Once you've selected a fresh tree and gotten it home, secure it in a sturdy stand and provide it with adequate water. At holiday time, many stores carry products designed to help you keep track of when your tree needs water. Keeping your tree well-watered will keep it supple so it retains its needles, making for less cleanup after the holidays and a lesser fire danger. Be sure to keep the stand filled with water because both cut and live trees dry out rapidly in heated rooms.
Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals.
(Hopefully you won't even find "leaded" metal products available anywhere! For more information about lead-poisoning, click here to jump to the CDC's Lead Poisoning Prevention Program website, which includes lists of current product recalls involving lead.).
Artificial Trees —If you're considering an artificial tree, the most important thing to look for is the "Fire Resistant" label. This means the tree has been treated with a chemical that makes it resist burning — It does not mean the tree can't, or won't, catch on fire. NEVER use electric lights on metallic trees — use spotlights for illumination. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
Greens —Evergreen (but NEVER cedar) cuttings may be used in limited quantities, but keep greens away from heat sources (radiators, air vents, large appliances, light receptacles, etc.) and don't smoke near trees or greens. To be as safe as possible, greens/cuttings used for door adornment or for corridor/stairwell decorations (or really for use anywhere other than as a table centerpiece) should be flameproofed by flocking or other treatment.
Tree Lighting —Decorate the tree first, and plug in the lights last.
Try to insure your lamps/bulbs don't touch the tree or other decorations. Take time to unroll/untangle and carefully inspect each set of lights before stringing it on the tree. It's easier to find and replace broken and burnt-out bulbs before stringing your lights on the tree! (And if a light set doesn't work at all, better to know so before it's on the tree, too!)
Turn off or unplug your indoor holiday lighting whenever the decorated area of the house is unattended –-not just when going to bed or leaving the house. Nowadays, relatively cheap wired and wireless "remote control" switches are available to ease this task (and keep you from having to crawl/bend behind a Christmas tree or furniture to unplug a lighting set/scene.) Outdoor lighting timers and remote-control sets are also available and should be considered.
Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. When using candles for holiday accents, always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they cannot be overturned.
In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable; keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children to avoid the child swallowing or inhaling small pieces. Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass "angel hair." Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.
Remove all wrapping papers, bags, paper, ribbons and bows from tree and fireplace areas promptly after gifts are opened. These items can pose suffocation and choking hazards to a small child, or can ignite if near a heat source.
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