22 Clever DIY Christmas Tree Ideas You'll Want To Recreate This Year

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Room, Furniture, Interior design, Christmas stocking, Wall, Home, Design, Shelf, Floor, Living room,

Courtesy of Hello DIY

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There are countless holiday decor aesthetics you can choose for your home, and while some debate over real vs. faux trees or pine vs. spruce, others might not lean toward greenery at all. A traditional Christmas tree isn't everyone's preference, and that's perfectly fine! There are so many DIY Christmas tree ideas available to anyone seeking a unique twist this holiday season.

Whether you live in a small home or need to accommodate little ones with allergies to fresh evergreens, DIY Christmas trees offer a creative solution for a distinct festive setup. These DIY options seamlessly integrate with or intentionally stand out from your existing holiday decor, making them an excellent choice for those who can't find their ideal tree in stores. The best DIY Christmas tree ideas are versatile and suitable for indoor or outdoor settings, tabletops, or kids' rooms. Many DIY Christmas trees also double as holiday crafts, offering a perfect opportunity for family togetherness.

Regardless of your Christmas aesthetic—be it glamorous, natural, crafty, or store-bought—we present the 30 best DIY Christmas tree ideas to spark your holiday decorating inspiration.

Deck the halls with our favorite holiday ideas:

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Honeycomb Paper Trees

Courtesy of Zara Home

If traditional greenery isn't your style, but you still want the drama and height that comes with an evergreen, opt for an oversized honeycomb tree instead. These options from Zara Home can reach up to six feet tall, ideal for the corner of an entryway or dining room.

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Related Story: 112 Christmas Decoration Ideas That Will Get Your Home Feeling Festive

Wall-Hung Branches

handmade craft christmas tree from sticks and natural materials sustainable christmas, zero waste, plastic free, eco friendly

Tetiana Soares//Getty Images

A very naturalistic approach, hanging branches from twine in a triangle formation is a great space-saving DIY Christmas tree idea. To further the rustic aesthetic, forego ornaments in favor of dried citrus slices, pinecones, and cinnamon sticks.

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Ladder Tree

modern family decorating the home at christmas time using ladder as christmas tree

Westend61//Getty Images

Put your home improvement tools to good use this holiday season. Odds are, your ladder is already out to string lights and hang garlands, so when the decorating is done, have it function as your faux DIY Christmas tree.

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Foldable Rack Trees

Brais Seara//Getty Images

Foldable rack Christmas trees are ideal for small spaces and when storage is in short supply. This tree is so flexible, and each "branch" can shift to allow for perfect ornament spaces. This DIY Christmas tree is small enough for tabletop arrangements, but large enough to be a child's tree or one for an apartment living room.

Related Story: 82 Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas That Bring the Holiday Cheer

Wrought-Iron Tree

decorated christmas tree beside a fireplace

For a glam holiday aesthetic, opt for a metal, wrought-iron tree form instead of traditional greenery. This option from Amazon features plenty of ornament hooks, and it comes prelit for easy setup.

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Everything But the Tree

handmad tinsel christmas tree with star shape, creativity concep

PRImageFactory//Getty Images

If you have all the fixings for a well-decorated Christmas tree, but not the evergreen itself, let us be the first to say that you don't need it. String up your holiday decor off-tree for a minimalist (and more pet-friendly) approach to the holidays.

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Pom-Pom Tree

a person holding a bunch of colorful candies

Courtesy of Sugar and Cloth

If ornaments aren't your thing or you just can't decide on a DIY Christmas tree theme you love, why not opt for cheerful pom-poms instead? With yarn and a pom-pom maker, you can customize your tree with any color palette of your choosing. We recommend using various sizes of pom-poms for the ultimate festive-looking tree.

Get the tutorial from Sugar and Cloth.

Miniature Yarn Trees

A Beautiful Mess

If you don't have the space for a full-size tree or want smaller options for a mantle or tabletop, try taking a foam cone (from your local craft store) and wrapping it in yarn! The texture is so cozy. It's like your favorite sweater in tree form!

Get the tutorial from A Beautiful Mess.

Related Story: 55 Best Christmas Party Ideas to Make This Holiday Even Merrier

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Kraft Paper Tree

lia griffith

For this full-size DIY Christmas tree made out of paper, you'll need a good amount of kraft paper cut into strips. Hole punches in the paper allow the string lights wrapped around a clothesline underneath them to shine through.

Get the tutorial at Lia Griffith.

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Ribbon Tree

Just That perfect piece

If you have any leftover ribbon from wrapping presents, you're already halfway to having everything you need to complete this craft. All you have to do for it is hot glue pieces of ribbon to a cone. Display it on your mantel or incorporate it into your holiday table centerpiece.

Get the tutorial at Just That Perfect Piece.

Chalkboard Tree

a goode house

Want to utilize your drawing skills? Sketch out a tree on a chalkboard. Whether it's the size of a door in your home—like this one by A Goode House—or a mini one you can hang on your wall, you can't go wrong.

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Succulent Tree

gluesticks blog

Any succulent-obsessed plant parent will love this concept: a DIY Christmas tree entirely made of succulents. Not to mention, you can easily display this creation long past the holiday.

Get the tutorial at Gluesticks.

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Plastic Utensil Tree

heathered nest

Grab a pack of plastic spoons or forks, and cut off the ends. Decorate them with anything from spray paint to glitter glue for an easy, festive tree you can display every year.

Get the tutorial at Heathered Nest.

Copper Tree

lia griffith

For a clean-lined look, try fashioning a shiny copper pipe tree. String lights wrapped around the pipes add infinite glow from day to night.

Get the tutorial at Lia Griffith.

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Colorful Paper Tree

Mike Garten

Here's proof that you can make a mini DIY Christmas tree out of pretty much anything. Cut super long, skinny pieces of construction paper to arrange a triangle-shaped silhouette on the wall (securing pieces of string to the wall will do too), and then cut colorful pieces of construction paper or leftover wrapping paper into circles to look like little ornaments.

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Advent Calendar Tree

ZAN PASSANTE

This DIY advent-calendar-meets-Christmas-tree brought to us by Sugar and Charm is a two-in-one holiday special. You'll just need some plywood, small metal pails, and a hot glue gun (plus goodies, of course).

Bookshelf Holiday Tree

BRIAN WOODCOCK

Simply rearrange your books in the shape of a Christmas tree and then spice up the shelves with some classic holiday decor, like ornaments, pine cones, and holly. Bonus points if all your books are green, but it will look festive and fun regardless of the hue.

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Ladder Tree

Westend61//Getty Images

It couldn't get simpler or craftier than this DIY Christmas tree. You just need to prop open a ladder, wrap it with some string lights, and put a balloon star on top.

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Balloon Tree

Pink, Peach, Sweetness, Illustration, Heart,

Courtesy of Sugar & Cloth

This vibrant display is worth the effort it will take to blow up all of the balloons.

Get the tutorial at Sugar & Cloth.

Galvanized Metal Planter Tree

room, white, furniture, property, interior design, living room, building, table, ceiling, home,

Annie Schlechter

This galvanized metal planter with the small pine tree is the perfect thing to recreate when you're short on space. To make this DIY Christmas tree feel festive for the holidays, top it off with a plaid bow. Who even needs a big Christmas tree?

Kate McGregorFormer Digital Editor

Kate McGregor is the former Digital Editor at House Beautiful, where she wrote countless stories on home renovation costs, design inspiration, and plant care. After years of experience writing commerce and search-optimized content for brands like Domino, Real Simple, and Architectural Digest’s Clever, Kate developed a passion for uncovering the personal stories that often inspire people’s spaces. She previously worked as the Assistant Market Editor at ELLE Decor where she identified top products and brands in the industry and interviewed emerging designers on their thoughts on the latest interior design trends. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree from Belmont University. When not researching the specificities of begonia plant care, you can find Kate scouring vintage markets for the ideal wrought-iron chair, knitting yet another cardigan, or reading historical nonfiction.

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