Christmas Tree Alternatives

From: Kimberly

Hi Ladies!

I just wanted to share with you our “Christmas Bushes” this year… We have a little 4ft. tall pre-lit tree, but thought we wanted to get a regular tree too- for the smell and the experience for our 4 year old. When we got to our local store, the least expensive tree was $20, and it was 4 ft. tall!! So, Hubby and I decided to save our money, and keep using out little tree. We even had a sweet lady stop us and ask us if we couldn’t afford a tree- she offered to buy one for us! We thanked her and just explained that we were watching our pennies.

As we were leaving I noticed the huge trash pile of trimmings and branches near the exit, (we were at Target, BTW) and, when I asked, the employee said I could have as many cut branches as I would like! I grabbed a bunch (people were looking at me funny, I had so many!) and brought them home. I trimmed them up, tied them together and put them into 2 metal buckets full of water, on either side of my little tree. I wrapped a ribbon around the buckets and we decorated them.

They look so pretty! The best part about it all was how excited our son was to decorate- He didn’t care that we didn’t have an 8 ft. tall tree! I have gotten so many compliments that I think we might have started a new family tradition!

Thank you for your website, it is the first place I go when I get online! Merry Christmas!

One year, when I was 10 years old, I noticed my great-grandparents didn’t have a Christmas tree. (They were in their late 80’s and didn’t do decorations any more.) I was so upset that they didn’t have one that I went out and got a tumbleweed, stuck it in a bucket with some sand and decorated it for them. We lived in Southeastern Colorado at the time and there weren’t any trees to cut down so I had to make due with what we had. It was the funniest Christmas tree around but I sure did put a lot of thought into it. 🙂 The point is that even if you don’t have any money, find some way to celebrate!!

Tawra

I couldn’t afford a real tree most of my life but, like many others, I love the smell. I started going to places where they sell trees and asking for the “scraps” on the ground. I bring them home and use them by laying them all over just for decoration and a little greenery. Not only does the house smell great but that little bit of greenery changes the whole look of the room.

-Jill