Christmas Tree Ideas

If you are open to new ideas, just about anything can be a Christmas tree because it's all in the presentation.

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Figure A

If you are open to new ideas, just about anything can be a Christmas tree because it's all in the presentation:

Funky and fun miniature trees are perfect in a grouping on a sofa table, buffet or even the kitchen counter (figure A). They're made out of ribbon or fabric-covered foam topiaries that are hot-glued into containers and adorned with anything from Christmas light bulbs to feathers to glittery beaded garland. Since the best gifts come in small packages, these are just the trees for those items!

Figure B

Make a hanging ribbon tree for a corner, the center of an entry or even above the folding counter in a laundry room (figure B).

Figure C

Use ribbon to tie macramé rings in a variety of sizes together (figure C). Wrap each with low-wattage, UL-approved white holiday lights that don't generate heat. Drape beautiful ribbons over the rings to create the foliage streamers, which cover the structure but allow the glow from the lights to shine through.

Figure D

For just a whisper of the holidays in your home, purchase several cherry-blossom branches from a florist. The flowers give the impression of tufts of snow along the branches, and when placed in a very large glass container, the bouquet can be high enough to allow plenty of room for stacks of beautifully-wrapped Christmas packages underneath (figure D).

Figure E

Use carefully-wrapped surprises as part of your holiday decor. One of the best ways to do this is to use paper in colors that either stand out or blend in with the existing decor of your home. A collection of pink and silver packages is certainly eye catching (figure E). Add a satin bow-tie to a colorful paper bag, combine papers and line the edges with ribbon and clip-on rosettes or simply wrap a gift with a pretty contrasting ribbon in a random basket weave pattern. If the packages look too good to unwrap, use empty boxes and display your creations again next year.

Figure F

Turn a white Christmas tree into a snowman (or an elf, Santa and even a reindeer) using felt and fabric for his eyes and nose, top hat and a scarf to keep him warm (figure F).

Contemporary Tree

Materials:

fiber density board
large carpenter's compass
jigsaw
palm sander
tack cloth
drill with 1/4" spade bit
galvanized flowerpot
large heavy rocks
scrap lumber
1/2" galvanized plumber's pipe
floor brackets
1/2" wood screws
latex metallic silver paint
ornament hooks
decorations (ornaments, garland, fake snow, tinsel, etc.)

Steps:

1. To make the tiers, use a compass (or a string attached to a pencil) to trace circles onto the board (the tiers measure 30, 24, 20 and 12 inches in diameter), and then cut each out with a jigsaw, staying as close to the line as possible. Sand the edges smooth with a palm sander and remove the dust with a tack cloth or damp rag.
2. To support the tree, cut a board to nest just below the top of the pot. Put three or four large rocks in the pot, and then put the board on top.
3. Attach a floor bracket to the top center of the flower pot board using screws, and then secure a 12-inch piece of pipe into it. Attach a floor bracket to the center of both sides of each disk. Screw the 30-inch disk onto the flower pot pipe; add a 12-inch length of pipe, and then another disk until the shortest disk is secure. Attach an eight-inch pipe to the top disk to keep in scale with the tree.