Tend to your tree

The Christmas tree is the joyful mascot of the holiday season. All the effort of bringing it to life is worth it once it takes its traditional place in your home. Find more tips for realizing the full potential of this year's tree.

More tree trimming tips from Debbie Travis

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  Before choosing your tree, consider colour, needle length and tip count. The higher the tip count, the fuller and more realistic it will look.
  
  
  

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  Save yourself the cleanup, with a pre-lit, partially-decorated artificial tree. Self-shaping, frosted trees with berries, pine cones and artificial snow are the ultimate convenience.
  
  

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  String 100 lights for every foot of tree. Don't be afraid to mix and match lights of different colour and size.
  
  
  

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  Thin bead garlands are best when swaggered from branch to branch. Use multiple strands for added effect. In contrast, ribbon, paper and foil garland should be loosely wrapped around the tree.

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  When adding ornaments, use this ratio: 5 base, 3 accent and 2 theme ornaments per every foot of tree. Play around with this equation for desired effect.

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  To keep your tree trendy, update with a few new theme ornaments to add style for the season.

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