Yeah, it’s a cheesy title for a post, but not quite as cheesy as you might think. Here’s why:
During the last century, there’s been quite a demand for artificial Christmas trees. Whether it’s due to allergies, environmental concerns or just a dread of the many needles that wedge themselves into carpeting to be found well into the new year (it can’t just be us, right?), there are quite a few reasons why folks might prefer a tree that’s, well, not real.
The first artificial trees were created in Germany in the 1850’s in response to concerns about deforestation. They were generally crafted from feathers that were dyed green, but some were made of wood, too.
The US, unsurprisingly, brought us the first commercially produced artificial trees. In 1930, the Addis Brush Company put its toilet-brush-making machinery to use to create a series of bristled Christmas trees. These brush trees had the decided advantage of being far less flammable than their feather counterparts, and they enjoyed a degree of popularity for quite some time.
These days, most artificial trees are made of PVC plastic. If you find yourself treeless in these final days before Christmas, we’ve got you covered. Check out our Miscellaneous category for trees of all sorts: indoor, outdoor, pre-lit, whatever your heart desires. And if you’re more interested in looking at trees, well, make the time to check out the lineup of the 2013 Festival of Trees at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton. You’ll find our tree there – and it’s made entirely of pages from Paper Shop. But that brush idea? Pretty intriguing. Maybe next year …
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