jhonduncen
Hallmark movies lie to you: Holiday magic doesn’t simply appear out of nowhere. You have to create it yourself.
And of course, creating magical moments with twinkling lights, a fresh (or fake) pine, and the sweet scent of freshly baked cookies sometimes takes real, messy effort. Think wrestling with tree stands, untangling cords, and arguing with your partner or roommate over how to hang the ornaments. But decorating doesn’t need to be difficult. We’ve pulled together some suggestions, such as magical artificial Christmas trees, to make setting up for the holidays (and pulling it all down a few weeks later) an easier, more festive experience for everyone involved.
Setting up
Splurge for a good tree stand
Getting your tree perfectly straight in a run-of-the-mill tree stand can be a hassle—especially since the task is not something a person can usually do without help. After testing dozens of tree stands over the past decade, we’ve kept coming back to the Krinner Tree Genie XXL. Not only is the Krinner the most secure tree stand we’ve tested, but it’s also the only stand we found that one person can set up. Unlike traditional stands, the Krinner employs a foot pedal to lock the tree in—you simply set the tree in the stand and press several times on the pedal to tighten the tree trunk into place.
Fluff your fake tree
No artificial tree looks good right out of the box—even if you buy the most realistic-looking faux fir, you still have to fluff it to make it look presentable. Fluffing can be a tedious affair that you have to do each year, no matter how you store your tree, because you have to manually separate and arrange the branches to give the tree volume and a realistic shape. Depending on the texture of the branches, you may even consider wearing gardening gloves. This process can take up to 45 minutes depending on the size of your Christmas tree, but it’s necessary if you want your tree to be awe-inspiring—so slip in a pair of earbuds and listen to some holiday music as you fluff.
Lighting and decorating
Don’t underestimate how many lights you need
To make a tree look well-lit (but not over the top), you need about 100 lights per foot: A 6-foot tree requires 600 lights, a 7-foot tree should have 700, and so on. That may sound excessive, but after test-trimming trees using varying amounts of lighting, we found that fewer lights seemed more Scrooge-y than sparkly.
The best light-stringing method (and some easier approaches, too)
Stringing lights around the Christmas tree is a frustrating task—but there’s an easier, better way to light your tree. Most lighting experts, including Wirecutter senior staff writer Doug Mahoney, say the best way to hang lights on a tree is vertically. “You’re supposed to string from the bottom of the tree to the top and go in and out as you go up,” Doug says, “and then bring the strand of lights down again, going in and out of the tree—and up again.” In our experience, this method results in more even lighting and more depth of twinkle than if you were to wind the string of bulbs around the tree.
The bigger the tree skirt, the better
A tree skirt with a wide diameter protects floors, catches any loose needles as they fall, and provides space for presents. If you’re struggling to find a big-enough tree skirt—or would rather stick to a more budget-friendly option—wrap a festive blanket or tablecloth around the base of your tree instead. We’re currently testing tree skirts, and we hope to have a pick by next Christmas.
Automate your lighting
If you’ve ever snuggled into bed during December only to realize that you never switched off the Christmas tree, a simple, inexpensive smart-home device can help you through this annoying quirk of the holiday season. Smart-home senior staff writer Rachel Cericola uses a smart plug, the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim, to keep her tree lights on a schedule. In her home, this device saves her from struggling to reach the switch hidden behind tree branches twice each night—instead, her tree switches on and off automatically at a predetermined time each evening. Setting a schedule with our favorite smart plug is easy: After downloading the associated app (which is available for iOS, Android, and Apple Home) and registering your device, head to the Schedules tab to set your smart plug on a specific timeline. Automating your holiday decor is especially gratifying for Rachel on the nights she gets home after dark. “It’s really nice to come home to the lights greeting me,” she says.
