Christmas and decorating the fir tree usually go hand in hand.
With these tips and tricks you can put your tree in the limelight.
The
decorating
of the
Christmas tree
belongs to
Christmas
and the
Advent season
to do so.
Tip for consumers: the Christmas tree needs enough
water
to stay fresh longer.
With
balls
,
figures
,
straw stars
and
fairy lights
is
Christmas
to
Christmas
decorated.
Offenbach - Decorating the
Christmas tree
is
just as much a
part of
Christmas
as baking cookies and listening to
Christmas carols
.
Regardless of whether it is classically simple with single-colored
Christmas tree balls
or creative with colorful
fairy lights
and unusual figures - these tips will make the tree particularly beautiful this year.
+
Decorating the Christmas tree is part of the Advent season.
(Symbol image)
© Bernd Settnik / dpa
According to the German Forest Protection Association
There are up to 25 million
Christmas trees
in German living rooms
every year
.
For many Germans, putting up a decorated Christmas tree is one of the most important
traditions of
the
year
.
The
creativity
knows no bounds when decorating the tree, but it depends on the correct
order
of the individual steps.
Decorating a Christmas tree: how to properly store the tree
In order to
decorate
the
Christmas tree
, the first thing you need to do is
buy and put
a
tree
.
There is a
fir tree
either in
hardware stores
, in front of or in
supermarkets
or at
forestry companies
.
Depending on how big the tree can be, the
price
also varies
.
Trees that come from sustainable cultivation are also becoming increasingly popular.
Once the
Christmas tree is
at home, it should be stored outside until it is ready to be set up and decorated.
The tree stays fresh if it is also
supplied
with
water
.
It's best to put it in a bucket of
water
.
There is no ideal
time
to set up and decorate the Christmas tree.
Many will soon get a #Christmas tree.
🎄 But it has to be transported safely.
🚗 Whether roof or interior - it must be firmly lashed, otherwise it can become a danger for you and others.
Then have fun choosing & decorating. # PolizeiMV #PolizeiVG
* ak pic.twitter.com/cgGq51UwcQ
- Police Vorpommern-Greifswald (@PolizeiVG) November 30, 2020
Christmas: The perfect Christmas tree takes time to unfold
Many Germans only erect their tree shortly before
Christmas
on December 23rd or on
Christmas Day
itself, December 24th.
Others use the
Advent Sunday
before
Christmas
for the project.
However, it is clear that the later the
tree is brought
into the house, the longer it will last.
The Federal Association of Christmas Tree and Cut Green Producers (BWS) advises bringing the tree into the house one day before decorating.
It needs this time to unfold and bring its branches back into position, according to the experts.
To do this, the
tree
must be
freed from the network.
In order
not to damage
the
branches
, the net should be cut from bottom to top.
So the Christmas tree stays fresh longer over the holidays
Once the
Christmas tree has
been
set up
in the
house
, it also needs sufficient
water
here
.
A two meter high tree needs up to two liters of water per day, according to Hans Ludwig Körner, managing director of the Bavarian Forest Owners Association.
To keep the tree fresh longer, the expert also recommends
sugar
or
fresh
flower powder
.
The tree should also be shortened two centimeters to better absorb the water.
The place where the
Christmas tree is
set up is also crucial for its
durability
.
Accordingly, the tree should not be placed directly in front of a
fireplace
or
heater
.
In addition, most Christmas trees cannot tolerate direct
drafts
and should therefore not
stand in
front of an open
window
for long
.
It is also advisable to place a tablecloth underneath to prevent the floor from becoming dirty.
Tips and tricks for the Christmas tree
The
tree
needs water - around two liters a day
Extend the shelf life by adding sugar or
fresh flower powder
in the
water
Bring the
Christmas tree
into the house the day before decorating so that it can unfold
Do not place the tree in front of a fireplace, heater or window
Put a blanket under
The later the
Christmas tree is brought
into the house, the longer it will last
Christmas tree: first step in decorating - the fairy lights
When decorating the Christmas tree, the
fairy lights
should be
attached first.
If you
want to attach
individual
candles
instead of the lights, you can do so later.
With candles, however, the possible risk of fire or burns for
children
should be considered.
It is best to place the
chain of lights
around the
Christmas tree
in a
spiral from top to bottom, regardless of whether it is monochrome or colored
.
The lights should be placed as far out as possible.
Before you
really start
decorating the
tree
, check the functionality of all the
lights on
the chain of lights.
If necessary, defective lamps must be replaced.
Second step in decorating the Christmas tree - the balls
Now you can really start
decorating
.
The
creativity
is no limit - whether silver, gold, red or colorful balls - anything is possible.
In addition to traditional
Christmas tree
baubles
,
Germans
also
love wooden figures
,
straw stars
or homemade figures made from salt dough.
Salt dough recipe
1. Put one cup of
water
, one cup of
salt
and two cups of
flour
in a bowl and mix together.
2. Knead the salt dough mass into a firm, malleable salt dough.
3.
Roll
out the
salt dough
and cut out like cookies, making a small hole on top with a toothpick.
4. Place in the oven for about two hours at 150 ° C, then let it cool down and paint.
Attaching balls to the Christmas tree - this is how it works
If you want to make the
Christmas tree
particularly chic this year, you just have to
follow a
few
tips
.
In order to do justice to the typical shape, the larger balls should be draped on the bottom and the smaller balls on top.
Small insider tip: You can give your
tree a
lot more depth if you also
decorate
the inner
branches
.
It is also a must to decorate the tree on all sides in order to strengthen the overall impression.
The
balls
must not hang on the outside of the branches, because the weight will otherwise pull them down.
Decorating the Christmas tree: tinsel and garlands - the third step in decorating the tree
Glitzy or shiny
balls
are best hung near
lights
or
candles
.
That's where they really come into their own.
If you don't have a lot of
Christmas tree decorations
, you can use ribbon to hang up the balls.
The tree looks fuller - with fewer balls.
The last step in
decorating
the
Christmas tree is to
add
chains
,
garlands
or
tinsel
.
These should be placed in a spiral, as far outside as possible on the branches.
Tinsel, which was quite popular a few years ago, is less used today.
On the one hand, because removing the tinsel from the
branches
before disposing of the
tree is
tedious.
On the other hand, because the use of tinsel is not necessarily sustainable and often does not fit into modern decoration concepts.
(Luisa Ebbrecht)
List of rubric lists: © Nicolas Armer / dpa