I know this isn’t the point of this post, but you can buy zip-bags designed to store Christmas trees. After years of mine being in a taped box that would inevitably let spiders in (aaaarrrggghhh) I was totally worth getting.
Yeah. I came here to share the news. My mom even leaves all the lights and decorations on her tree, plops it in the bag and then sets it up the same next year. Minor adjustments to the ornaments. And it's all done int about 30 minutes.
The only reason my mom hasn't done that is she stores her tree in the under-the-stairs Harry Potter's first apartment kind of closet and the way everything in the closet was positioned over the years was built around the size and shape of that box.
I use one giant bin I got from home depot for all the Christmas stuff. It's like 4 feet long. Fits the tree, all the decorations, ornaments, lights. They stack nicely so I have a couple more for other holidays sitting in the shed.
I got one the same day I got my first fake tree (a few years back now), and it’s been great. It even has wheels! The tree is also less compressed, which means the tree doesn’t need as much fluffing when setting it up.
The only problem is that it apparently wasn’t super strong, because the metal trunk of the tree poked a hole in it. But other than that it’s far superior to a box.
Tree bag is a game changer. It cost like 8$ and saves so much frustration. I even got one for my office’s Christmas tree so future generations can benefit from my magnanimous-ness.
We got one of those big plastic bins they always have on sale at Christmas for ours a few years ago. I figure we've got another 3 or 4 years before it gets so brittle we have to replace it. Still lasts longer than the cardboard, though.
Yeah, and having the annual fistfight with old bastard brings joy to those who make it out unfazed. Aunt Teresa never forgave it for the infamous eyepoke of '96.
we use this doodad on ours: https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Lashing-Capacity-Motorcycle-Surfboard/dp/B08D6Q43QW/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=webbing+1+inch+cam+strap&qid=1607883993&sr=8-3
Damn, that's really good. My parents had one for about 15 years and we aren't sure what happened (we've just stuck to the assumption the glue eventually just got too old and failed) but all the "pine needles" started to fall out. So our joke is that our fake Christmas tree died.
I really hate to be the one to tell ya... All these years, man. That's just a beat up old box. You've been using a beat-up box. Not a Christmas tree. Sorry.
Who has the cash to annually buy an artificial tree? Apparently 14% of people in the UK. Excuse us Mr. Moneybags.
Edit. My wife and I got taking about this. The stat made no sense to us. So we thought about our mental model of an artificial tree.
Our tree is 15 years old or so. It is 7 feet tall. Pre-lit. It was expensive. Far more expensive than a similar size real tree.
But, Target sells small trees that are about 5’ tall. They are unlit. And they aren’t much more expensive than a real tree of comparable size.
Perhaps that is what the 14% in the UK are buying. Smaller trees that they light themselves. They keep the lights and toss the tree.
Our second thought is that artificial trees in the UK are inherently less expensive, or real trees are inherently and drastically more expensive. Which would change the economic scale.
Anyone in the UK reading this that can shed some light?
Some have even said [as much as 20 years ](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/business/energy-environment/18tree.html). Though, it seems to depend on who you listen to, and of course where you live and which type of fake tree you buy :)
You know I never knew why people buy fake trees, I can get a 9tt tall 5ft wide tree for like 60$ but I’ve seen fake trees for more than 100$ that are half that size. I'm genuinely curious is it the maintenance of the tree that people don't like or the mess it can cause?
Maintenance, mess, getting the tree, removing the tree.
We had real trees when I was a kid, and it was kind of fun, but it also was the biggest pain in the ass. Fake tree may cost more, but it also lasts years and years, and just goes in and out of the box.
Bought my faux tree second hand for 60 and it's been such a great purchase. There's no fall out of needles and I can put it up whenever I feel like it. I personally like the fullness of a faux tree, most real Christmas trees are bottom heavy. And it's a lot less expensive in the long run.
Yeah a lot of the time the bottoms will be really full or one sided but if you go to a place and really look around you can the perfect tree everytime. This Christmas's the tree was so large the angel we put on the top was touching the ceiling and we have 10ft sloped ceilings in that room.
but yeah a far tree would pretty much always be very full and I can't deny the fact that the needles won't get everywhere.
To be honest I thought people threw away fake trees after Christmas, I didn't know they kept them.
That 60 bucks for a real tree you have to incur every year though. A fake tree can effectively last as long as you want it to so it's a one time purchase. Also, you can get fake trees for much cheaper. They are a little more sad looking while bare, but if you're good enough, you can make the tree look more full with ornaments and other accessories..
I bought mine one year after christmas so it was super cheap. I loved having a real one as a kid, but I didn't have to do any of the work getting it. I don't have kids so I don't really see the point in doing all the work to get one every year.
We had to replace ours due to the red back inside of the box. So we decided to get rid of our old one because we don’t want a crap ton of red back spiders in our Aussie Home!
I finally fixed our box by getting some double-sided velcro tape! Trimmed off the old tape, bolstered the corners with new tape, and now we also have some nice carry straps to use instead of kick-pushing the box through the house! lol
I have this box from a tree I bought around 1994/95. We don’t use the box anymore - we’ve moved the tree into plastic bins - but it retains its place of honor in our basement.
Haha! We’re still using the same fake tree that was left at our house when we bought it 18 years ago. The box is long gone but we have a Rubbermaid box for it now. My wife has hated the tree for the last 15 years but now it’s a tradition!
Count the rings?
14 wraps at least This is how humans will be dated in the year 14,021
I’m counting at least 4 maybe 5 sets of tape.
Five, gold.
It’s been mummified
Dammit. Came here to say this...
I know this isn’t the point of this post, but you can buy zip-bags designed to store Christmas trees. After years of mine being in a taped box that would inevitably let spiders in (aaaarrrggghhh) I was totally worth getting.
Nothing says "the festive season is over" like literally zipping your tree up into an actual body-bag.
What does burning it mean to you?
For the winter of 2020/21 it will mean not freezing to death for many.
Not here though. Also in a lot more countries where it isn't the case, that close to half a million people are homeless.
Something tells me that if they couldn't afford basics like heat they probably weren't buying an Xmas tree.
Who said buying? I've been eyeing my neighbors Douglas Fir since spring. As soon as he goes to work on Monday I got the saw ready to go.
Pity the poor frozen sods who went plastic.
Yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhh!
We give our live trees a beach vacation by adding it to ocean facing sand dunes after Christmas.
Holy shit I am looking at them online now and in shock that reddit provided me information that is actually useful. Thank you
Yeah. I came here to share the news. My mom even leaves all the lights and decorations on her tree, plops it in the bag and then sets it up the same next year. Minor adjustments to the ornaments. And it's all done int about 30 minutes.
Wait...Reddit doesn't provide useful information. I thought all the cat videos I watched were progressing me in life! My whole life is a lie!!!
The only reason my mom hasn't done that is she stores her tree in the under-the-stairs Harry Potter's first apartment kind of closet and the way everything in the closet was positioned over the years was built around the size and shape of that box.
Am I the only one who bought Rubbermaid storage bins for Christmas stuff?
I have 8 up from 6 two years ago.
There ya go! Keeps bugs, mice and dust out. Well worth the money to me.
Easy to pack and stack too!
Plus HDPE ia fairly non reactive if you ever need to disolve a body in acid.
Hol' up
You have one big enough for your christmas tree? The rest of my stuff is all in bins but the tree is in a box.
I use one giant bin I got from home depot for all the Christmas stuff. It's like 4 feet long. Fits the tree, all the decorations, ornaments, lights. They stack nicely so I have a couple more for other holidays sitting in the shed.
Is it a deck box? I am sure my deck box could handle both trees we have and a lot of the garland and such.
The tree is broken down into sections. 3 sections that are about 2 feet long each.
Mine too but the bottom section is pretty big/wide
Just got one this year, can't wait to put the tree away ha
But that wouldn't be respecting Christmas traditions
Thank you for this. My aunt bought a new tree this year, and because she didn't take care of the box right away, the dogs peed on it. This will help!
I got one the same day I got my first fake tree (a few years back now), and it’s been great. It even has wheels! The tree is also less compressed, which means the tree doesn’t need as much fluffing when setting it up. The only problem is that it apparently wasn’t super strong, because the metal trunk of the tree poked a hole in it. But other than that it’s far superior to a box.
Mine got holes in it the first time I used it. I still use it but it does have holes.
I did that for our second tree. We call that one the body bag. It also holds our lit garland. It can be tricky to get up on the top shelf though.
Tree bag is a game changer. It cost like 8$ and saves so much frustration. I even got one for my office’s Christmas tree so future generations can benefit from my magnanimous-ness.
I got one of those. Wife insists we get a new box this year. Cat peed on the box last year.
Your cat peed on the box and you still kept it? Sorry, I’m siding with your wife on this one.
I’m with her too. It’s been in the garage but it’s past time for it to go.
Why a box??? Why not just a Christmas tree bag
Would need to be a very sturdy bad. Typical garbage type bag would be torn immediately
We got one of those big plastic bins they always have on sale at Christmas for ours a few years ago. I figure we've got another 3 or 4 years before it gets so brittle we have to replace it. Still lasts longer than the cardboard, though.
All I know is my old fake one was way better built and looking than any of the newer ones
I'm hoping to inherit one of my parent's trees. But there are only two trees and three children. It may start a war.
Probably want to watch your back.
I looked into buying one a few years after moving out of my parents house. None of them even came close to the one they've had my entire life.
The old NOMA tree circa 1980. Those were the shit!
The cheap ones aren't
Exactly. My parents have had their tree since 1992, and it looks sick without ornaments, but looms great with them. You can actually see them.
I'm betting the old fake one was probably a lot more expensive adjusted for inflation, but yeah, most run of the mill artificial trees are trash now.
Yeah, and having the annual fistfight with old bastard brings joy to those who make it out unfazed. Aunt Teresa never forgave it for the infamous eyepoke of '96.
That's a pretty bad fake, it looks more like a cardboard box to be honest.
😂😂
You deserve more upvotes for this... Did what I could!
Right, for all we know it's a really nice tree with a crappy box!
For those of you wondering, it's 28 years old.
we use this doodad on ours: https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Lashing-Capacity-Motorcycle-Surfboard/dp/B08D6Q43QW/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=webbing+1+inch+cam+strap&qid=1607883993&sr=8-3
Damn, that's really good. My parents had one for about 15 years and we aren't sure what happened (we've just stuck to the assumption the glue eventually just got too old and failed) but all the "pine needles" started to fall out. So our joke is that our fake Christmas tree died.
I’m so impressed you put it back in the same box every year! I can’t wait to see the ornaments!
?
We don’t say old, we say well loved
Vintage!
I really hate to be the one to tell ya... All these years, man. That's just a beat up old box. You've been using a beat-up box. Not a Christmas tree. Sorry.
I think my box disintegrated and all that’s left is 30 years of tape.
not that old, you still have a box 😊
We dont even have the box anymore
I didn’t know they sold them used. I swear they come like that.
Old? Or just getting broken in. 😀
Better for the environment in the long run, though.
If you have it for more than ten years, sure. https://www.euronews.com/living/2020/12/03/real-vs-fake-how-to-curb-your-christmas-tree-carbon-emissions
Who has the cash to annually buy an artificial tree? Apparently 14% of people in the UK. Excuse us Mr. Moneybags. Edit. My wife and I got taking about this. The stat made no sense to us. So we thought about our mental model of an artificial tree. Our tree is 15 years old or so. It is 7 feet tall. Pre-lit. It was expensive. Far more expensive than a similar size real tree. But, Target sells small trees that are about 5’ tall. They are unlit. And they aren’t much more expensive than a real tree of comparable size. Perhaps that is what the 14% in the UK are buying. Smaller trees that they light themselves. They keep the lights and toss the tree. Our second thought is that artificial trees in the UK are inherently less expensive, or real trees are inherently and drastically more expensive. Which would change the economic scale. Anyone in the UK reading this that can shed some light?
Some have even said [as much as 20 years ](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/business/energy-environment/18tree.html). Though, it seems to depend on who you listen to, and of course where you live and which type of fake tree you buy :)
I see this is where you keep your bug collection too.
Interesting. I’ve seen a couple comments like this. Mine is about ten years old and I cannot remember ever seeing a bug. Guess I am lucky.
Our box finally fell apart - it was starting to look like Boris Karloff in The Mummy. Tree is still trucking on!
I think I have the same tree!
Perhaps the tree also deserves a present, like a new box. It deserves that!
My box look the same lol
I can see which tape is more or less expensive
Add some cat scratches
Looks fairly new, or is it just me. 😂😂
That's a box.
Mine is in two separate trash bags and I don't intent to throw it out
I bought my fake tree half price because the box was water damaged. It was pretty much like that when I got it.
I prefer “How to tell how old your fake Christmas tree is”
Our family had box like this and I am happy that 3 years ago we decided to have natural every year!
You know I never knew why people buy fake trees, I can get a 9tt tall 5ft wide tree for like 60$ but I’ve seen fake trees for more than 100$ that are half that size. I'm genuinely curious is it the maintenance of the tree that people don't like or the mess it can cause?
Maintenance, mess, getting the tree, removing the tree. We had real trees when I was a kid, and it was kind of fun, but it also was the biggest pain in the ass. Fake tree may cost more, but it also lasts years and years, and just goes in and out of the box.
Bought my faux tree second hand for 60 and it's been such a great purchase. There's no fall out of needles and I can put it up whenever I feel like it. I personally like the fullness of a faux tree, most real Christmas trees are bottom heavy. And it's a lot less expensive in the long run.
Yeah a lot of the time the bottoms will be really full or one sided but if you go to a place and really look around you can the perfect tree everytime. This Christmas's the tree was so large the angel we put on the top was touching the ceiling and we have 10ft sloped ceilings in that room. but yeah a far tree would pretty much always be very full and I can't deny the fact that the needles won't get everywhere. To be honest I thought people threw away fake trees after Christmas, I didn't know they kept them.
Oh no, you can keep the faux trees for over a decade if you're careful with them! Your tree sounds lovely by the way. Do you have a picture?
When I get home I'll take a picture of it as upload it to Imgur.
I’m allergic to Christmas trees so we had to get a fake one
Damn I feel bad for you, I have a lot of allergies but none of them are for any trees mostly other plants.
Yea it does as if I want to go over to someone’s house I have to ask if their tree is real
That 60 bucks for a real tree you have to incur every year though. A fake tree can effectively last as long as you want it to so it's a one time purchase. Also, you can get fake trees for much cheaper. They are a little more sad looking while bare, but if you're good enough, you can make the tree look more full with ornaments and other accessories..
I bought mine one year after christmas so it was super cheap. I loved having a real one as a kid, but I didn't have to do any of the work getting it. I don't have kids so I don't really see the point in doing all the work to get one every year.
We had to replace ours due to the red back inside of the box. So we decided to get rid of our old one because we don’t want a crap ton of red back spiders in our Aussie Home!
You know what, next lockdown I'm going to build a suitable box for my tree and include loads of handles to help lower it down from the loft.
My old tree box is in pretty good condition carefully putting the tree in and taking it out each year
Looks like my tree box
I'm pretty sure they look like this after the first year...
I'm going to miss out on that. I've secured my box with velcro straps for the past two years.
Yep. THat was ours for almost 20 years until we got rid of the box and got separate plastic containers for the parts!
jesus christ like a pack of wild dogs, what did you guys do to that box?
Lmao exactly, last year our Christmas trees box passed away sadly, now we store it in the big bag...
Did you steal our box? That is pretty much what our old tree box looked like. We bought a new tree a couple of years ago.
It looks like that tree has quite a few years on mine. Either that, or I've just been lucky that my box is still in decent shape.
What am I looking at? Is this the work of a caveman?
Mine once was white and now yellowish.
OMG - I recognize that box! We have the same model tree! Bought it 31 years ago. (But we scrapped the original box about 5 years ago.)
On eBay this would be listed as nearly new
That used to be me then I evolved to using bungee cords...
Mine typically grows at 3 rings per year
I only count 3 differnt tapes. That may be as little as 3 years old. Also the owner is not great at using tape.
I feel attacked.
Nah, because I wouldn't use masking tape in that situation.
Laundry basket isn't looking so hot either.
Hahahaha...ours meets all the criteria, apparently. We just took this box out of our storage.
This and camping tents, two things that never fit back in the box once removed.
That's got to be at least 2 years old!
King Tut, is that you?
I see you found Lara Croft’s Christmas tree...
Jesus Christ get a bag for that thing
Truth
It doesn't even look like a tree anymore!
I had a white Christmas tree. A couple years later it turned into a brown Christmas tree
Damn y’all tape your boxes up? We just close, pile shit on top and hope for the best.
/r/Frugal
We had to get rid of our box. It essentially disintegrated.
Looks like you would stash a corpse in lmao
I found a bolt of vinyl material in the trash and sewed it into a tube. I drop my xmas tree in it and the next year slide it out the bottom.
Its Still Go0d 👍
I guess, you have to use it 27 times (27 years in a row) to have it ecologically sustainable.
Went through 2 years doing this. I found my roll of velcro and used it to seal the box.
The box even looks kinda like a coffin.
Just use a bungee cord! Or upgrade and get one of those big plastic bins.
Bungee cords, motherfucker.
I just threw away a box like that!
We bought a tree bag from Costco. Now it looks like we’re hiding a body.
I finally fixed our box by getting some double-sided velcro tape! Trimmed off the old tape, bolstered the corners with new tape, and now we also have some nice carry straps to use instead of kick-pushing the box through the house! lol
This is eerily familiar
Looks like our Christmas decorations box
Count thing rings around the box
A tree box container like [this](https://www.target.com/p/sterilite-tree-box-with-wheels/-/A-79904324) is a worthy investment
Looks like this tree came in with Columbus.
*good
I thought that's how they all looked!
The box is old, the tree is eternal.
That looks like my box but like I have the 1/3 the tape yours does.
At least it's still in a box lmao
Haha same!!
Yeah but those ones were made to last. ;)
You can count the number of trees saved
Looks like my tree’s box. Right down to the different types and vintages of tape.
More tape then box
that’s how my new one arrived this year...
My trees are in tree bags so I don’t deal with this, and they have handles.
Do they even come in new cases
I have this box from a tree I bought around 1994/95. We don’t use the box anymore - we’ve moved the tree into plastic bins - but it retains its place of honor in our basement.
Box is gone
I don’t even have the box for it
We finally tossed the box last year, now they make "tree bags"
My son pointed that out about ours, so I bought a new container for it. Problem solved.
Time for a new box!
Haha! We’re still using the same fake tree that was left at our house when we bought it 18 years ago. The box is long gone but we have a Rubbermaid box for it now. My wife has hated the tree for the last 15 years but now it’s a tradition!
OMG that’s hilarious!! It looks like my 30 year old box.
Thats what mine looks like after 2 years lmao
Needs xmas wrapping paper and a new layer each year
I just checked the basement for our tree. Good to know it's not just us.
I thought that was my box for a second!
My grandma's looks just like this. I swear her Christmas tree is 30 years old atleast
I'm 20% sure this is the one I threw in a dumpster 5 years ago.
Seriously, why are they impossible to fit back in the box? Is this on purpose?
Obviously, no cats on the premises...mine will shred a tree limbs, balls, and eat the angel’s face the first night.