Unique DIY Christmas Tree Ideas

Christmas is a season of joy. Even if you don’t celebrate it, you’ll feel the holiday spirit in the air. As the year comes to a close, there’s a feeling of nostalgia, mixed with relief and hope. If you live where it gets a little cold, then it’s a special feeling to cuddle up with your loved ones with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate as you watch a Christmas movie together while the Christmas lights softly blink.

I would’ve loved to have a real Christmas tree to decorate, but my gardening skills are lacking, so all the potted Christmas tree plants I get at the start of the year never survive till December.

For those who love a big tree and have the space for it, plastic trees are great as they can be re-used for many years. Plastic Christmas trees don’t work for me as I don’t want to dedicate a space for one, and it does get monotonous after a few years to have the same tree.

It has been fun coming up with ideas over the years to make our eco-friendly Christmas trees. From recycled cardboard to eco-friendly coir, we’ve tried a few. This year, we went with paper.

Here are some more DIY Christmas Tree Ideas from my earlier post.

What Does Christmas Mean to You?

For me, Christmas was the only holiday I got to celebrate with my family for the longest time, as I was in a boarding school and got to come home for the winter holidays (there were no festivals we celebrated in the summer holidays). It has always meant a season of togetherness and gift giving.

After I moved out of my parents’ house, I did not celebrate Christmas beyond going out for a Christmas meal. It is only in the last few years that we have started celebrating at home when our son turned 4. It is a fun way to spend the holidays together.

We avoid giving him toys as Christmas gifts since he has more than enough. He gets things he can use or things he would like, such as socks, an apron with a recipe book, journal, calendar, etc. How cute is this calendar by Liz Climo and this gorgeous puzzle.

You might also want to check out my posts on Christmas Gifts kids can make, and Christmas Gifts for Kids that are not toys.

Over time, we hope we are able to inculcate in him the spirit of giving and receiving, and the feeling of gratitude for all the good things and people we have in our lives.

Unique Christmas Tree Idea

I usually have some cardboard pieces lying around the house which is why some of my past DIY trees have been cardboard-based. This year I did not have any cardboard and neither did I want to dedicate any floor space to a tree. I was sure of the corner I wanted the gift pile to be in and thought about having the tree on a vertical plane instead.

I was quite impressed with how this one turned out. It was simple, easy to make, and looked good. We stuck ours on glass with school glue and it came off easily. You could also stick it to a wooden door. If you’re going to stick it on painted walls, you’ll need masking tape instead of glue.

You’ll need:

Plain paper
School glue or masking tape
Fevicol tube
Tissue sheets (like this one with glitter) or crepe sheets in a colour you want the tree

Optional items:

How to make your unique Christmas Tree:

Start with a base shape cut out of brown paper or even newspaper. Stick this to the vertical surface using glue or masking tape.
Next, cut strips of the tissue paper. I used about 6 inch strips folded in half for a fuller look. Make vertical cuts in the strip leaving an inch on top of the fold.
Start gluing the strips from the bottom of the tree and work your way to the top.
Decorate as you please. Most of our ornaments were gifted over the years and make an appearance every year in our decor.
Use Blue Tac to secure string lights and heavier ornaments. We didn’t have any plug points nearby, so we used battery-operated lights with rechargeable batteries.
Place your star on top. We used an origami star, but a glitter paper cut-out works just as well.
We had an upcycled suitcase that we used as the forest floor base for all the gifts. It kept things off the floor and therefore easier to clean every day.
We also had other small set ups in other parts of the house for a more lively look.

Other Christmassy Things:

There are so many fun things you can do around Christmas time, on your own or together with family and friends. Here are some more ideas:

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