Just Might DIY

Three years ago, I was finally able to get a live Christmas tree having artificial ones throughout my adult life (starting with the amazing 3 ft metallic tree I had in college). Don’t get me wrong – there are some fun artificial trees, and there’s nothing wrong with having one. However, I grew up with a live tree every year and sorely missed the tradition of scouring all of the corner lots to pick out the perfect tree with my family.

By what I can only describe as the fortunate fate of having amazing friends who knew I was looking forward to getting a live tree that year, I was asked to join them on a trip to Rex Christmas Tree Farm. I had never even heard of being able to visit a Christmas tree farm, much less cutting down your own tree. 

At the risk of being cliche, visiting that farm for the first time truly made me feel like a kid on Christmas morning running into the living room to unwrap presents. I was expecting to see a field of Douglas firs, but when we arrived, there were so many varieties growing across rolling hills as far as I could see.

I found the PERFECT Christmas tree that year—a Leyland Cypress—whose shape was traditional with just the right amount of wild branches in all the right places. I was smitten. Each year since that fateful day, I have returned to that same farm to find the perfect Leyland Cypress, and each year I still feel like a kid on Christmas morning. 

This year, I was incredibly blessed to be joined by those same friends who first introduced me to the Rex farm, along with D and another one of my friends (who was having her first visit to a Christmas tree farm!). As we were walking around the winding paths, dashing from tree to tree with a measuring stick and saw in hand (more on that later), I realized that we’re building our own traditions that we will carry forward. ❤️💚❤️

D and I cannot recommend this experience enough—whether or not you live close enough to go to Rex (which we highly recommend, as the people so helpful, the prices are amazing, and the trees are just beautiful. 

Take your friends and family, grab a good saw and plan to spend an amazing afternoon making memories. 

What Kind of Saw to Take:

While the Christmas tree farms will provide a hand saw, D and I highly recommend taking something a little more powerful. 

In previous years, we have used a chainsaw, which will certainly get the job done. However, this year, I brought along my Dewalt Reciprocating Saw, outfitted with a 6ah XR battery and Pruning Blade (this is critical). All links = Amazon affiliate.

I should probably admit here that the whole reason I got that saw was for the annual Christmas tree hunt, though it can be useful for many other things. 😉

We were all so happy with how well the reciprocating saw worked that we all ended up using it, despite having a chainsaw on hand. It made quick work of cutting down the trees, with very minimal effort.

We 10/10 highly recommend. Check it out on Amazon:

DEWALT (DCB206-2) 20V MAX Battery, Premium 6.0Ah Double Pack
(affiliate link)

Freud DS0903CP3 Diablo 9″ Carbide Tipped Pruning Reciprocating Blade 3 TPI-Fast Wood (3 Pack)
(affiliate link)

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• Use these tools at your own risk. We accept no responsibility for any injury that results from your use of any tools on this site. 
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