by Carolyn Noblett

Created on: December 09, 2009   Last Updated: May 01, 2012

Heading into the woods on a snowy day and finding the perfect Christmas tree to cut, bring home and decorate has been romanticized over the years. The reality is carrying an axe, rope and enough people to help drag the tree back to your vehicle is a heck of a lot of work. Then, there is the problem of loading your beautiful new tree onto your vehicle. Ok, so you don't plan on heading to the woods, but you still have the same problem of getting the tree home and caring for it once you get it there.

The benefits of choosing an artificial Christmas tree are many. Artificial Christmas trees come in many styles and are carried in many places. There are green life-like trees, shiny aluminum, sparkling gold, pure white and other colors. Like a real cut tree, you can decorate an artifical Christmas tree in any color scheme or theme that you love. You can use all one color of ornaments and decorations, or use every color imaginable.

The same goes for lighting. You can use multi-colored lights or lights of all one color. There are bubble lights, LED lights, old fashioned large bulbs and stage or canned directional lights. If you prefer, you don't have to use any lights at all.

Another benefit to an artificial tree is the cleanliness. There will be no needles to pick out of the carpet, and no sap anywhere in sight. Tree sap is extremely sticky and difficult to remove from anything and everything it touches.  Included in the cleanliness factor, is no possibility of living creatures in your tree. No insects or birds to surprise you. The only living creature you could expect might be the curious cat that climbs up the branches.

Since you don't have to water your artificial Christmas tree to keep it from drying, drooping, and dropping needles, you have no chance of ruining your flooring with soaking water from a spill or leak. There is also much less chance of a fire.

You can reuse your tree if you carefully take it down and store it properly along with the ornaments. You might want to consider making or buying a bag to fit it into, instead of trying to get it back in the original box. It will last for years and save you lots of money.

If you live in a smaller home or apartment, it might be easier and just as decorative to put up several smaller trees instead of one huge one. The smaller artificial Christmas tree is lightweight and easy to store, unlike some of the larger pre-lit ones.

Last, but not least, you do not have to find a way to dispose of a dying tree. If you live on the farm and your pond is not already full of trees, you may have room for one more. You may be able to use it for wildlife cover for the winter, or cut it up to dry and use it for a campfire. You may be able to drag it to the curb if your community has a recycling program.  Or, if you have purchased an artificial Christmas tree, you can just store it in your attic or basement until next Christmas. You can get it out at your leisure and put it up and decorate all over again.

Learn more about this author, Carolyn Noblett.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.