Tips for Picking the Perfect Tree

Aired on: December 19, 2012

Picking the perfect Christmas tree is a snap with these tips from design expert Sabrina Soto!

Figure out your budget and stick to it. “A good rule of thumb is that a tree will cost $10 per foot of tree, so even if you only have $20 to spend, you can get a small tree to put in the foyer or as a centerpiece on your dining room table.”

Make sure you measure. “Measure your ceilings before you leave; if you have 8-foot ceilings, you don’t want anything bigger than 7-feet because you want to leave room for the stand and the top of the tree. And measure the trunk as well to make sure it will fit in your stand.”

Start in the back of the lot. “It will have the least picked over trees, so start looking there and work your way back to the front.”

Check for freshness. “Give the tree a good shake and run your fingers through the branches. If a lot of needles fall on the floor or in your hand, it’s not a fresh tree and won’t last much longer.”

Light it properly. “You want to decorate the tree in thirds, and I tell people at least 100-150 lights per foot of tree.”