Setting Up and Caring for Your Christmas Tree
Now that your family is home and the tree is waiting patiently in the trunk of your car, it is time to bring it in and set it up so it can settle before you start decorating it.
You should already have a tree stand. If you don’t, you should have bought one the same time you bought the Christmas tree. I personally like the big plastic ones with the 4 screw in eyebolts. They have a big enough opening to accommodate just about any tree you want to set up.
Before you bring in the tree, examine the tree stand to make sure there are no cracks in the plastic. This would be bad if you got the tree set up and filled it up with water and it leaked all over your carpet or hardwood floors.
Place the stand where you want the tree to be in your home (NOTE: don’t place the tree near heating vents or the fireplace. That is a house fire waiting to happen).Feel free to move furniture around. This is a great time to rearrange things just for the holiday season. Bring in your tree still wrapped in that plastic mesh they wrap it in. Cut the mesh from around the trunk that is going into the stand. Slide it into the stand (you may have to back all the eyebolts out so the tree will go in).
One person needs to hold the tree strait up while the second person tightens the eyebolts. This is a critical step. Keep playing with the eyebolts until the tree is being held tightly, pointing straight up. You Tree should now be secure)
While your tree is still tied up, fill the base up with water. Then cut the remaining mesh from the tree, releasing the limbs to fall where they will.
Give your tree a good 24 hours to set itself before you start decorating. This will help avoid holes when you put up your decorations. If your tree is still settling, then in 24 hours, the limbs will not be in the same place as they were when you decorated it.
