The O-Christmas-Tree challenge
BY SARAH MEEKS For Sun-Times Media
Small space, big impact: Get a small tree that is only a couple feet tall and place in on a table. Group together three trees with different heights for a festive holiday look. | SUPPLIED PHOTO
Related Stories
- 11 gifts for a fashionista
- The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide
- Members only: Gifts that occupy zero space, provide hours of fun and get kids out of the house
- Gifts for your wiz kid: Back to basics with games and books
- Winning present ideas for your favorite sports enthusiast
- Gifts for those children who have been nice
- Wrap it up
- Have a holly, jolly celebration
- Healthy for the holidays
- Help end world hunger this holiday
- Have yourself an affordable little holiday
- How to accommodate holiday guests
- What to consider before buying a tablet
- A sweet and savory holiday menu
- Enjoy a safe and cozy winter
- Fabulous, creative holiday party themes
- Holiday craft fairs call for vendors
- How to plan for unexpected company
- 10 must-do New Year's resolutions for your home
- How to thrift like a pro
A glowing, sparkling, tree, centered in a window is just not in the cards for those with less than spacious homes. For most, just finding space (window excluded) is a challenge. What should you do if you have no space to for a Christmas tree? Get creative, and that may even mean ditching the idea of a traditional tree.
For those who insist on having a real tree, try cutting one down yourself. You get a better selection of size. Ask where the younger trees grow; cut one down that’s only a few feet tall. You still get a real tree — and that glorious smell — but a smaller tree will take up much less space than a traditional sized tree bought from a garden store.
Is a real tree still too big for your space? Try a fake tree. Get a small tree that is only a couple feet tall and place it on a table. Plenty of beautiful table arrangements incorporate small (less than 2-foot) trees into the décor. Try a grouping of three trees with different heights.
Want a less traditional tree? Try drawing an outline of a tree with lights on your wall. Secure with staples, and have an instant, very bright, holiday tree.
Looking for form and function? This next one is more labor intensive but will give big impact to a small space and provide room for more holiday décor. Cut shelves out of wood and secure them on the wall to form a tree shape. Make sure the longest shelf is on the bottom and they get progressively smaller as they go up. Viola! Instant tree! Plus, you can use all that shelve space for more holiday decorations.
Have the itch to craft? Try decorating Styrofoam or cardboard cones from a craft store. Wrap in ribbon, tinsel, feathers, glitter-you name it. This would also make a fun group or family project.
Although you may not have tons of room to decorate for the holidays, use creativity to add some festive decorations to your home. Plus, most of these options will be good year after year, which means you can try your hand at all of them. Although a big, fresh tree is beautiful, crafts made with love and care will steal the show any day.