Genius real Christmas tree decorating hack will spare your hands from injury
Whether you prefer an artificial Christmas tree or a real one, they both have to be decorated with lights, baubles and tinsel for the full effect. But adorning a real tree with its decorations can come at a cost.
Weaving the endless string of fairy lights into the spiky branches can lead to nick and cuts all over your hands and wrists. And touching the needles can cause some of us to break out in a rash, thanks to the pine sap released by your tree.
In fact, pine sap can cause a range of uncomfortable symptoms for many including allergic reactions, rashes and even blisters. And that's not very Christmassy at all.
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But one real tree veteran has shared her top tip for decorating the tree and avoiding injury or reaction and she said she swears by it. Good Housekeeping visual styling director, Elisabeth Engelhart explained that she roots out her trusty pair of gardening gloves for the annual job.
Elisabeth said: "We are firmly a 'real tree' household, and I am the designated tree decorator. After one too many years of getting poked by needles and rashy skin, I knew some sturdy gloves would come in handy!
"I've even gotten my husband on board. He wears heavy duty gardening gloves when we cut down our tree at the local farm."
And she suggests keeping those gardening gloves handy for taking the tree down. She said they are the perfect accessory for removing the lights from your tree when the needles and branches will be drier and more brittle than they were.
The British Christmas Tree Growers Association estimates that six to 10 million real Christmas trees are sold in the UK each year. Most of these trees are grown in the UK, with only a small amount imported.
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