[jojob1969]

Every year I feel less and less excited about getting a Christmas tree. It just seems foolish to me. A beautiful healthy tree growing in a field gets cut down, dragged indoors where it sheds its needles. Next, we cover it with gaudy ornaments purchased from a department store that pays its workers next to nothing and doesn't offer them health insurance. The only place to put the tree is by the door and every time somebody comes to visit, our dog runs to the door and wags his tail so hard that the whole tree shakes and the stupid ornaments go crashing to the floor.

I'm not trying to be bah-humbug, but the tree was beautiful and healthy growing outside. I would like to have some kind of focal point in our living room for the holiday season, but I'm not sure what to replace a cut tree with. I don't want and artificial tree either. I don't have a lot of storage space to pack it away after Christmas. I'm considering getting a potted tree that I can plant in the country after the holidays, but I'm not sure if how long I could keep it healthy indoors until the weather allows me to plant it.

Does anyone else decorate using something other than a tree as the focal point? I would love to hear some of your suggestions.

 

[Dirty Martini]

You could get a plastic one. Or a wreath. Or a garland. Or a small tabletop tree.

 

[fat kitty]

I'll tell you exactly what you can do. Get some green construction paper......

 

[jenna]

you could pick a tree that's outside to be your christmas tree and decorate that.

inflatable tree.

make your own out of recycled materials/objects.

christmas tree wall hanging.

the money that you would spend on a live/plastic/whatever tree, you could donate to have trees planted in damaged ecosystems.

use the little miniature evergreens.

buy a living tree in a pot that can be replanted or one that can spend most of the time outdoors and then come in for a week or at christmas.

 

[berrykat]

I remember somebody spraying a tumbleweed gold and using it as a tree....

 

[Medesha]

Not a serious option (unless you're a lot like me), but this reminds me of the one Christmas we spent in Austin. My husband and I moved every 4-6 months for his job, and so we had very few permanent possessions, and there was certainly no point in trying to get a Christmas tree. We did have presents for each other, plus my relatives shipped a few gifts. So I drew a Christmas tree on the side of a cardboard box, set it on a chair, and put the presents under that.

 

[jenna]

http://www.edibleblooms.com/xcart/pr...270&bestseller that might be kind of fun to make.

 

[synergy]

I have a ficus fig tree inside that I decorated this year.

It's cute, but not really traditional.

 

[Kreeli]

you can get a small, living, potted pine tree and decorate it. i don't know about moving it in an out of doors in the winter, though - i think the temperature changes might harm it. eventually it will grow out of the pot and you will have to find somewhere nice to plant it.

 

[Dirty Martini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fat kitty

I'll tell you exactly what you can do. Get some green construction paper......

Just don't make popcorn strings and tack them up to the paper tree.

...stupid ants.

 

[jenna]

[off topic] kreeli, i love your avatar! [/off topic]

 

[Kreeli]

thanks! it sure snowed here yesterday!

 

[karenlovessnow]

SNOW? Did somebody say SNOW?

Lucky duck!

 

[karenlovessnow]

On a more serious, on topic note, some really good ideas here! I caved in and just bought an artificial tree. Wish this thread was around a few days ago!

 

[jeezycreezy]

Get an Inflatable Christmas Tree.

(Probably not a great option for cat owners.)

Or you could decorate an ironing board with tea towels and tennis balls.

 

[Sevenseas]

Choose a tree growing in the forest as your Christmas tree and cover it with beautiful white ornaments. In fact, nature has probably decorated it already for you.

 

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sevenseas

Choose a tree growing in the forest as your Christmas tree and cover it with beautiful white ornaments. In fact, nature has probably decorated it already for you.

Merry Christmas from my back yard yesterday!

(OK, we have an indoor tree too, but just thought I'd share our snowfall!)

 

[FlightyGypsy]

I used to decorate a potted, live tree and then plant it in the yard come spring. Now that I live in an apartment, its not an option, so I had to buy a fake tree. I figure using the same tree every year is a whole lot better than cutting a new one down every year. They can look almost as pretty as the real thing, too!

 

[Kreeli]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tofu-N-Sprouts

Merry Christmas from my back yard yesterday!

(OK, we have an indoor tree too, but just thought I'd share our snowfall!)

beautiful!

these are the trees in our backyard as of yesterday.

http://static.flickr.com/121/307987589_31b427c6e4_m.jpg

 

[Eclipse]

Finally people who think like me about this cut tree thing.

I love the idea of decorating an outside tree.

There's a tree at the curb decorated by the twon that I consider my christmas tree. Why must each and every house have a cut tree every year?. The whole thing doesn'tr make sense to me.