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If you don’t want the mess of a real evergreen in your home this holiday season, or if allergies prevent you from having a live tree in your house, an artificial tree may be the perfect solution for your holiday decorating.

Buying Tips for Artificial Trees

Christmas trees are a nearly universal element in most homeowners’ holiday decorating. Some people don’t like the fuss and mess of a live tree, while others have allergies that preclude them from having a real evergreen in their house. If you’re considering purchasing an artificial tree for your home this holiday season, use these ideas as a guide:

Choosing Artificial Tree Accents

• Pre-Lit Artificial Trees: Pre-lit artificial trees are a great way to minimize setup and cleanup (and avoid the holiday trauma of a giant ball of tangled lights). However, pre-lit artificial trees are generally more expensive, and you can’t change the size or color of the lights from year to year. Swapping burned-out lights for fresh ones may also be a challenge. If you choose a pre-lit artificial tree, look for one that is labeled “continuous on” or “with burn-out protection.” This means that if a single bulb on the strand burns out, the rest of the lights stay on.
• Flocked or Accented Artificial Trees: When an artificial tree is flocked, its branches look like they have been dusted with snow or glitter. You can choose how flocked you want your artificial tree to be; some are dusted more heavily than others. Additional artificial tree accents also may include natural-looking elements, such as pinecones and berries. Keep in mind that these items cannot be removed, so a flocked or accented artificial tree may not match your decorating style if it changes from year to year.

Selecting Tree Height and Width

Most artificial trees for the holidays come in one of three widths, generally labeled as full, slim or pencil. Artificial trees also come in a range of heights, beginning at tabletop size and increasing, usually in half-foot increments, up to about 12 feet. To ensure the best artificial tree for your home, measure the spot where you plan to display the tree and leave enough room to maneuver around it to decorate.

Choosing Artificial Tree Material

• Types of Branches: Artificial trees come with two types of branches—hinged or hook-in. Hinged artificial trees, which consist of just a few parts, have permanently affixed branches and are generally easier to set up. Hook-in branches are individually hooked into a specific spot on a central tree pole. These artificial trees take much more time to put together and cannot be pre-lit, but they also tend to be less expensive.
• Types of Material: Artificial trees are made using one of two types of plastic: PVC or PE. The main difference in materials is in how the trees look. PVC needles are attached to the artificial tree branches using wires. PE artificial trees are fabricated, so both the needles and the branches better resemble those of a real tree. Branch tips may also be sculpted, which means they better replicate the look of a real evergreen.
• Tinsel, Feather and Other Artificial Trees: While many artificial trees for Christmas are designed to resemble real evergreens, some of them are designed to fill a different decorating need. Tinsel and feather trees are two common examples; these are typically white, silver or gold. While many are often used as tabletop trees, tinsel trees are available in full-size as well.

Note: The density, or tip count, indicates how full your artificial tree looks. When purchasing, evaluate your artificial tree’s branches for sturdiness; if you have lots of ornaments, you want branches sturdy enough to hold them.

Additional Considerations When Choosing Artificial Trees

• Price: Just as artificial trees can be found in all sizes, they can also be found in all price ranges. Ultimately, the quality of the tree and additional accents will affect the pricing. While off-the-shelf varieties are generally affordable, custom artificial trees are also available.
• What’s Included: The general life expectancy of an artificial tree is about 10 years, and some may come with a warranty. Stands are usually included; plastic versions may be less stable than those made of metal. Some artificial trees also include additional accessories such as a storage bag. Your artificial tree should also be fire-retardant and fade-resistant.
• Decorating with Both Artificial and Real Trees: Both artificial and live evergreens can be deftly worked into a variety of holiday styles and schemes within your home. A small artificial tree is a great tabletop choice to display a themed set of decorations or to complete a room’s color scheme, in addition to a full-size live evergreen. A miniature real evergreen can be used in a room where there isn’t lots of space, such as the kitchen or guest room, for added fragrance.

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens. Used with permission. © Meredith Corporation. http://www.meredith.com. All rights reserved.

Get in the spirit of the holidays with color schemes that offer a new take on the old red-and-green Christmas theme.

Green, blue and silver color scheme

This light and airy holiday color scheme incorporates light green, bright blue and silver to create a sophisticated Christmas living room. Hang light green-and-blue oversize stockings from your mantel beneath potted lemon cypress trees wrapped in teal paper and green ribbon. Decorate your Christmas tree with an assortment of blue, silver and green glass ornaments, and color-coordinate a sea of blue-and-white wrapped packages to complete the color scheme.

White-and-brown color scheme

Play up a minimal living room for the holidays with brown, gold and silver accents. A frosted Christmas tree displays oversize silver and gold ornaments; white and brown wrapped packages are placed neatly beneath the tree. A glass-top coffee table holds tall apothecary jars filled with white candies and Christmas cookies.

Green, white and brown color scheme

An earthy holiday color scheme of green and brown gives a natural look to this Christmas living room. Green-and-white stockings hang from a wooden mantel, and light-brown throw pillows sit on off-white armchairs. The colors stay consistent through the tree decorations, with bright-green glass ornaments and creamy felt poinsettia flowers. Woodsy ribbon and an owl ornament wrap a light-green box under the Christmas tree, and other patterned wrapping papers play up the mellow, earthy tones.

Editor’s Tip: You don’t have to decorate your whole house in a different color scheme every year—just focus on small areas, and simply carry the scheme through wrapped presents or tree decorations.

Blue-and-white color scheme

Mimic the icy colors of winter with this blue-and-white Christmas color scheme. Birch logs, frosted pinecones and branches in white ceramic vases provide the indoor winter wonderland. Accent with blue velvet ribbon and clear blue goblets for cool pops of color.

Silver-and-gold color scheme

Let your indoor Christmas decor shine with this pretty silver-and-gold color scheme. Decorate your mantel with a silver-and-gold ornament ball wreath, cream stockings and greenery. Add in ornament-filled cloches and apothecary jars for a decorative dimension. Adorn a frosty Christmas tree with silver, gold and blue ornaments, and display gorgeous wrapped packages in the same hues to create a festive scheme that sparkles.

Turquoise-and-orange color scheme

Try a zesty Christmas color scheme using bright, contrasting colors—such as turquoise and orange—to give your holiday decor a bold look. Here, wide orange ribbon wraps large boxes covered in patterned turquoise paper, and an urn brimming with oranges dresses up the bottom of the Christmas tree. A light-blue coffee table holds a teal vase of orange flowers and a footed dish filled with oranges; a blue-and-orange decorative pillow pulls the color scheme together on an off-white couch.

Editor’s Tip: Stabilize the Christmas tree trunk with sand and gravel before adding the oranges to the top of the urn.

Red-and-tan color scheme

Swap tan for white in this Christmas color scheme to give your home a vintage holiday feel. Light brown upholstery webbing is transformed into a large bow to accent this Christmas wreath, and tiny packages fill the bed of a red toy pickup truck. A handmade burlap pillow with Christmas words and phrases finishes the natural color scheme.

Red, pink and blue color scheme

Play up the color of holiday poinsettias with this unusual Christmas color scheme. Fuchsia-color poinsettia bracts (look for Polly’s Pink variety) complement a ceramic dish filled with pink and silver ornaments in different shapes and sizes, an ideal decoration for your Christmas mantel or a holiday table centerpiece. The flowers and ornaments offset a blue-and-white striped couch with wintry accent pillows for a unique holiday look.

 

Red, cream and white color scheme

Give traditional Christmas colors a break by removing the green and adding cream and white for a warm and cozy color scheme. Cream and red throw pillows—with a cream rosette wreath above the chair—add a warm element to the decor, and a 3-foot tabletop tree adorned with red and white ornaments stands in a cream pot on a white table to round out the color scheme.

Multicolor festive Christmas scheme

Celebrate the season with all the colors of the rainbow—the bright hues are perfect for adding holiday cheer to a table. Create mini trees and wreaths out of ball ornaments by removing the ornament caps and hot-gluing the balls onto foam shapes.

Red, white and blue color scheme

You’ve heard of Christmas in July, but now bring the spirit of July to your Christmas decor in December. Red, white and blue is a classic color scheme that suits the holiday. Create stockings from red and blue felt; embellish with snowflake appliqués. Attach stockings to antique wooden skis or other cold-weather icons for a winter scene.

Teal, white and cranberry color scheme

Twist a classic color combination with cranberry and teal. For an easy tablescape, cover your table with a teal tablecloth and create place cards from family photos. Copy the photos onto light red paper. Make a cardboard frame for each photo and attach the photo to the back of the frame. Place each framed image in a holiday-inspired photo clip or place-card holder.

 

Pink and green color scheme

Typically thought of as a springtime combination, pink and green will add cheer to your home during dreary winter months. For this bright centerpiece, place a metallic bottle-brush tree in a heavy planter, weight as necessary with rocks or gravel, then cover the base with fake moss. Accent the room with patterned pink and green pillows to emphasize the color scheme.

Red, white and green color scheme

If you prefer a more traditional approach to holiday decorating, try a red-and-white color scheme with added pops of green. This festive place setting combines the three colors with white chargers, a red place mat, and sprigs of evergreen tucked into folded napkins. A burlap runner, pots of moss and apples offer inexpensive finishes.