Reuse an Artificial Christmas Tree

3 Parts:

Christmas Garland/Swags

Tips, Tricks & Warnings

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Artificial Christmas Trees appear on recycling websites and thrift stores by the droves at the start of the Holiday Season. Each year it seems there is a better lighting option or new color style introduced that has people running out to buy new trees and junking their old ones, with little thought to the impact this has on the environment.

The cost of garland can be outrageous, especially if you are looking for a full appearance. Thrift stores have artificial trees for less than half what it would cost for new garland. With just a few items and some imagination, you can have Christmas decor that will wow neighbors and friends, help the environment by repurposing and save you a bit of money.

1. 1
   Items needed

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   1. Artificial Christmas Tree.
   2. Glue Gun.
   3. Ornaments or embellishments of your choice.

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2. 2
   Directions

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   1. Lay out all the branches from your tree. Arrange them from largest to smallest. Depending on the tree, you can use the smaller branches to fill in thin spots or attach them together to make one long branch, or bough.
   2. Put your embellishments/ornaments on the assembled branches. If you are planning on putting these outdoors, you need to use plastic ornaments.  
      1. Do not glue them down just yet.
      2. Take your time creating the look you want with the embellishments and ornaments you chose.
      3. When you've arranged them in a way that is pleasing to you, step back and take a good look.  
         1. Make sure there aren't areas without ornaments.
         2. Make sure the colors are evenly distributed.
      4. All this will stop you from gluing them in place before they are arranged in a way that makes you happy.
         
   3. Using your glue gun, apply glue to a portion of the ornament and press it down on the branch for about 15 seconds. You want to glue around any loose items on your ornaments before your attach them. Once you have completed, go around and tug on the items you glued down to make sure there are no weak points.
   4. You can also wire the ornaments into place if you'd prefer.

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Use the Tree-Top

If you would like to use the top of the tree, you can put it in an ornamental pot.

1. 1
   As in the directions above, glue the ornaments to the tree to avoid wind damage

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   #Make sure to weight down the bottom of the pot if the pot is plastic so that the tree does not topple over. A few rocks or bricks placed in the bottom will do the trick.

   

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• The images from this article are from one small 5-foot tree.
• To attach the garland/swag to the porch, you can use zip ties.
• Store the garland/swag carefully so you can use this every year.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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