The Evolution of Christmas Decorations: From Feathery Wreaths to Artificial Trees
The historical life of artificial Christmas trees is rather surprising to most people, as they often think of artificial trees as being what they are today. However, that is not the case. Just as with anything else, the current trees that we see today were expanded ideas of what came before them. After all, we are always trying to get everything bigger and better than what we had beforehand.
The first artificial Christmas trees were actually seen in Germany during the 19th century. However, before you start thinking about a smaller version of what we have today, that is not really the case. These artificial trees were made with dyed feathers and wire. The feathers were dyed to be a green color, then were stuck into a wireframe to make them resemble a tree. They were available in various sizes, however, they were not as easy to afford as these artificial Christmas trees are today.
Christmas Trees: From Scarcity to Abundance, from Natural to Artificial
Fast forward, to the US, and in the 1930s, the manufacturer of toilet brush cleaners were taking the plastic pieces of the toilet brushes and dying these green. They were then making their own types of artificial Christmas trees for everyone to use. These become more popular, as they were easy to find and many people found that no matter the size of their home, these “trees” would fit.
Now, we have artificial Christmas trees that are so real in how they look, you would be hard-pressed to figure out which tree was real or artificial when placed next to each other. The trees of today come in a variety of sizes, different types of trees, and different looks to cater to each individual’s personality and desires when it comes to decorating. When compared to real trees, they are often what people choose as they are investments that will last for years to come while looking realistic.