How to Store Your Artificial Christmas Tree
Putting your artificial Christmas tree back in its box at the end of the festive season shouldn’t be a hassle. Ensuring all of the parts of the tree are stored safely should be a priority to ensure your artificial tree lasts for numerous years to come.
That’s why we have put together this helpful guide to help you carefully store your artificial Christmas tree in such a way that means you will get a long life out of your tree and putting it up again next year won’t be a stressful job.
Store Your Tree in a Dry, Cool Place
The most important aspect of storing your tree is keeping it dry and sealed up in a cool place.
Getting the tree wet and not drying it can damage the tree's integrity. While an artificial tree can take a little damage here and there, you still want to keep the tree dry, so it lasts longer.
Find a place in your home where the tree will not likely get wet, so not in a garage or cellar. For extra protection, you can lay towels or sheets around the tree. A cool, dry location will also prevent the tree from smelling damp when you take it out again.
Protect Your Tree with a Box or Storage Bag
Many artificial Christmas trees come with protective packaging in their original box, and while you can store it in the original packaging, your Christmas tree will fluff out over its first year so it’s unlikely to fit into its original box as time goes on. Investing in a purpose built Christmas tree storage bag is the way forward to ensure your tree looks great for many years to come.
Use Common Kitchen Items to Prevent Odour
While some people might not mind their Christmas tree smelling like their attic or cellar, such a smell can set the wrong mood for others.
Bicarbonate of soda and coffee grounds
Luckily, you can use a few everyday kitchen items to help your Christmas tree smell more festive. A container of bicarbonate of soda, for instance, can neutralise any odours surrounding your tree.
Better yet, try a container of unused coffee grounds to create a warm, cosy smell while your tree is in storage.
Spicy air fresheners
You might also spray the area around your tree with an air freshener. It is not the longest-lasting method, though it might help create a festive mood when your tree is on display.
Christmas scent sticks
Try using scent sticks. You can use them both when your tree is in storage and on display, as they make pretty ornaments while smelling like Christmas. They are available in scents like spruce, balsam fir, or any Christmas tree scent you like.
Scented pinecones
Similar to scent sticks, you might stick scented pinecones with your tree. They not only look good with your tree during the festive season, but they might help keep the attic smell away if you stick them with your tree in storage.
Do a Little Pre-Disassembly Prep
It might be tempting to take the tree apart and then prepare it for storage. However, it might be easier to prepare your tree for storage while it is still intact.
Make sure the tree is completely clean
Before you do any assembling, look over your tree one more time. Have you taken all the Christmas tree decorations and Christmas tree lights off (if your tree is not a pre-lit Christmas tree)? Are there no stray hooks hanging from the branches? You do not want to start taking your tree apart and get stuck with a decoration hook.
Wrap the branches close to the centre
Consider wrapping the branches close to the tree's centre. Doing so will allow you to slip the tree pieces into a storage bag or box without much struggle.
Depending on the size of your tree, you can use bungee cords, zip ties, or string to secure the branches of the tree. Do not wrap the branches too tightly. You do not want to create indents in the branches or make it hard to fluff out your tree next year.
You might use plastic wrap to help keep moisture out of your tree. The plastic wrap will also help protect your tree from dust, insects, or nesting rodents. Once the branches are tied down, you can take the sections apart and store them.
Remove the lights from trees that aren’t pre-lit
If your tree did not come with Christmas lights attached, remove them and store them away from the tree. If you have an artificial pre-lit Christmas tree, make sure you detach the light sections when separating the tree pieces.
Disassembling the Tree
Now that the tree's sections are tied down and the lights are detached, it is time to take the tree apart and put it away.
Move your tree in sections to the final storing place
Depending on how big your tree is, it might help to move the tree in sections to its final storing place.
You are more than welcome to put your tree in its storage bag and then move it to storage. However, if you have a larger tree, it will require some heavy lifting to place the tree where you want it.
This process may take a little longer, depending on how many pieces you need to move. Still, you can guarantee you will not strain yourself moving the tree all at once.
Store the pieces in the bag properly
When storing your Christmas tree pieces, make sure you put the centre pole in first. Then place the tree pieces side by side so they do not bend out of shape. Once all of the pieces have been put in the storage bag, remember to zip it up fully to keep out insects and dust.
Choosing a Zip-Up Storage Bag for Your Tree
When choosing a zip-up storage bag for your artificial Christmas tree, make sure to purchase one that is a little larger than your tree to ensure there is plenty of space to fit the tree, stand and branches into it without the need for force.
For fibre optic Christmas trees, we also have a fibre optic & slim tree Christmas tree bag which offers a perfectly snug fit for delicate fibre optic branch tips.
Final Thoughts
The point of properly storing an artificial Christmas tree is to keep out moisture and prevent pests or rodents from nesting in the tree. Of course, it takes more steps than just shoving the tree back in the box, but that is only to keep it looking fresh and in good condition for next Christmas.
However you choose to store your artificial Christmas tree, make sure it stays dry, cool, and sealed up. Ensuring the accompanying Christmas tree lights and accessories receive the same treatment will allow you to rinse and repeat this process every year, and you might wind up spending less and less overall during the festive season!
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