Everyone who doesn’t have a real Christmas tree obviously wants the most realistic artificial Christmas trees. You want it to look like it’s been thoughtfully chosen, freshly felled and safely transported home strapped to the top of your car, whilst Christmas tunes blare from the car stereo and your family gleefully sings along feeling merry and bright. That’s the perfect Christmas tree vision we see in all the movies, right? But for most of us, this isn’t even close to the reality we experience. It’s certainly not what happens in my family.
When I moved in with my husband, he vetoed real Christmas trees. He doesn’t like the way they smell and he can’t stand the way that they drop their needles all over the floor. I managed to convince him to give it a go last year and we got a small potted tree which then proceeded to drip tree sap over all the presents that were nestled below it. That was enough to convince him that he was right and that artificial trees are indeed the best option. And quite frankly it convinced me too!
However, our flat is very small so we don’t really have the necessary space to go all out with an artificial Christmas tree. We don’t really have the floor space for a large standing tree, not even a flat back one, nor do we have the wall space for a wall-hung Christmas tree. So we’ve just accepted that Christmas decor at home is a little lacking and our tree is smaller than we’d like. But as we tend to spend Christmas at my parents’ house every year, it doesn’t really matter as we get a full dose of festive cheer from their Christmas tree and decorations.
However, my mum has been searching for many years now for the most realistic artificial Christmas tree. Since becoming a grandmother she has been much more interested in creating a magical experience at Christmas and of course, the tree is such a huge part of that.
Every year, I drool over the beautiful images of Christmas trees on the Balsam Hill website. Their artificial Christmas trees, really do give real trees a run for their money. I haven’t found anything else on the UK market that comes close to Balsam Hill. I recently learnt that for their most realistic artificial Christmas trees, they actually make moulds from real branch clippings collected around the world so that their trees are true to nature. No wonder they look so good!
So this sponsored collaboration really is a dream come true for me (and for my mum too!). I’ve never really had the opportunity to go all out on decorating an artificial Christmas tree. Sure we do get involved in decorating my mum’s tree but I’ve never really experienced the process from start to finish on my own. What I mean by that is choosing the tree, choosing a theme and colour scheme, selecting all the decor items and then actually decorating the tree all on my own. I saw this as a huge challenge but one that I gleefully accepted.
Choosing which tree to get from Balsam Hill was extremely difficult. I have to admit that I procrastinated on this for a good few days because there are so many beautiful artificial Christmas trees to choose from. I didn’t want anything too tall so I was looking for something around the 6ft mark. I also wanted a tree that was pre-lit so we don’t have to faff around stringing lights on the tree as I always find this the most stressful part of decorating a tree. It would be a real luxury to have the lights already in situ.
Why I Chose the European Silver Fir Artificial Christmas Tree
Obviously, I was looking for the most realistic artificial Christmas trees, and luckily Balsam Hill has a category you can select to narrow down the options. So that is where I started. I then filtered it down by height so it showed those trees in the 6-6.5ft range. Next, I filtered it to show only those trees that have Candlelight clear LED lights. By then all I had to do was choose the shape I wanted. I didn’t want anything too sparse so that ruled out all the Alpine trees. I also didn’t really like the shape of the Spruce trees. I wanted something full but I also wanted it to be slightly slimmer and more streamlined. I also looked at the branch details as I wanted something with a higher tip count and also a relatively high light count.
So that helped me narrow it down to the 6ft European Silver Fir Tree with Candlelight Clear LED lights. If you struggle to make such decisions, there is a handy quiz that you can do on the Balsam Hill website that will walk you through these decisions and narrow down the options for you.
How I Chose to Decorate the Realistic Artificial Christmas Tree
When it came to choosing Christmas decorations, I wanted something with a bit of sparkle this year. I wanted the tree to feel luxurious without feeling over the top or too ostentatious. I suppose I would describe it as a glam winter wonderland kind of feel. I don’t normally go for quite as many sparkles as this, but I really wanted the tree to feel lavish and opulent whilst still being demure.
The first thing I chose was the 48″ Arctic Christmas Faux Fur Tree Skirt. I chose this because I loved the colour of it and it looks super luxurious and soft. Then I opted for the Winter White Bauble Set because I love all the glittery accents and frosty finishes. The set is made up of white and clear glass bulbs, balls, and finial-shaped baubles and they just look so sophisticated and lavish.
I did want to add a bit of colour but I wanted it to be very understated and neutral. So I chose the Ombre French Country Bauble set which has a rose gold tone to it and looks slightly tarnished because it is made from thick mercury glass. I just love the subtle sophistication and Parisian chic vibes of this collection.
And finally, I decided to get some tree picks. I have never used tree picks before and if I am totally honest I didn’t even know that they are a thing. I’ve always wondered how people make their trees look so full and brimming with decorations and now I know. You can get tree picks and use them to plug any gaps and add extra interest to your tree. I opted for the Champagne Berry Picks, the Ivory Magnolia Picks, and the Beaded Feather Picks. I felt like this selection added some nice variety to the tree and also some texture.
I honestly can’t believe just what a difference the tree picks have made. It really took the Christmas decor up a level and made the tree look so much more luxurious. Now I know about tree picks I will never decorate a tree without them again.
I decided not to go for a tree topper. I’m not actually a big fan of tree toppers and nothing on the Balsam Hill website really caught my eye. So what I decided to do instead was to group the three different tree picks together into a little spray and stick them down into the top of the Christmas tree and I have to say I really like how that turned out.
If you are not sure what to go for, the Balsam Hill website allows you to filter down the options to help you choose your look. You can narrow it down by collection, by category or by colour if it all feels a bit too overwhelming.
Get Your Look For Less
The most realistic artificial Christmas trees do obviously come at a premium price as you you obviously have to pay for quality. However, around this time of year, Balsam Hill does run its biggest sale of the season. From 25/11/23 to 28/11/23 you can save up to 50% and get free delivery on all UK and Ireland orders. If you miss this sale, no need to worry as you can still take advantage of the Cyber Deals which run from 29/11/23 to 05/12/23.
So if you are looking to upgrade your tree and invest in the most realistic artificial Christmas tree, garland or wreath this year, you should definitely take advantage of the biggest sale of the season. There are some absolutely fantastic discounts to be had across a huge range of products. So if you want to create holiday magic in your home this year, I suggest you check out the Balsam Hill sale now.
I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous about how this tree would turn out having never properly styled one before. But using these quality products from Balsam Hill just made the whole process so easy. I’ve been looking for a realistic artificial Christmas tree for years but I always leave it too late and then decide against it. But the Balsam Hill sale makes it so easy and convenient to get your tree early and avoid the Christmas rush.
I guess my next project is decorating the office for Christmas so that will be this weekend’s activities sorted.
But tell me, what do you think of these realistic artificial Christmas trees from Balsam Hill? If you have got one yourself tell me what you love about it in the comments. And if you’re looking for a new tree this year, let me know if you’ll be checking out the Balsam Hill sale.
All images taken by Becky Craven