Expert advice for setting up your Christmas tree mess-free

When a Christmas tree is up and lit, it’s a magical thing. But between hauling the tree home and the sappy mess involved in setting it up, achieving that goal of a magical Christmas tree isn’t always the most joyful of tasks.

However, with a few handy tips there are still ways to set up your tree while keeping your sanity.

Check out the advice below from experts in the field, interior and restaurant designer, Jessica Becker, and stylist Erin Swift who founded Holiday Workroom, a New York City Christmas tree concierge service that specialises in creating Instagram-worthy trees.

Choose a fresh tree

• Pick the freshest tree to minimize shedding. “Most trees in tree lots are not as fresh as you would imagine,” Erin tells Yahoo Lifestyle US. “Many were cut weeks before so it’s best to visit a tree farm and cut the freshest tree possible,” she suggests.

• A freshly cut tree will also take in adequate water and won’t dry out, according to Jessica. “Make sure the trunk is cut flat so that it’s grounded in the tree stand. If it’s lopsided, the balance will be off,” she added.

• Be aware, some species shed less than others, so ask what’s what as you shop around.

Minimize mess

• “Use a moving blanket to hug and protect your tree while in transport and avoid sap or risk of damaging walls and floors,” says Erin. If you do get smudges, it’s suggested you use a magic eraser for walls and oil soap for wood floors.

• One hack to avoid tree needles from spreading everywhere is to put the tree in a plastic tree bag, attach the stand and pull the bag down to the base and cover it with a tree skirt. Then when it’s time to put it down, simply pull the bag up over the tree again.

• To protect floors from moisture damage, place a plastic planter saucer under the tree stand. “The stand often gets overfilled and can stain carpeting or hardwood when you remove the tree,” Erin suggests.

Keep your tree hydrated

• Prevent shedding by hydrating. “Your tree will drink the most water on its first day home — up to a gallon in the first 24 hours!” notes Erin while suggesting to check the stand daily after that.

• To help the tree from drying out, “Turn off your tree’s lights before leaving the house or going to sleep, and lower the temperature in the room at night,” adds Jessica.

Pick the perfect spot

• Avoid high-traffic areas where your tree can be easily knocked. However, that doesn’t mean you should put baby in the corner. “You want the tree to be a focal point, so don’t be afraid to move furniture around to optimize where you place it,” says Jessica. “It’s pretty in front of a big bay window so you can see it from outside, and it acts as exterior decoration. It’s a nice scene to come home to.”

• Put the tree in the room you enjoy the most that way you will appreciate it, even more, suggests Jessica.

Make sure it’s secure

• Decorate the tree with a plan. “Put heavy ornaments on thicker bottom branches for support, and make sure the tree isn’t weighted down more on one side,” says Jessica. Zip ties are also a great tool to secure anything fragile or reshape a few lopsided branches.

• If you have kids or pets, keep the ornaments minimal and don’t use anything that is glass or easily breakable – especially at the bottom of the tree.

• If the tree is against a wall and you’re concerned it may tip, “wrap a wire around the trunk and secure it to a nail in the wall,” says Jessica.

The pros of going faux

Thinking about investing in a fake tree that will last for years? Here are some extra tips:

• Spruce up a fake tree with creative flourishes. “Fill in holes with fresh greens, baby’s breath, gold-sprayed branches, or wispy-looking flowers,” suggests Jessica.

• Consider the rest of your space. “If you go faux, it’s nice to bring in that yummy fresh scent elsewhere by adding pine or cedar roping to a banister, mantel or curtain rod. You can tuck pieces of eucalyptus and red berries in a fresh wreath, or use beautiful magnolia leaves as a garland,” Jessica adds.

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