20 alternative Christmas trees

The days of flimsy plastic trees are long gone; artificial has gone high style. From eco-friendly, flat-pack creations to stellar, laser-cut designs, it's this year's pick of weird and wonderful alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree...

Decorated wooden tree, £12

How cute is this? The flatpack, natural wooden tree covered in sparkly stars comes with a selection of mini bells and festive figurines such as angels riding comets and sledging snowmen.

Buy it now at Paperchase.co.uk
Spiral rope light tree, £44.95

This multicoloured, minimalist tree is suitable for outdoors but wouldn't look out of place inside. With such a basic body, the illuminating tree will add a dash of festive spirit to any darkened corner of the home or garden.

Buy it now at Lights4fun.co.uk
PossibiliTree, from around £122

If you are looking for a high style alternative to the Chirstmas tree, this could be the one for you. Available in a 3ft tabletop version or 6ft option which suspends from the ceiling, the versatile PossibiliTree tree will look beautiful adorned with decorations at Christmas and can be kept bare as an art piece for the rest of the year.

These real wood trees are available in walnut, birch and New England cherry and come from a US-based family business which has gained worldwide renown.

Buy it now at Possibilitree.com
Silver wire tree, £6

This 'tree' from Alldeco is almost nautical with its sail-like shape, a sure talking point and, at £6, a steal!

Buy it now at Christmastimeuk.com
Recycled cardboard tree, £15.95

At 91cm high this is a decent sized tabletop tree - eco-friendly and cheap, this customisable design with cardboard cut-out decorations could make for some creative festive fun. Call some firends over or get the kids involved in a tree decorating party.

Buy it now at Nigelsecostore.com
Prelit bare tree, from £50

There's something a little bit naughty about the idea of a bare Christmas tree, but add a few baubles to this and you've got a rather beautiful but daring decoration, true to the tree tradition, without being at all traditional (and suitable for outdoor use!)...

Buy it now at Johnlewis.com
Giant sequin beaded cone, £35

An evolution of last year's mini sequin trees from Paperchase, this 1.5m shimmering cone might not offer any shelter for presents but will add Christmas sparkle without a shred of tinsel or anything vaguely branch-shaped in sight! A fitting nod to the party season, we say!

Buy it now at Paperchase.co.uk
The upside down tree, from £56.99

Don't worry, you don't need to adjust your screen - this tree really is upside down... for the festive folk who are prepared to sacrifice tradition for floorspace. Upside down trees are surprisingly popular and the prices can go in to the hundreds. Available in 'tradtional' green, white or black.

Buy it now at Inspirationswholesale.co.uk
Filigrantrae, from £93

From Danish design duo Trine and Peter Find, the Filigrantrae translates to filigree tree. This simple, easy to assemble Scandinavian design can be adorned with the usual decorations or, better yet, Christmas presents.

The Filigrantrae is available in black, white, lime and natural birch and there are mini versions too.

Buy it now at Designpublic.com
Pink feather tree, around £221

This 7ft, collapsable tiered feather is hand crafted for a lasting impression. Illuminated with fairy lights or by a spotlight this eco-friendly tree creates a unique effect and if you place it in an area with lots of air movement the feathers will dance about.

Thanks to an emphasis on elegance over festive style, this tree could also be used at weddings.

Buy it now at Illuminatedgarden.com
Acrylic tree, from £12

The Modern Christmas Tree is an acrylic flat-pack design from London based designer Emma Hier. This stylish and minimalist creation is available in a range of sizes, from the cutesy tabletop option to the elegant 150cm high tree which is bound to impress. You can even buy acrylic baubles to dress it.

These trees are avilable in black or clear acrylic.

Buy it now at Themodernchristmastree.co.uk
Half tree, £59.99

Let's face it, trees are usually positioned in a way that leaves half of them invisible. And the best decoration happens at the front. So why not remove the back altogether and save some space?

Buy it now at Amazon.co.uk
Atypyk tree poster, around £14.50

Talk about minimalist! Parisian designers Atypyk have created this pixelated tree poster which could just be the most flat-pack and easy to assemble option we've found.

Buy it now at Atypyk-e-shop.com
Black tree, £50

These days Christmas trees come in all colours, black might seem the least seasonal yet it could be the most stylish. Go on, indulge your dark side...

Buy it now at Houseoffraser.co.uk
Tannenboing, around £309

This aluminium spiral tree is designed to be suspended from the ceiling and float above your presents. The brushed metal finish creates a truly contemporary twist on tradition.

Buy it now at Tannenboing.com
Mini trees, £4.50

Being little hasn't stopped these tree having the wow factor. The 1ft festive pops of colour are tabletop-ready and come in an assortment of colors including purple, neon pink, teal (and, of course, good old-fashioned green).

Buy it now at Paperchase.co.uk
Superstar tree, from £368

This slimline modern art piece tree has a hardwood base (cherry, maple or oak) and plastic film flat tree body, coloured with eco-friendly dye. Decorations can be attached with hooks for a more festive feel.

Buy it now at Ldfline.com
Backlit tree, £40

Energy saving LED bulbs create a backlit effect and give this gold, metal tree a lovely, warm silhouette.

Buy it now at Habitat.co.uk
Africa tree, £34.95

This laser-cut steel tree is a sweet little creation, with each branch carrying a unique design respesenting African wildlife. An interesting tabletop piece indeed.

Available in red or white.

Buy it now at Designmyworld.net
Tree wall sticker, £20

There are some great wall decals out at the moment, this festive style is bang on trend and a real break from the norm. Presents not included!

Buy it now at Notonthehighstreet.com
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Comments

kmanenti replied 1 year 25 weeks ago

Sophie, in response to your question - many of the trees should be available in store as well as online (the high street retailers like Paperchase, particularly) but as some of them are from independent suppliers and overseas crafters they are not available in UK stores.

Sophie29* (not verified) replied 1 year 27 weeks ago

Very cool trees. Do they sell them in stores or just on line?

Sanok (not verified) replied 1 year 27 weeks ago

A great eco-alternative Christmas tree for 2011 - made by Festive Tree. Artisan crafted trees out of hardwood. www.festivetree.com