Putting up the Christmas tree this year is much different than years past! This year I have a one year old who spends her days exploring every inch of the house, so of course I was apprehensive about placing an 8 foot tree in the living room. If my daughter finds a napkin to be fascinating, Lord knows she’s going to be fascinated with a magical, twinkly tree!
After some brainstorming while sipping my hot chocolate, I came up with a game plan! If you’re worried about your baby, fur baby, children, relatives who drink too much at holiday dinner, clumsy husbands or ornaments falling off during the Grinch’s visit, read on!
Start With an Artificial Tree
Artificial trees are the safest bet for children and pets. There’s no shedding needles or water in the base that can be disturbed. Unlike live trees that can be unbalanced in the stand, artificial trees are sturdy when placed properly.
Look for a tree with hinged branches. This means that the branches are permanently attached to the sections of the tree and do not come off. Can you see your child pulling off the branches? Yeah me too! Don’t let that nightmare come true! Buy the attached branches! It will save you so much valuable time setting up and taking down too.
Finally, opt for polyurethane (PE) needles. The needles will not fall off like a PVC needled tree. I never paid attention to this and purchased a PVC tree for the nursery. The fake needles do fall off easily when brushed up against. I have to be wary of this and quick to pick them up from the carpet before they end up in my baby’s mouth!
Secure Ornaments with Fishing Line
Sharp, metal, swallowable hooks and little ones do not mix! I skipped the hooks completely and used fishing line instead. I am hooked on this method!
The fishing line is invisible and allows you to secure your ornaments to the tree. For ornaments that hang with ribbon, I hung them like normal and still tied fishing line around the ribbon and the tree branch. For garland, I secured approximately every five inches to the branches.
Using fishing line takes only a tad bit more time, but is so worth it! Give that tree a good shake to test the sturdiness and you’ll be so proud of yourself! No more falling ornaments!
Create a Barrier
You can setup a barrier around your tree by using a play pen yards such as the Evenflo Versatile Playard Space. I placed this up when introducing the tree to Berry. After a few days, I took it down. Berry did not disturb the tree. You can test it out to see how your child does with the tree.
If setting up a barrier, be sure your baby or pet cannot knock it down.
Be creative! Gift boxes can act as a barrier around your tree. If you do not have real gifts to place under, consider wrapping unused boxes to look like real presents. Fill with books or heavy items to avoid being moved by your child.
You can also hide wires with fake gift packages by making a hole through each end of the box and running the wires through.
Happy decorating!
