The holiday season is slowly creeping up on us, and maybe you’re just starting to dust off some of your decorations. If you are a ceramic tree owner, you by might be in need of some maintenance.
I’ve searched to find an answer to all your ceramic maintenance questions like cleaning, repairing, removing glue, doing wiring, storing and more.
How to clean
When cleaning a ceramic Christmas tree, you can use a small feather duster. Alternatively, you can use a soft cloth and warm water to keep the surface clean and free of any dust or dirt. Avoid excess water and don’t submerge the base that has the light fixtures in water.
If your tree happens to get wet during cleaning, the glue will soften which may end up causing the lights to become loose.
If this happens, just leave the lights in place to make the glue reset or place a small amount of glue to the stem of light and rest it into the hole.
How to wire a ceramic tree
Sometimes you may end up buying a ceramic Xmas tree that does not have the proper instructions on how to wire it. Below is a brief guide on how to do so.
– First, put the cord through the small hole on the side of the base, then thread it on the first hex nut. After which you can proceed to screw the threaded stem on the hex nut extend.
– Place the first rubber washer.
– Put everything through the base of the hole which should be approximately 1/2-inch in diameter.
– Put on the second rubber washer.
– Screw on the second hex nut and use only your fingers to tighten the nut.
– Move the wires down and remove the cardboard from the socket. Screw the socket and tighten it using your fingers.
– Pull the wires up on each side using a needle nose pliers or a toothpick.
– Use a screwdriver or a small kitchen knife to attach the wires on each side.
– Finally, replace the cardboard.
How to repair a ceramic Xmas tree
Sometimes a ceramic Christmas tree may end up getting damaged by a fall or moving it around. If you prefer to fix the tree rather than buy a new one, here’s how you can do it.
First, it is essential to prepare the surface for repairs. Start by removing any glue or adhesive material that was used during prior maintenance then wash the tree in warm water with dish detergent and a soft scrubbing pad. The tree should be completely dry before starting on any repair work.
Next, choose the right adhesive. Adhesives such as Epoxy are durable and great for filling in gaps whereas Super Glue hardens quickly but does not fill voids. If you feel that it might take a while to put together a lot of small pieces, slower drying glue is probably the better option.
Finally, when starting the actual repairs on a ceramic Xmas tree, it is vital that you ensure all the pieces can fit together. After providing this, you can go about gluing the tree back together.
How to store your tree
The best way to store a ceramic tree by wrapping it in something that does not leak such as newspaper and storing it away from anything that could make the packaging material catch fire.
Using a waterproof tote or putting a bubble wrap or cardboard between the items that have been wrapped is also good.
If the tree is painted, you’ll have to be more careful and wrap it in a parchment paper and bubble wrap or cardboard over it and store it in a climate controlled environment.
How to put snow on the tree
For this, you will need to have a ceramic Christmas tree, glitter snow substance, and a paintbrush. For glitter snow, you can pick up Aleene’s glitter snow online or any other type of glitter snow that is readily available.
Using the paintbrush, apply glitter snow to the tips of each branch of the ceramic Xmas tree. Fluff out the glitter snow with the brush to create dimension and texture and then let it dry. You can also use glitter snow on other decorative materials around the house.
How to remove glue from a ceramic Christmas tree
First, you will need to identify what kind of glue or adhesive was used. Super glues or contact cement are dissolvable and can be removed with acetone or a nail polish remover. Epoxies, however, are not dissolvable and can be removed with heat or ground down.
You will need to use a sharp object to poke it. If the glue is flexible, it most likely is not epoxy and can be dissolved. If it is hard, it is either epoxy or super glue.
If it is super glue, apply acetone on the area that has been cemented while carefully following the instructions for using Acetone such as doing it in a ventilated area, wearing gloves, and using eye protection.
For situations where it is not super glue or epoxy, use solvents such as paint thinners, Goof off, or alcohol while carefully paying attention to the safety precautions on the solution you use. If it is two parts epoxy, use a heat gun to heat the cemented area or boil in water.