I'm getting my first real Christmas tree this year! What do I need to know?

If it is a real tree, keep it well watered. this will help keep the needles on the tree, decreasing the mess and reducing the fire hazard.

Put your lights on a timer, It is nice to come home to a lit tree, and if you forget in the evening, it turns it off for you.
If you are considering sex under the tree Christmas eve, remember that those needles are sharp and that your and your SO will both appreciate a blanket on the ground in lieu of going at it au-natural.
That is all, except that cats LOOOOOVVVEEEE tinsel and tiny balls (see item two, above).

rojo is correct…the safety is mainly about keeping the tree watered. Christmas trees are cut long before they are put up. As the sap seeps to the bottom of the trunk, it is wise to saw off a bit of the end in order to allow the tree to ‘drink’ the water from the stand. Otherwise, the sap closes up the base of the trunk, thus not alowing it to access the water and drying it up. Not only does it become a fire hazard, but you’ll be vacuuming up needles for a long time.

Do the research on the different types of Christmas trees available. They have different needle lengths and different scents. One type may appeal to you more than others.

Consider investing in a living tree. It can be replanted after the holiday. If you opt for a cut tree, keep in mind that it can be cut up and recycled depending upon your area.

Decorating a tree is fun! Taking the decorations down is a bummer. If you plan on having a tree every year, invest in some storage boxes for the decorations. Glass balls are delicate, and the lights are a challenge. We wrap them around a rolled up newspaper so that it is easy to unroll them the next year. And as for lights, if one goes out, then the rest of them do as well. Next year, check for a burned out bulb before lacing the string on the tree.

As for having cats and a tree, good luck. They love to bat at the hanging ornaments, and sometimes, they attempt to climb the tree. Hope for the best and expect the worst. The tree may topple over if a cat crawls up it.

In all, having a live tree is worth the hassle. It creates a tradition that can be enjoyed throughout the holiday.

@Pied_Pfeffer : I’m going to a ranch to cut down my own tree… they apparently give you a saw and you get to pick your tree. Is that going to be an issue with the sap?
Great tips with the lights! Thanks!!!

Also, this may be important to mention… I live in a one bedroom apartment in a city.

Check the water every day, but at least twice a day the first few days. Don’t let it go dry.

Do be aware of the sharp needles. My husband poked his eye when putting the lights on the tree. We had to take him to the ER and he spent the next several days with a patch over his eye. So happy he didn’t have to be Santa for anyone that year. A pirate Santa would need a lot of explaining! lol

Try to get a tree with shorter needles, firs are nice. The long needles are a big pain to clean up after the holiday. I’ve found needles under the couch in July.

Keep your favorite ornaments close to the top, far away from any possible cat damage.

I’m really excited for you! We always get fresh trees from a Christmas tree farm. I will never go fake.

If you are cutting your own tree, the sap issue should not be a problem. Two friends run Christmas tree farms, and it comes from them cutting the trees and shipping them out weeks in advance of their purchase.

Since you are cutting your own and putting it in an apt., you’ll want to make sure that you have the measurements right. It’s hard to judge the height of a tree when it is out on a farm. The SO and I have had to take the tree out into the back yard to saw off another inch, and you may not be privy to this option. If possible, take a measuring tape with you and keep in mind that the stand will add an inch or two to the height.

Another option is purchasing a Norfolk Island Pine tree as a long-term plant. You can keep it in the apt. year round and decorate it with small ornaments during the holiday.

Newer light strings generally don’t all go out when one bulb burns out. Not sure about the newest variety, LEDs, haven’t tried those yet. They are supposed to last a lot longer than incandescents, and they don’t run hot, either. That’s a nice advantage in terms of fire safety.

Plug all of your lights into a central control of some sort. Either a surge protector or a special foot-operated switch made just for this purpose. Much easier to flip one switch than fumble with plugs under the tree! Or use a timer, as suggested above.

Since you’re in a small space, err on the side of a smaller/narrower tree than you think you want. Branches ‘fall’ considerably sometimes, and you’ll end up with a much wider tree than you thought you were getting.

Don’t use tinsel if you have cats. They will eat it, and end up with silver strands dangling out of their butts (funny, but probably not for them!), or worse, it can get tangled up inside them.

After you’ve removed the tree, I highly recommend using a broom and dustpan to get as many of the needles up as you can. Even if it’s carpet… just lightly sweep in a kind of ‘flicking’ motion, and you’ll get more than you thought possible. Tree needles can really ruin a vacuum.

Do not get tinsel. Your cats will eat it, and it could be very harmful to them. They may also try to pull the ornaments off – mine enjoyed that game a lot. They never tried to climb a tree, but one year we had to tie the tree to a wall, because the ornament-pulling action nearly brought it all down. This sort of activity varied from year to year, weirdly. Some years, they just couldn’t be bothered with it. Oh, and one of them liked to drink the water out of the stand he was a bit of an oddball that way.

I did not see anyones reference to a dried out tree, before you purchase it. Stand a prospective Christmas tree straight up and hit the ground with it several times. This is make sure the tree is not old and dry. Watch to see if the trees needles fall off the tree. If so, leave it alone and seek another.

Merry HO HO…............jp

Put a sheet on the floor around the base of the tree to catch fallen needles. A red one works nicely.

To add to the watering advice: since you’ll have a nice fresh tree, it will use the water a lot faster than you might think! Maybe see if you can find an automatic waterer setup.
I second the “no tinsel” advice; remember, cats have those barbs on their tongues so they can’t really spit out string, thread, etc. and such things can cause intestinal blockage. And expect that they will be fascinated with the whole thing.

Use those tiny bulb type lights that don’t get hot, and you’ll eliminate 99% risk of fire.

Or, better yet, don’t use electric bulbs at all, and you’ll totally eliminate your risk of fire, no matter how dry it gets.

Let me encourage you to think about a living Christmas tree, look after it and you can use it the following year as well. And another thought, these days I favour trees other than pine e.g. the last 2 years I have had a pohutakawa tree, a coastal native NZ tree that flowers at Christmas with beautiful red blossoms, it was much admired and looked beautiful.

Thanks everyone! I got my tree tonight and it’s so amazing and beautiful! I didn’t buy enough lights so I’m going to have to get more before I can decorate it but it’s the perfect size (5–6 ft) and makes my apartment feel warm and inviting! Happy Holidays!!!!

@SamIAm Thanks for the update! You should post pictures when you’re done decorating. :)

Congratulations! And yes, please post photos if you can.

Now for the next steps: Do not, under any circumstance, forget to check the water level every day. You may be amazed at how much water the tree soaks up. Should the level get too low, the sap seals off the stump, and the needles dry out. It creates a huge mess, especially when taking off the ornaments and removing the tree.

Prepare for light and ornament storage after the holiday. Plastic bins work really well. For the lights, we use newspaper rolled up into a tube form and then wrap the lights around them. It makes it much easier when you put the lights on in following years. We just walk around the tree unravelling the paper spool while hanging them.

Do you have a tree skirt? It’s the finishing touch.

That’s good to know @Pied_Pfeffer – I wouldn’t have thought I would need to check the water level daily.

I bought a large plastic bin for all my holiday stuff already. Organization is my thing :) I’m going to try to collect smaller shoe boxes & such for the tinier pieces. And yes, I bought a cheap felt tree skirt but I have been making smaller decorations for it!

I’ll try to figure out how to post pictures when it’s all done!!!

Also, an HO train set circling the tree is a nice touch…

Don’t use candles as decorations. I’m talking about flames and everything. Also, keep any candles you’re using during the holiday out of the tree’s range. Keep your tree away from heat sources, like fireplaces or heaters.

If you have pets and small children, place larger ornaments at the bottom and smaller, sharper ones near the top.

Don’t forget to turn off the tree’s lights before you go to bed.

How did the tree turn out? Do you have tips to pass down to the next person?