What’s in your Christmas toolbox?

Normally, I am posting about my “Quilter’s toolbox”, talking about my favorite tools that make quilting tasks easier. But, today I put up our Christmas tree and decided to talk about my favorite tools for easy tree set-up and removal!!

Let me first say that the Arnold family ALWAYS has a real tree….or two!!! The “inside” tree is 8+ feet tall and for many years we struggled to get it securely set up. Then one day I happened upon this product…..

Now it doesn’t come cheap, BUT today my husband and I (both in our 60’s) set up a 9-10 foot tree in only 5 minutes!! The design has 5 prongs that are attached by an extremely strong wire. You place the tree trunk in the center, step on the pump lever, and slowly the trunk is captured by the wire and prongs and is held fast!!!

It is truly amazing…..

The second tool in my Christmas tree arsenal is this simple watering system……

It is simply a funnel attached to a length of plastic pipe!!! The pipe base fits easily into the water channel of the stand. The funnel top comes off and I leave the pipe intermingled with the tree branches…..

When I need to add water, I simply reattach the funnel and pour in the water.

But now the festive season is over and the tree needs to come down…..but the stand is full of water!!!

I have purchased this small syphon pump similar to this one…..

Once I have pumped out as much of the water as possible, I stuff newspapers (or paper towels) into the opening to soak up any additional water and the tree is ready to move out!!! The hardest thing about this process is finding newspapers to use…….

These seem silly tips but they certainly make quick work of the decorating and de-decorating, meaning that I get upstairs to my studio even faster!!!

So here’s to a HAPPY and FUN Christmas season….even if it is 2020!!!