Christmas Tree Material, Lights, & Stand Construction

Following up on our first article on Christmas tree branch construction, the remaining components of artificial tree construction are the material the trees are made of and the design of the needles, the lights, and the tree stands. These days most artificial Christmas trees are made of either PVC or PE, and with each of these materials there are varying levels of design quality. Like material, the quality of light strings used on pre-lit trees also varies greatly, as does the material and quality of the stands.

Christmas Tree Material

The majority of artificial Christmas trees on the market today are made from PVC (poly-vinyl-chloride), PE (poly-ethylene), or a combination of the two. Up until very recently, most trees were made exclusively from PVC. The needles on traditional pre lit artificial Christmas trees are cut out of compressed sheets of PVC, whereas the branches and needles PE artificial Christmas trees are made by filling a mold made from a real tree. While PE trees do look more realistic up close, there are advantages to both types.

First, not all PVC or PE trees are made of the same quality. Color and shape vary significantly. Cheaper trees made of PVC have unattractive ends, while cheaper PE trees are made from less attractive molds. PE trees are even easier to set up than PVC trees, requiring just a bit less fluffing. However PE trees should not be stored in a hot attic. Because the needles are thick, they can become deformed by extreme heat. In PVC you can also find a variety of colored artificial Christmas trees.

Christmas Tree Lights

Like every other part of an artificial tree, the quality and quantity of Christmas lights are different from manufacturer to manufacturer. All of the artificial Christmas trees sold at Santa's Quarters are made with only the highest quality lights. Unlike light strings on cheaper trees, if a bulb goes out on one of our strings, the rest of the string will remain lit. The number of lights preferred on a tree is largely a matter of personal preference, but we've created a Christmas Light Calculator that will give you a great average for unlit trees. All of our pre-lit trees are very well lit, but some have more lights than others.

Christmas Tree Stands

Without a tree stand made specifically for artificial Christmas trees, your tree will be useless. Often times cheaper Christmas trees come with cheap, plastic stands that do not offer enough stability, especially if you have children or pets in your house. All of our trees come with sturdy, metal stands that will last as long as your tree!