Homemade Christmas Trees
Just because everyone else has a green leafy Christmas tree, that’s no reason you can’t try something new this year! Instead of visiting the tree farm, consider riffling through your attic or strolling through your garden. Pick sticks and twigs, cardboard and twine. Think about books, cushions and planks of wood. Nothing is out of bounds when you’re inventing a new tradition!
Your homemade Christmas tree can give you the satisfaction of celebrating the holidays in your own way with your own style. You may need to prepare yourself for questions from dinner guests who simply don’t understand why you haven’t gone with the classic tree but that’s always to be expected when you’re trying something new. If nothing else, your tree will be a conversation piece that will save you from awkward silences in between bites of roast veg and sips of mulled wine! Below you’ll find a few examples of some unique Christmas trees that will hopefully get your creative juices flowing!
Ladder Tree
With some sticks and twine you can build a ladder-like tree. This simple tree is very rustic and can act as a blank canvas on which your ornaments will really stand out. If you use two long poles you can have a flat tree like the one in the photo. Alternatively, use a triangle base and three long poles to make a pyramid shaped tree!
Wall Art Tree
Lots of little bits and bobs put together on the wall in the shape of the tree can be just as convincing as the real deal. It certainly makes for a fascinating mural for guests to inspect and admire. You can attach them pieces straight to your wall or use a backdrop like a giant piece of paper or a cabinet.
Simplistic Wooden Board Tree
Nail some boards together and voila! So simple and yet so stylish! It may be difficult to hang ornaments on this one but it could be interesting if you used some push pins. If you feel like making it even more interesting, why not splash some paint on it? You could paint it green and maybe no one will notice it’s not a real tree! Otherwise, go crazy and every ‘branch’ could be a different colour!
Handmade Cushion Tree
If you have pretty fabric or old cushions lying around this could be your perfect opportunity to put them to use! You can stack the cushions on top of one another or go the full nine yards and stuff and sew each layer of this tree together!
Sticks and Twigs Tree
Struggling to find time or inspiration? This tree may be just what you’re looking for. It’s simple and perhaps the most straight forward Christmas tree solution out there! Just pick up some fallen branches and stuff them in a pretty vase! Ta-da!
Bauble Tree
Instead of just hanging about, your Christmas baubles can be much more useful! In fact, they can even become the tree itself! All you will need is a glue gun and a bit of patience while you wait for it to dry.
Good luck creating and happy holidays!
The branch idea has been going years. When I lived in the West Indies during the 60s we had no choice but to use that idea!!
Hi Muffet. Like with most things that are popular now…a spin from something old! Some of the trees look pretty cool though don’t you think?
my mother hasn’t used a traditionel tree for years. she gets a dead branch from the woods with lots of little branches and covers them all with a thin layer of cotton wool and then decorates it with traditioeal baubles and lghts and other decorations and it looks like winter wonderland braught inside
I quite liked the look of the brach tree as well, i’m thinking of giving it a go myself. What about you Marleen?
Perfect ideas for my classroom, cheap and cheerful but the kids will love them! Thanks
Funny you say that Becky, my sister is also a teacher and she’s doing the same for them. Great idea isn’t it!
These are all, without exception, terrible.
Haha, they’re not that bad John! Im guessing you’ll be sticking to a more traditional tree then?
Fab ideas – Ive also used the twig idea since I was a teenager and think you can be really inventive with white paint or snow spray and glitter to make it stand out. I’ve recently purchased a fab gold fibre optic tree/twig and I hang all my wooden ornaments on. We’ve had that as our tree for a few years now, less mess as dont get pine needles over the floor and cats arent tempted to climb it! Love your cushion tree I’m going to try that with all my Christmas fabrics I seem to have accumulated. Merry Christmas x