What the Flock
You lucky son of guns who have REAL snow! For those of us living in SoCal or Florida, DREAMING of a white Christmas will pretty much always be just that…a dream.
That is, unless you’re lucky enough to score yourself a can of Sno-Flok or find one of the many beautiful options that are available online and at big box retailers across the country.
Flocked trees have been making a comeback over the past several years and add that fun touch of whimsy and nostalgia to your Christmas decor. Quite frankly, they do a darn good job of camouflaging artificial trees quite nicely. The original Sno-Flok brand came on the scene in the ’50s along with aluminum and other glitzy colored trees. Flocking has been around, however, since the 1800s when people used various combinations of flour, glue, and cotton. Sno-Flok was originally designed as a kit that used a gun attachment for your vacuum cleaner to spray the tree. It has evolved into aerosol cans and now there are literally hundreds of ready-made flocked trees available online and your neighborhood big box store.
Traditionally, you would flock an artificial tree, but you can DIY flocking on a fresh tree as well.
Flocking Yourself
If you’re like us, you want to know that the products you’re using are…uhh…held to a higher standard than the 1950s held them for our own safety, the safety of our families, and the environment at large. The OG Sno-Flok is biodegradable and environmentally safe, so there’s no issue recycling your flocked real Christmas tree at the end of the season as long as the recycling facility can accept flocked items. (It is worth noting that the Ice Flakes you can get with Sno-Flok are not biodegradable. Knowledge is power.) Sno-Flok is also non-toxic, but the manufacturer recommends wearing a mask while you’re flocking, and take extra precautions if you or someone in your home is allergic to trees, cotton, corn, or boron. Since Sno-Flok contains ingredients derived from all four of those, you may be better off using one of these methods if you or a family member (that includes pets!) have allergies.
You can also use this Flocking powder and simply sprinkle your tree as light or heavy as you’d like!
Want to make your own flocking material? Check these out!
Photographer and influencer @lauriedicus shows this simple 3 ingredient DIY flocking trick to give your tree a super snowy, beautiful texture with only two ingredients and your own hands.
Check out her whole video here!
Not looking to flock an entire tree? This 5-minute one-dollar recipe from A Piece of Rainbow is great for wreaths, boughs, pinecones, poinsettias, mason jars, and any other small festive decorations you want to flock up.
Get Flocked
Not enough time to flock yourself? You’re in luck! Pre-flocked trees are readily available at big box stores and online, even in some fun and outrageous colors! Your local Christmas tree dealer may offer flocking services for your real tree, as well. Having your tree professionally flocked can cost around $14 per foot, but if you are stressed out about the holidays or on a major time crunch, it may be worth the cost to save your sanity.
Do you need some help decorating your home or office for the holidays? Head on over to our Virtual Services page to book a one-hour design session!