Nothing ruins the holidays faster than burning down the house. Avoid this and other holiday safety hazards with these holiday decorating tips.

Christmas trees. Artificial trees should be fire resistant. When you purchase the tree, look on the packaging to make sure. If the box was thrown away years ago, check the tree's label. Attempting to light the tree on fire to ascertain this information is not recommended. If you wish to adorn your home with a live Christmas tree, get a fresh one. Fresh trees are green. Their needles are difficult to pull and do not break when you bend them. If you're not sure, butt the bottom of the trunk on the ground. If a lot of needles fall, the tree's not fresh. Keep trees away from fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, and other heat sources. Heat dries out trees and creates a fire hazard.

Lights. Whether you plan on stringing enough lights to power a third-world country this holiday season or if you're just looking to accent your holiday decor with a few strands, following these basic light safety tips will prevent blowing a circuit, causing a fire, or electrocuting the cat. Before hanging each strand, check for frayed or bare wires, cracked or broken sockets, and loose connections. Don't use damaged lights. Although it's tempting to string as many lights together as possible, you're better off following manufacturer recommendations (usually 3-5) when decorating. Be sure to turn off the lights when you leave or turn in for the night. Never use candles on a tree, no matter how picturesque the visual effect sounds.

Children. Kids pose special problems during the holidays. In addition to hiding your gifts and making sure they don't spy them out during a pre-Christmas game of hide-and-seek, you also need to monitor them so they don't choke on an ornament, plug in a fork, or hang the pet hamster from a tree branch. In homes with small children, avoid breakable ornaments or decorations with sharp edges. Keep decorations with small, removable parts out of the reach of children. Avoid trimmings that look like candy (kids like candy). When you unplug lights, replace the plug with a childproof socket protector.

The decorator. Many potential decorating hazards occur while decorating. Test lights before you hang them. If your decorating requires a ladder, make sure the ladder is safe and stable before climbing up. If you're stapling lights to something, make sure the staples do not pinch the wire. Always unplug lights when hanging them. Stapling lights while hanging upside down from your roof is extremely dangerous and highly discouraged.