Janelle Esker How to Preserve Fresh Evergreen Branches For Christmas, you may ask?
Last year at Christmas I had a problem.Ā Well, actually I have had this problem ever since I switched from fake pine branches to real! By the end of the Christmas Season, all the fresh evergreen branches that I cut and brought into the house to decorate had lost many of their needles. Ā Besides making a mess, it also looked terrible!
But what’s a woman to do that likesĀ REALĀ and not FAKE? Ā PrefersĀ FREEĀ and cost-effective? Ā I tell you what she does, she finds a way to make it work.Ā The good news is that I did.
I found a way to Preserve Evergreen Branches for Christmas!
What is the key you ask? Ā One word…glycerin.
SUPPLIESĀ
Large plastic bucket
pruners
garden gloves
evergreen trees
I personally use multiple varieties of evergreen branches in my Christmas arrangements.Ā Each kind of evergreen preserves differently.Ā This preservation process will work on every kind of branch.Ā I have found it works the best on cypress, arborvitae (cedar), eucalyptus, holly, and boxwood.Ā It significantly extends the life of every kind of evergreen including pine and spruce!
Glycerin is available at most grocery stores. Ā I picked up mine at CVS and it only put me back three dollars!
DIRECTIONS
- Fill the plastic bucket up 1/4 of the way with warm water and add the whole bottle of glycerin. Ā Mix the water and glycerin well.
- Put your garden gloves on and prune your evergreen trees. Ā I usually make my cuts around 24 inches long. Ā After you cut a branch, immediately put the freshly clipped end into the bucket. Ā Fill the bucket up with freshly cut evergreen branches.
- Soak for 24 hours.
- Decorate!
TIP:Ā To make your evergreen branches last even longer, run a humidifierĀ in your home.Ā The moist air will extend the life of your BEAUTIFUL displays!
YOUR TURN…
What is your favorite Christmas Decorating Tip?
Blessings,
*This post may contain affiliate links.Ā Thank you for supporting The Peaceful Haven!
Will these last for the next year???
Hi Shana,
They won’t last until next year but they should stay fresh throughout this Christmas season. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Can I use this to water my real Christmas tree as long as I cut it fresh at the trunk before putting it in the tree stand?
Hi Karen,
What a great idea! Yes, this should work very well on the Christmas tree. You have inspired me to do the same!
After the 24 hour soak, the branches don’t need to stay in the water /glycerin solution?
Hi Debbie,
Yes, that is right. Sometimes I totally submerge the branches, depending on if I can find a big enough tub…
How many ounces is the bottle of glycerin?
Hi Deb,
I use a 6 oz. bottle…thanks for asking!
How long will the branches last?
There are several variables to know how long the preserved branches will last. First is the kind of evergreen branches you are preserving. Cypress and Boxwood are the best with Pine being the most difficult. My preserved branches last at least 5 weeks when they are outside in the cold here in Ohio. Inside two or three weeks. If I use Cypress they last four weeks inside.
Pine might be difficult, but it’s better than hemlock. You’d think those interesting ferny short needles with cute little cones would be perfect for decorating, but the needles drop within days, glycerin or no glycerin. The cones are still fun but you have to kind of dangle them out the sides or below an arrangement while hiding the bare branches.
I can’t remember but I think my spruce did best last year.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Aimee! I didn’t know this about Hemlock!
Hey Janelle,
Do you think this will work on a real Christmas wreath?
Yes, absolutely. If the wreath will be outside it will last longer than inside. The cold weather is also a wonderful preservative. Cypress preserves much better than Pine.
Absolutely love this! Thanks for sharing! I’ll be back for more.
Hi Gary,
So glad you found this post helpful…thanks for stopping by!
After they have soaked for 24 hours can you cut them again for fitting particular arrangements or does every cut require a 24 soaking. Is the glycerine sealing the cut edge or is it soaking up into the branch?
Hi Jennifer, Yes you can cut them for individual arrangements. If I am making arrangements I try to submerge the whole branch so it is all covered with the glycerin water. You can add a little more glycerine depending on the type of evergreen you are using. Pine and Spruce are the hardest to preserve. The glycerine is soaking into the branches. Thanks for stopping by The Peaceful Haven and have fun with this project!
Hi! Iām going to try and mix some blue spruce in with my boxwood branches this year. A friend told me I have to spray the spruce branches with some kind of clear acrylic after glycerine of they will turn brownish. Do you agree… thanks for your info
Hi Theresa, I personally have never used a spray on my blue spruce branches. I do soak them longer in the glycerine mixture. The spray could make them last longer… I would be curious about what the ingredients are or brand name of the spray? Would you let me know? I am always up for improving my techniques! By the way, I think the combination of blue spruce and boxwood will look LOVELY!
I have also read to spray them I with shellac or a varnish to hold the moisture inside have you tried this? I’m also a fellow Ohio girl. šā¤
Oh, I have not heard that one but I am definitely going to try it to compare the two methods. Thank you so much for letting me know about this technique!
Varnish and Shellac are both high flammable, please take care when using with open flames of any kind . š¤š¤
Thank you!!!
Will the glycerine treatment change the color of the branches? I saw something from MSU that showed how to preserve other types of greens (not conifers/evergreens) and the leaves turned kind of a chocolate brown. Pretty, but not exactly what I want for my Advent wreath!
Hi Jen,
No, I have never had it change the color of the branches. Hope this helps!
I tried this, but I left the branches in for several days. The branches turned brown. I think the key is to only leave them in for 24 hours.
Hi Tammy, I am so glad you gave it a try! It’s so good to know that it doesn’t work if you soak them too long…thank you!