderful book filled with 225 simple, crafts, food and decorating ideas for your holiday home. Christmas is the most beautiful time of the year. Colored lights shimmer in neighborhood windows, fresh evergreens are adorned with glittering ornaments, and snow glistens. You can see the excitement in the little eyes that twinkle throughout the season. Your holiday home becomes the focal point for all of this marvelous activity and you want to share your talents with the ones you love. In this gook you’ll find ideas for beautiful ornaments and tree decorations, glorious wreaths and centerpieces, memorable handmade greeting cards, delicious recipes, stunningly simple decorations, clever gifts for everyone on your holiday list, and unique lighting ideas. All of the easy to make projects, recipes and ideas will help make your holiday just a little brighter. So as you reflect upon this most beautiful time of the year, take time to feel the warmth of the season in your home, and in your heart, as you make this Christmas one that sparkles. See other holiday ideas Google BRAVE INK PRESS
Most people agree that the best part of the Christmas season is all the beautiful decorations and yummy food! Everyone loves all the sweets, cookies, cakes, pies and candy! They also like all the festive decorations that are found everywhere!
When my son was small, I didn’t have a lot of money for decorating. I had a few decorations that were handed down to me from my mother. I bought a few on eBay at a huge savings over what they cost in retail stores. I also used some simple red, green and gold streamers to decorate around the house.
If you are on a tight budget, there are inexpensive ways to decorate your home for Christmas. If you have some old Christmas baby clothes or stuffed teddy bears, you can put them in a small child’s chair. Drape the sweater over the chair and have the bear sitting snuggled in the corner of the chair. Find a nice corner of the room to place the chair, or place it near the tree if possible.
Candles are another way to add a nice touch to your home for Christmas. They can also provide some wonderful scents. The small votive candles are inexpensive and can be used in a number of ways for Christmas decorations. For instance, you could put some votive candles floating on some water in a festive bowl of some kind or place the votives in groups of 3 on a small plate and scatter them around your home on the end tables or coffee tables.
Candy canes are always popular at Christmas and don’t cost much. You can hang them around at various places or make some candy cane bouquets and place them in green, red, or other festive glasses you may have. It’s not about much you spend, it’s about spreading a little Christmas cheer in the best way you can. The simplest Christmas decorations can be the most elegant.
