Everlasting trees now look real
And anything goes when it comes to adorning the branches
Q: I can’t decide if I should get an artificial tree or a real one this year. Are fake trees tacky, and do they last? Are they messy? In short, what are the pros and cons?
Also, do you have any tips for Christmas decorating trends this year? All the choices in the stores are stressing me out.
A: It’s a strange coincidence that I received your question this week because I recently decorated a tree for the Toronto Gardiner Museum’s Twelve Trees of 2012 exhibit (gardinermuseum.on.ca), featuring designers’ one-ofa-kind trees. The theme is children’s Christmas from around the world.
Let’s talk trees first. I’m using an artificial one. The tips of the branches are moulded plastic, making the tree look just like a Douglas fir.
It used to be that artificial trees had plastic bristles that didn’t look real. But these days we call them everlasting trees not “fake” because they look real and, of course, will last for a long time.
Some people can’t live without the inimitable look and smell of a real tree. When it comes to artificial trees versus real ones, “real trees are as popular as ever,” says Hank DeJong of Sheridan Nurseries in Toronto.
The cost of a real tree that has been cut and had all the dead needles shaken away is about $100. Artificial trees cost about $400.
Though I do love the smell of a real tree, for me an artificial tree is worth the investment.
I like that I can throw a boxed tree into my trunk and carry it by the handles into a small space. (A 7-1/2-foot tree fits into box of five feet by 18 inches by 18 inches.)
Plus, you don’t have to worry about watering a fake tree. And the everlasting trees come in pine and fir varieties. Some even come flocked with faux snow.
As far as trends go, I’m a lazy tree decorator. I like a tree dressed in a maximum of one to two colours. Or just one type of ornament in different colours.
For the Twelve Trees exhibit, I wrapped my tree in pink, orange and green satin ribbon from Creative Bag (creativebag.com).
Then I had the decorative cookie company, A Couple of Squares (acoupleofsquares.com), make me 150 starshaped cookies in the same colours.
The inspiration for the cookie ornaments comes from Christmas parols of the Philippines, colourful star-shaped lanterns made from materials such as bamboo and paper or Capiz shells. In the Philippines, parols are just as important as Christmas trees — you see them hung everywhere.
Why parols of the Philippines you ask? My mom is Filipina and loves bright pretty colours, especially pink.
What I’m saying is don’t worry about trends.
Pick something you love — candy canes, cream-colour ponies, ballet slippers, or even canaries — and load the tree down in multiples of your favourite things.
You won’t go wrong — and, then you won’t feel so bad (or stressed).