Storing your tree until next season

The tree goes back into its own box — the one it arrived in. The box is sized to fit under a bed or on a top shelf, so there is no need to find a special place for it.

So after buying, don’t throw the box away — fold it and put it aside until January. It is sized for the folded crown, and no oversized bag holds the shape of the branches as well.

Before you pack it

• Remove all decorations and lights — wire left on the branches leaves kinks over a year
• Check that no hooks or ornament wires are left deep inside the crown
• Wind the light string separately onto a piece of card or a reel — it won’t tangle and won’t press on the needles
• Wipe the crown with a dry or barely damp cloth and let it dry completely
• Fold the branches to the trunk from top to bottom, tier by tier, without twisting them

How to fold the tree, step by step

• Take off the top and set it aside — it is the thinnest part and the first to crumple under the weight of the other sections
• Separate the trunk sections from the top down and fold each one on its own
• On each tier, lift the branches up to the trunk like an umbrella — the same way they lay in the box when the tree arrived
• Don’t bend the tips inwards: it is enough for them to lie along the branch
• Put the heaviest bottom section into the box first, the lighter ones on top and the top piece last
• Put the stand at the side or separately so the metal doesn’t press on the needles

Folding the tree is quicker than fluffing it: it opens in about a minute, while fluffing the branches takes 30–60 minutes. Careful packing in January is exactly what shortens that second figure in December.

If the original box is gone

A sturdy tree storage bag of the right length will do. What matters is that the crown lies loosely, without twisting, and that the bag is not airtight: breathable fabric is better than a plastic sack where moisture collects.

An ordinary cardboard box works too, as long as it is no shorter than the longest section. Don’t bend a section to make it fit: cast needles are springy, but a kink in the branch will stay.

Where to keep it

A dry place with a steady temperature: a wardrobe, a storeroom, a top shelf. A balcony or unheated garage is less suitable — not because of frost, but because of condensation that settles on the crown during a thaw.

Nothing heavy on top. The box holds the shape of the crown; a crushed box means a crushed tree that takes longer to fluff.

Common storage mistakes

• Packing the tree straight after wiping it damp — moisture in a closed box turns musty over a year
• Leaving the lights on the branches: the wire leaves kinks and the bulbs press into the needles
• Standing the box on the end with the top piece — the whole weight of the sections lands on the thinnest part
• Taping the box so tightly that it squeezes the crown
• Keeping the box next to a radiator or boiler: hot dry air does neither the cardboard nor the branches any good

Getting the tree out in December

If the box was kept somewhere cool, let it stand in the room for a few hours: branches fluff out more easily at room temperature. Then work in reverse: stand, bottom section, the rest from the bottom up, and the top.

Fluff tier by tier from the bottom up, working from the trunk out to the tips. If the tree was packed with care, the crown regains its shape easily and without kinks.

What to check when you unpack the tree

• That every section and the top are there — better to know before assembling the crown
• That the stand sits level on the floor and holds the trunk firmly
• Whether any branches at the bottom of the box got crushed: fluff those first
• Plug in and test the lights before you hang them on the crown

A large tree: keep the box low and lift it with two

A 2.1 m tree weighs 18–21 kg depending on the model, and a taller one more. A box with a large crown is easier to carry with two people and to keep on the floor or a low shelf rather than up on a high cupboard, where it is hard to get down safely.

Can the tree be stored with its ornaments?

Better not: ornaments press on the branches, hooks leave marks, and fragile pieces packed with the tree break easily. Store ornaments separately — in a divided box, each wrapped in paper.

Can the tree be stored assembled?

Yes, if there is a spot where it can stand with nothing on it and under a dust cover. But an open crown gathers dust over a year and a boxed one doesn’t, so for most flats the box is more practical.

Should the tree be washed before storage?

Not in the shower. A dry or barely damp cloth is enough, then let the crown dry. Snow-tipped models are best cleaned with a dry soft brush, without pressing on the tips.

How long will the tree last?

The warranty is 5 years. Cast branches do not shed, so how long the tree lasts depends mostly on how it is stored between seasons.