The desire to preserve nature, but at the same time not deprive themselves of the holiday, pushed people to create artificial New Year trees. However, the familiar Christmas trees made of plastic and PVC did not appear immediately - in ancient times and the Middle Ages they were made from wooden blocks and even goose feathers. How artificial Christmas trees are made and what materials were used for their production at different times is discussed later in the article.
Which ones were used in the old days?
As an invariable attribute of Christmas and New Year, the Christmas tree appeared in prehistoric times. Over the centuries, its significance at the holiday remained unchanged, but starting from the 18th century, the appearance of the Christmas tree began to change - artificial trees first replaced the living tree.
How were artificial Christmas trees made in the 18th century?
For this purpose, wooden blocks were used, from which craftsmen cut out cones and painted them green. And although this New Year’s attribute was still based on natural material, it could be used for several years in a row. For the first time, such cone-shaped Christmas trees of different sizes (from 10 cm to 1.5 m) appeared in the USA.
The production of artificial Christmas trees has not stopped with wooden cones. But what can artificial Christmas trees be made from if there is no plastic yet? Various materials were used for this purpose:
- Goose feathers. To create a Christmas tree from feathers, they were connected together using threads or thin wire, and then a ribbon of feathers was wrapped around a wooden cone or frame. To make such a creation as similar as possible to a real tree, the feathers were painted green and decorated. The authors of this New Year tree are the Germans.
- Horse hair bristles. Initially, horse mane and the bristles of other animals were used to make toilet brushes. But in 1930, brush manufacturers first came up with the idea of creating an artificial Christmas tree from bristles. Although such a product turned out to be expensive, Americans and Europeans used it in their homes for a very long time as a full-fledged replacement for a live Christmas tree.
- Aluminum wire. The principle of making artificial Christmas trees from brushes was used to make aluminum Christmas trees. This product turned out to be very realistic and less labor-intensive to manufacture, which is why aluminum Christmas trees began to be sold out en masse.
The technology for producing aluminum Christmas trees was used to produce Christmas trees made of plastic, which is still used today.
How and from what are they made?
In the mass production of modern artificial Christmas trees, only artificial materials are used and only occasionally metal parts are used as a frame. Everyone knows what artificial Christmas trees are made of - it’s PVC, plastic or fishing line.
PVC Christmas trees
To make such a tree, polyvinyl chloride film is used, which is held together with wire. This results in a very realistic and durable tree. The barrel can be a metal or plastic pipe. For ease of assembly and storage, such Christmas trees can be collapsible (especially if it is a 2-meter-tall tree).
However, when purchasing such a tree, it is not enough to find out what specific manufacturers make artificial Christmas trees from. It is important that the product is accompanied by a quality certificate confirming that the product is non-toxic. Useful ones are listed in the article at the link.
Molded plastic Christmas trees
Such New Year trees are considered the most durable, and therefore have a high cost. When making a cast Christmas tree, its entire frame is cast in a special mold and only the needles can be made of polypropylene, which makes them as realistic as possible.
Artificial Christmas trees made from fishing line
Using fishing line to make spruce “needles” allows you to create the fluffiest and at the same time the cheapest New Year’s trees. Even touching such a tree creates the feeling that there is a real living tree in front of us.
At the same time, lovers of variety can buy such a Christmas tree not only in the classic green color. Modern manufacturers produce white, blue, and even orange Christmas trees. So, when buying a Christmas tree, you should focus on personal tastes and budget, and how to care for an artificial Christmas tree.
How to make an artificial Christmas tree with your own hands?
If you want to place small trees around the house in addition to the main New Year tree, you can make them yourself. For this purpose the following are used:
- Plain cardboard, rolled into a cone and decorated with garlands.
- Fabric from which you can sew a similar cone and fill it with cotton wool.
- Dry tree branches that can be glued together to form a New Year's tree.
You can create not only Christmas trees with your own hands, but also decorations for them. This is especially true for those who decided to purchase a two-meter Christmas tree for the holidays and want to save on buying toys. You can make them from ribbons, real cones, paper snowflakes, and even from women's jewelry. The main thing is not to be afraid to fantasize.
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This term defines a structure in the form of a festive tree, installed on the street or in the house for New Year's holidays to decorate it. The Germans were the first to use it en masse in the 19th century, when the product was made from goose feathers. To make it more believable, it was covered with green paint. Over the next 100 years, this tree became popular throughout Europe, and at the end of the 20th century it crossed the ocean and gained a foothold in the United States.
The modern artificial New Year tree is as close in appearance as possible to its “live” competitor. It also has a trunk that is slightly smaller than usual, as well as branches with thin needles. It can be either spruce or pine, which is also found in artificial form. The difference between them is that the first branches are thinner, look mostly upward, and the crown is thicker, although not very lush. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, pine is most often sold.
Among the characteristics of this product the following should be highlighted:
- Color. In most cases, you can find trees with green needles on the market, but sometimes you can buy models with a blue or white crown that imitates snow. Blue spruce trees look quite interesting, having a very realistic appearance.
- Decor. Products with a price above average (from 1000 rubles) can often be purchased with beautiful decorative elements, which makes decorating them much easier. Manufacturers offer trees with cones, sparkles, and white coating on the ends of the needles. Regardless of this, they are always sold with a convenient stand.
- Smell. A high-quality product never smells of anything, only in the first days after purchase it may smell slightly like plastic. The problem will soon resolve itself, but if this does not happen, it means that cheap materials were used.
- Best before date. Officially, manufacturers declare a figure of 5-7 years, but in fact, most often it turns out that the tree can be used for 10 years or more.
- Material. The most affordable are models made of polyvinyl chloride. Aluminum and fiber optic Christmas trees are quite rare. This is due to the fact that their production requires more serious financial investments and is a rather complicated process.
- Weight. On average, it can range from 500 g to 20 kg; the taller and more magnificent the tree, the greater this figure will be.
- Height. A New Year's tree can have completely different heights, the minimum usually found on sale is approximately 25 cm, and the maximum is 12 m. Small products are usually installed on a table or chair, and tall ones - directly on the floor.
Advantages and disadvantages of an artificial Christmas tree
People who decide to go with this option primarily win money. It is enough to calculate how much you will have to pay for the purchase of a “live” Christmas tree for 10 years (the average service life of an artificial analogue), and compare the resulting amount with the cost of ornamental trees. The benefit will be obvious, because we are talking about more than 300% overpayment.
Here are some more compelling arguments in favor of buying an artificial product:
- Hypoallergenic. This will play one of the most important roles if there are small children in the house, because living pines have a pronounced smell, sometimes irritating the nasal mucosa, causing a runny nose and sore throat. This will serve as an equally significant selection criterion for pregnant women.
- Ease of use. You yourself can determine how long the holiday will last in your home, because an artificial Christmas tree cannot turn yellow or crumble. You don’t need to take it out to the trash, inject yourself at the same time, and then spend a lot of time cleaning up after yourself. To add to the list of advantages, you need to add a fairly simple installation, because the tree is usually sold with a cross, and decorating it is quite simple! One-piece models do not require any assembly at all - place them, decorate them and enjoy the beauty! With collapsible modifications, everything is also quite simple, you just need to fix the leg on the stand and, starting from the bottom, insert the branches into the corresponding recesses in the trunk, fluffing them at the same time.
- Aesthetic appearance. Such a tree looks like it’s alive, it is forever green (if this particular color was chosen), lush and slender. There are no branches bouncing up or hanging unsightly towards the floor. All the needles on them are equally even, and the crown is neat, which allows you to evenly distribute toys, “rain” and garlands. In addition to this, the artificial Christmas tree is very stable, which eliminates the risk of it falling, damaging the decor and, as a result, deteriorating the festive mood.
- Caring for nature. Not everyone likes to buy a specially cut down tree on a whim, only to throw it away a week or two later. In addition, it causes significant harm to the environment.
- Easy to care for. It is enough to wipe the product with a damp sponge and dry it well once a year before installation. There are no strict requirements for its storage; after cleaning, you only need to tie the structure with a rope (if it is cast), wrap it in a dark film and store it in a place protected from sunlight and moisture.
- Availability. It will be pleasant to not have to wait for the opening of Christmas tree markets, which start working no earlier than early to mid-December. This way, you can calmly choose a new design you like or update an old one, without haste or fuss. This can be done not only in winter, but also in spring, and autumn, and even in summer.
Another undesirable point is a possible conflict with old traditions in society, because in many families it is customary to choose a “living” New Year’s tree together. This may contribute to some discord among its members. Complementing this unpleasant picture is the risk of a spoiled mood caused by the sight of the same Christmas tree for several years.
The absence of a real forest smell, which naturally affects the festive mood, can also be somewhat upsetting. But this situation can also be corrected with the help of special aromatic sprays. Simply spray them once and this will provide a gorgeous scent for several days.
Types of artificial Christmas trees
Let us repeat that such “trees” can be either solid or collapsible. The first, as the name implies, do not require absolutely any installation; they are simply taken out and installed on the floor or table. They usually come with a 10-year warranty; They cost several times more than “live” options. Collapsible models are much more complicated, since they consist of several independent parts - a trunk and branches, the number of which can exceed 100 pieces, depending on the size of the tree. Naturally, collapsible structures are more convenient.
Based on the type of material, the following types of artificial Christmas trees are found:
- Lesochnye. Such options were especially popular in Soviet times, as they were inexpensive and were sold wherever possible. With the collapse of the USSR, their appearance noticeably transformed; now they do not lose their volume over time, do not wrinkle or cake. The design is highly durable, but not pleasing due to the rather noticeably prickly needles and a slight unnatural shine. In terms of price, such offers fall into the budget category. In this case, the buyer receives a product that will last from 5 to 15 years. The main producing country of such structures is Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
- Film. The material for their manufacture is polyvinyl chloride, they look more natural than models made from fishing line, are the most popular on the market and have skin-friendly needles. That is why they are classified as products in the mid-price segment. These structures are completely safe for health, do not emit toxins and are not flammable. Families with children can safely buy them; they can last 5 or 10 years.
- Fiber optic. These are the highest quality and most beautiful designs, which, naturally, is reflected in their price, which is not particularly affordable. They can be recognized from afar by their green or snow-covered needles and luminous branches, the needles of which have an invisible LED thread built into them. Thanks to this, to decorate the Christmas tree you will need a minimum of decor, primarily different garlands. But in order for all this beauty to create a New Year's mood, it needs to be powered from the mains using an adapter. At the same time, there is no need to worry about high energy consumption and fire safety: everything is under control here. Such products are produced mainly in China, are premium class and last more than 10 years.
The optimal height of the “tree” for the home is from 1.3 to 1.7 m; a smaller tree will look beautiful only on a chair or table. Regardless of this, it should be smooth, with a fluffy crown. You should try to bend the branches and see if they quickly return to their original position; if they do, then this is a good indicator.
It is also important that the needles are rigid, firmly attached to them and not pricked. To check this indicator, you should pull several needles, which, if done well, simply cannot fall out and injure the skin. Also remember that a normal product never smells of anything.
Before choosing an artificial Christmas tree, it is important to consider the following nuances:
- Make sure that the stand is stable and the tree should not fall on its side. To avoid this, push it slightly to the left, right or forward, as a result, a quality tree should remain in place. For this purpose, they try to make the crosspiece and frame from metal.
- It is better to avoid cheap products from China, which are mostly made from low-quality materials that emit formaldehyde and phenol when heated. These volatile substances can cause severe allergies, dizziness, and migraines.
- When purchasing a product, you must ask the seller to provide a sanitary and epidemiological report, fire and hygiene certificates about the safety of the product. You can check its resistance to fire by burning several needles taken from the product, which, naturally, should not catch fire.
- You should only purchase trees in stores that preferably specialize in selling New Year's decorations. You should definitely ask the seller for a receipt so that if something happens you can challenge the purchase.
- If there is little space in the house, it is more profitable to buy a collapsible structure, which at the end of the holidays can be divided into branches and stored in a closet.
When to buy and prices for artificial trees
It is unlikely that you will be able to purchase such products at the Christmas tree market; they are sold mainly in specialized online or offline stores.
For those who want to save some money, it is recommended to buy a tree at least 2-3 months before the start of the winter holidays. At this time, various discounts are offered in stores and the choice is still quite large, but the closer to December 31, the higher the prices. Therefore, it is simply unacceptable to delay making a choice until the very last day in the hope of massive sales, as is often the case with a “live” Christmas tree.
On average, small PVC “trees” up to 1.5 m high cost about 1,200 rubles. For large size models the price starts from 1500 rubles. Cast and fiber optic structures cost larger sums, the approximate price range is from 4,000 to 20,000 rubles. Christmas trees taller than 5 m, made on a metal frame, will cost 50,000 rubles. and more.
How to choose an artificial Christmas tree for the New Year - watch the video:
In fact, the problem is not at all what kind of artificial Christmas tree to buy, it all comes down to budget. If you have available funds, you can afford to purchase an expensive but high-quality design that will please the eye for many years.
The New Year is approaching and its celebration, according to good tradition, is not complete without a New Year tree. After all, it is an elegant beauty, shining with multi-colored lights of garlands, that creates that magical, unique holiday atmosphere. Every year, more and more families are acquiring artificial Christmas trees. Today we will try to figure out what types of artificial trees there are, what material they are made from and how to choose the right New Year's artificial beauty so that it will last for many years and delight you with its beauty.
What types of Christmas trees are there?
On the eve of the New Year holidays, various models and types of New Year trees appear in stores, from tabletop, very tiny trees to huge fir trees that reach the very ceiling.
It can be pine, fir, blue spruce or regular spruce, with or without cones, covered with frost, with multi-colored lights built into the branches. And the color of an artificial Christmas tree can be any - from light green to dark emerald. Christmas trees of any color are available for sale, gold and silver, white and red, for every taste and color.
Artificial Christmas trees have different designs. Some types have a hinged design and open up like an umbrella, while other trees are assembled from branches that are inserted onto the rod-trunk of the tree.
What are artificial Christmas trees made from?
Let's try to figure out what New Year's artificial beauties are made of.
Plastic molded Christmas trees
Artificial Christmas trees can be made of plastic, these are the so-called cast Christmas trees. They are very similar in appearance to real living Christmas trees. Branches with soft needles are made of polypropylene, and each branch is cast in a separate special mold.
Christmas trees made of PVC film
Artificial Christmas trees are also made from PVC film. A thin polymer tape with a metal base inside makes better quality Christmas trees. This tape is passed through machines that finely cut it into needles. Strips with needles of different lengths are wound on wire and created twigs, which are collected into fluffy beautiful trees.
Artificial Christmas trees made from fishing line
A fishing line is used to make a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree made from fishing line is fluffier than a Christmas tree made from PVC film and is more similar to a natural one. Pine branches are also made from fishing line, which look like bottle brushes.
Christmas trees with paper needles
Needles for Christmas trees can be made from paper impregnated with a special composition. Paper needles are wound onto a wire. Such an artificial Christmas tree has a short service life and is easily flammable, even from electric garlands.
How to choose the right artificial Christmas tree
Before you buy an artificial tree, you must choose a place where you will place your New Year's beauty - on the table, on the floor, by the window, in the center or in the corner of the room. And also decide on the type of tree (fir, spruce or pine) and size; you will have a small Christmas tree or a large spruce right up to the ceiling.
Christmas tree stand
The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing an artificial Christmas tree is the stand. The stand can be metal, plastic or wood. If the tree is more than 150 cm, then the stand should be cross-shaped, stable, and the tree should not wobble. A metal stand is considered more reliable. The plastic stand may break under the weight of the toys.
Christmas tree quality
Pay attention to how the branches are attached, they should be well secured, the needles on the branches should also hold tightly and be rigid. When choosing a Christmas tree, lightly pull the needles; they should not come off. Run your palm along the branch against the growth of the needles, or squeeze the branch in your palm. High-quality needles will quickly return to their original shape and will not crumble. The wire on which the branches are wound should not be visible or stick out bare.
Fire safety
A high-quality Christmas tree must be made of fire-resistant materials or treated with special anti-flammable substances to prevent fire. The packaging of the Christmas tree must contain such information. After all, electric garlands are hung on the tree, and if the material from which the tree is made is flammable, then the consequences can be very disastrous.
Environmental Safety
Environmental safety is one of the conditions for the correct choice of artificial Christmas trees. The Christmas tree should not emit an unpleasant chemical odor and should not contain substances harmful to health. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the quality certificate; ask the seller to show you this document.
Price
The prices for artificial Christmas trees are also very varied. There are cheap Chinese trees with paper needles on sale, but it is advisable to avoid such a tree. Most often, these trees are sold without a certificate and can be made from materials containing substances hazardous to health.
Molded plastic trees have a higher price, since the production of such trees is expensive. Artificial cast trees are produced in Europe and are of high quality.
The most affordable prices are for artificial Christmas trees made from PVC; such trees are considered safe and look elegant.
The price of a Christmas tree also depends on the quality and strength of the structure, on the size, as well as on designer items in the form of cones, glowing branches, multi-colored pine needles and other decorations. But an artificial Christmas tree is bought for more than one year, and therefore it is better to buy a higher quality product that will delight you for many years.
