The outer aisles of a temporary trade show can often turn up hidden treasures, and such was the case at the Christmasworld fair hosted by Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany, earlier this month. Amid the vibrant seasonal stand presentations were the practical, innovative gadgets that make seasonal décor not just easier, but more enjoyable. Here are a few examples:
Relaxound’s Jingle Bell ornaments
Relaxound‘s Jingle Bells are motion-activated acoustic Christmas ornaments that play randomly selected snippets from a pool of 15-20 holiday songs. The battery-powered devices have adjustable volume, run for a minimum of 4 weeks, come in four metallic-finished color options — gold, green, red or white — and have a hanging loop.
Pixen ornament hangers
Pixen, an Oregon-based company, has a solution for flimsy wire ornament hangers that tend to get tangled. Its stainless-steel S-shaped hooks can link together to form a long chain that holds an ornament, or two can hook together to form an angled hinge design that is sturdy and decorative.
The Tree Genie tree stand, right. Krinner also introduced smaller, wooden stands, including one for artificial trees.
Krinner, a German company with a U.S. division, sells tree stands that ensure your tree won’t fall over, sit at an angle or die of thirst. Its Tree Genie features a twisted metal wire threaded through four sturdy posts that tighten around the tree stump by using a ratcheted foot pedal that chimes when the tree is locked into place. It has a large water reservoir, a pop-up water-level indicator and comes in several sizes.
Pop-up pine Christmas trees from F.D.L., right, and a silver version from Gasper, left.
Artificial trees that easily disassemble are one thing, but trees that pop-up when you lift them from the bottom and collapse down into a flat disk are quite another. These space-saving pop-up trees were spotted in natural-looking pine varieties or in very unnatural silver or black garlanded affairs.
