Today, I’m going to share an easy How To, which may come in handy for those of you who still have live Christmas trees in your home. Let’s start with giving your tree a look-see. If it’s dried and droopy, like Exhibit A below, it is ready to be removed. A good indicator of this is when limbs have fallen so low, your tinsel and/or light strands slide off.

First, remove all decorations, including any tinsel, lighting, ladders, ornaments, toppers, etc.

Assess all exit options, i.e. windows and doors, for the best fit. Trim any excess/excessively large branches as needed. Helpful Hint: place branches on a spare sheet or towel to catch any dripping sap.

Attempt to cover tree with tree bag. Laugh when bag barely covers half of the tree. Say to yourself, “maybe we should only get a 7.5-ft tree next year so it fits in these 8-ft tree bags?”

Carry tree to pre-determined exit. I would recommend wearing gloves, as there is lots of sap, and a potentially molding stump to contend with.

If exiting via a deck, heave it over the railing. Remove bag.

Drag into wooded area.Creepy grainy photos are optional.

Now all that’s left is to sweep up lots and LOTS of needles!

Congratulations! You’ve now successfully removed a 9.5-ft fir tree from you home!