To help make your shopping decisions easier, we’ve put together the definitions of some of our most commonly used Christmas terms & phrases.
PVC Christmas Trees:
When made from high-quality PVC, artificial Christmas Trees are durable enough to last 20 or more years. The PVC used to create artificial Christmas trees is chemically stable and does not adversely affect human health. PVC is perfectly safe plastic under normal conditions of use. From an environmental standpoint, PVC has excellent recyclable properties, allowing manufacturers of artificial trees to recycle PVC right in their own factories. PVC also requires only 70% of the energy needed for production when compared with other plastics. This means that less carbon dioxide is emitted, making PVC more environmentally friendly. The PVC chemical composition is the most stable among all plastics, ensuring that PVC artificial trees do not pollute the environment under normal disposal methods. Additionally, each artificial tree saves 10 live trees from being cut down in the process.
With authentic-looking, pre-lit Christmas trees being offered at reasonable prices, many are opting for the convenience offered by an artificial tree. There are no fallen, dried needles to vacuum up and no watering is required. There’s less of a fire hazard with PVC than with a real Christmas tree, and it’s nice to know that you can pull the Christmas tree out of the box and quickly set it up rather than making the trip to the local tree stand in the freezing cold, tying the tree to the top of your vehicle, and struggling to get it through your front door.
Christmas Trees made from PE have more bulk than their PVC counterparts, are suppler, and are extremely similar in appearance and feel to real trees. You may find it difficult to tell the difference between a PE tree and a natural tree. Most PE trees have a non-uniform and life-like appearance, making them more enjoyable to the eye.
The benefits of a PE Artificial Christmas tree include a wonderful timesaving advantage since they require little or no shaping. In most cases you can take the tree directly from the box and decorate it. There are countless colors and textures available to choose from. To add even more time savings, pre-lit PE trees are also available.
Denier is used to measure the fiber durability of a given material. The process of measuring fibers is used to ensure that a given material is the proper strength and texture required for creation of a particular product. As an example, materials that would be considered appropriate for use in the manufacture of carpeting would have a high denier count, while materials that would be appropriate for use in the manufacturing of trees would have a lower denier count. The lower the denier count, the sheerer the appearance and softer the touch of the finished product. Monitoring the denier count allows manufacturers to ensure that the raw materials used to produce their products will meet set quality standards.
These exquisite ornaments add a timeless sparkle to your tree. To maintain the beauty of your crystalline ornaments, keep them away from dust. Avoid wrapping the ornaments in tissue paper or newspaper, because these materials attract dampness. If an ornament gets dusty, remove the dust with a hair dryer set to cool air. Extreme heat and cold can crack your crystalline ornaments.
Why Choose LED Lights?:
When compared to conventional incandescent lighting, LED bulbs have numerous benefits. For starters, LED lights are up to 90% more efficient than incandescent lights and they last much longer. They are sturdier and more resistant to damage than conventional lights. According to the Department of Energy, the best white LEDs have been found to have a useful life of about 35,000 hours of continuous operation. That’s four years! Also, when one light goes out on a string, the others stay lit. They are even safer than conventional lights since the epoxy plastic that encapsulates the LED bulbs is cool to the touch.
Here are some maintenance tips for LED lights (note that not all LED light strands have the ability to have a bulb replaced):
Replacing a Bulb
- Plug in the strand to identify any dim bulbs. Wrap a small length of string or a twist tie around the wire near the bulb to help find it once the strand is unplugged.
- Unplug the strand. Pull out the faulty bulbs by gently pulling them straight out away from their socket. Be careful not to crush the bulb as you pull it.
- Push the new bulb into the socket gently and it should snap into place.
- Plug in the strand of lights to ensure that the replacement bulb is lit and that the connection is good. Remove the marker string/twist tie from the strand.
Replacing a Fuse
- If the entire strand of lights does not light, check the LED fuse. Locate the fuse box on the side of the plug; it will have a small door. Open the door using a small screwdriver or butter knife.
- Pull out the small burnt fuse and inspect for any damage. Check under and around the fuse in the plug for melted plastic (in strong power surges, fuses can split and cause damage to the housing of the plug). Do not use strands where the fuse casing has melted plastic. Be sure to avoid crushing the fuse, since fuses are made of glass.
- Install a new fuse into the fuse compartment by pushing on it slightly with your fingertip. It will snap into place. Close the fuse box.
- Plug the strand in to test the new fuse. If the strand does not light up when plugged in, check the fuse again to make sure it’s making good contact.
Why Choose RF (Radio Frequency)-Transmission Candles?:
Instead of using traditional wax candles, make life easier and safer with flameless candles. High quality, remote control candles are a great way to decorate. Our remote control candles are so realistic they are almost indistinguishable from traditional candles.
Here are some of the benefits of using our remote controlled candles:
- They’re safe – because there is no open flame, our candles are safe to use in any setting.
- They can be left unattended without concern about fabric or upholstery catching fire.
- Since there is no heat, you won’t have to worry about anyone getting burned.
- They’re realistic – our remote-control candles are almost indistinguishable from traditional candles and have an authentic amber flickering effect.
- They’re not messy – remote control candles create no messy wax drips or soot to clean up. No longer will you have to worry about upholstery, carpet, fabric, or furniture getting damaged by a toppled candle.
- They don’t make smoke – since they can’t be blown out, there is no smoke and no discoloration of your walls or ceilings. You can avoid the smelly smoke plumes created when you put out traditional candles.
- If a window is open and a breeze comes through, the remote-controlled candles will remain lit, unlike traditional wax candles.
What does UL- approved mean?:
You’ll find numerous items on our site that have been UL approved, but if you’re not sure what that means for you, we put together a little information to help you understand it. According to the Underwriters Laboratories, UL is the trusted resource across the globe for product safety certification and compliance solutions. One important way UL engineers help consumers is by creating UL Standards and conducting rigorous safety testing and certification of products to those Standards. Products that are consistently compliant with the Standards established by UL carry the UL Mark for easy identification by consumers. To use the Mark, manufacturers submit to periodic testing by UL engineers to check for continuous product compliance. You can place confidence in the integrity of the UL Mark on products you purchase.
The UL reminds us to practice safety during the holiday season. For instance, they say that “Holiday lights are considered seasonal and should not be up longer than 90 days. If you leave decorations out any longer, they will be more prone to damage, which could cause an electrical shock or fire hazard.”
When storing holiday decorations, the UL also reminds us that practicing safety can keep decorations in working condition and prevent potential hazards from occurring next year. Here are some safety tips to follow when putting away your seasonal decorations:
- When unplugging electric decorations, use the grip provided on the plugs. Never pull the cord to unplug a device from electrical outlets.
- As you’re putting away electrical light strings, throw out light sets if they have loose connections, broken or cracked sockets or frayed or bare wires.
- Throw out worn light strings early. Shop for replacements during after-Christmas sales or add lights to your Christmas decoration list for next year.
- Store electrical decorations in a dry place, such as a suitcase, where they won’t be damaged by water or dampness. Keep them away from children and pets to ensure that cords and wires are not damaged in storage.
Additionally, to preserve and ensure the longevity of your holiday decorations, follow these tips:
- Wrap each set of lights and put them in individual plastic bags, or wrap the lights around an empty toilet paper tube or wrapping paper tube.
- Special ornaments benefit from being stored in their original packaging. If you throw out the original box, store smaller ornaments in an egg carton.
- Save yourself time next year by thoroughly labeling your decorations before storing this year. Make a detailed inventory on the outside of each container. Devise a way to easily identify the container as used for storing holiday items, such as taping a piece of wrapping paper on the outside of each container.
What is Prop 65?:
Christmas lights frequently have a prop 65 warning on them. The Prop 65 warning means that the light manufacturer knows lead may be present in its product. It does NOT mean that there is any risk of getting lead poisoning from normal use of the product – in this case Christmas lights. Now, if you eat your Christmas lights, you may have a problem – but then, that’s kind of self-evident, isn’t it?
Using lighting equipped with a Photocell sensor will save you both money and energy. Lights which use a Photocell will turn on and off at the appropriate time without you having to remember to flip a switch.
Additionally, you can combine a photocell with a timer, which gives you the option of turning the lights off at a specific time. This is increasingly popular among outdoor lighting systems. By using both a photocell and a timer, the system will turn on when the photocell detects dusk, and turn off based on the settings of your timer.
Pieces with glitter ice can be placed indoors or out and their applications are almost limitless. These pieces are sculpted with depth to give more than a two dimensional look. They are classy and elegant and have an iridescent shine. They are lit with incandescent white holiday bulbs, and at night offer clean, well defined lines.
The glitter mesh pieces are sculpted 2D pieces and are made with many different kinds of material and fabric, offering a rich variety of textures. They are lighted with incandescent holiday bulbs and glow with an iridescent shimmer. They come with tabs so they can be hung, and the toy soldier also has stakes so it can be placed in the ground.
These pieces provide a great look at a low price. The gel material disperses the incandescent lights in a star like pattern, offering a charming glow to the viewer. The pieces are very clear and easy to see. They work well both during the day and at night.
Art is scanned onto a plastic film to create TPU. The art has tremendous shadowing and highlighting, giving the figure greater detail and a more realistic look. A glittering iridescent coating is applied to the art, and finally a shiny film layer is applied, giving the piece more depth. The pieces are lit as well. This all combines to make the pieces really stand out in high definition.
This method also addresses the push for more green materials. Meeting the need for environmentally-friendly materials is rapidly becoming more and more challenging in the elastomeric market. TPUs offer a great new solution. Many TPUs are made with at least 20% (by weight) renewable natural sources instead of petroleum.
Snowy Lighted Material:
The material is soft and cottony to the touch and the effect is perfect for the holiday season. The pieces are completely 3D and work well both during the day and at night. During the day, sunlight reflects beautifully off the iridescent material, while at night the incandescent bulbs cause the material to sparkle brilliantly.
These pieces are completely 3D and offer great views from the street as well as from inside your home. They are lit with incandescent holiday bulbs and covered with durable yet textured fabric, and are sewn in place over wire frame for a completely form fitted look. The polar bears made with this material create a spectacular look, and are a real statement piece. They come complete with red scarves and Santa hats made of sparkly material, and have some crystal beading on their tinsel fabric for an all-around jaw dropping appeal.
The LED lights and beads work well with the snow, which all combine to add a rich shimmer to the refracted light. These pieces are rich and expensive looking. They are a great way to add elegance and sophistication to our decorating without breaking the bank! They are sturdy and can be staked to the ground for secure fastening. At night, when lit, they explode with brilliance!