Give your real Christmas tree new life after the holiday season is over with 10 eco-friendly ideas that are great for the garden, backyard wildlife, nature-inspired DIY crafts, and more.
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For the past few years, I’ve picked up a small real Christmas tree for our back deck. The first year I brought one home, I had just opened my Etsy shop and used it with purpose - cleaning and drying the needles for handmade products like simmer pot kits and fragrance sachets. Over time, those trees have become more decorative than practical. That said, once the season ends, they never go to waste. I still find ways to repurpose them (and a couple of the neighbors’ trees, too).
So if you’re like me and would rather give your real Christmas tree new life after the holidays than leave it at the curb, I’m sharing a few simple and creative ways to do just that. From practical and eco-friendly ideas to nature-inspired and more creative ideas, there are many different ways to repurpose a real tree after the holiday season has ended.
How to Tell if Your Tree is Pretreated
Before we start making our list of ways to repurpose real Christmas trees, we need to figure out whether or not the tree was pretreated. If your tree was pretreated with chemicals, you might want to skip using the tree for compost and other garden uses, as well as things like homemade simmer pots. Instead, you might want to give the tree to your local recycling program. Here are some ways you can tell whether or not your tree was pretreated:
- Did it come from a big box store? Most big box stores will treat their trees to help them last longer. If your tree was purchased from a local farm, it's most likely untreated.
- Was the tree flocked? If you purchased a tree that was flocked to make it look snowy, these trees are better off being given to your local recycling program.
- Was the tree labeled? If there was a label on your tree, it might've mentioned that the tree was pretreated or sprayed for freshness. In that case, I would also recycle the tree instead of repurposing.
- Does the tree feel weird? Natural trees apparently feel a touch on the drier side while treated trees might feel waxy and leave a residue on your hands.
- How does the tree smell? Natural trees will smell earthier, fresher, and more woodsy. If your tree smells strong and "perfumy," it was probably treated with a fragrance spray.
When in doubt, you could try contacting the place you purchased your tree from (if they're still open for the season) or just assume the tree was treated and avoid repurposing it.
10 Ways to Repurpose Your Real Christmas Tree
If you're sure your tree wasn't pretreated, then we can go ahead and put it to good use after the season is finished. While there are plenty of ways to reuse your real Christmas tree, I'm sharing 10 simple, but creative ways to repurpose it.
- Turn it into mulch: I did this few years ago for our garden. Just chop up the branches into small pieces and use them to mulch your garden. By the way, acid-loving plants like blueberries and hydrangeas will appreciate this mulch!
- Add it to your compost bin: Just like mulch, you'll want to chop the branches into small pieces. This will help them break down faster.
- Winter protection: Layer branches over your garden bed to protect it from harsh elements. This will also help control soil erosion.
- Create a backyard habitat: If you're a bird lover, like I am, your tree would make an excellent winter habitat for small animals. You could even tuck some pinecone bird feeders in the tree.
- Make a DIY wreath or swag: Use floral wire and create a DIY wreath using tree branches. Once the wreath base is formed, decorate the wreath with other natural touches like cinnamon sticks, citrus slices, and finish with a bow.
- Make DIY fire starters: Allow the branches to dry completely. Add the needles to wax cups along with cinnamon sticks, cloves, oranges, and essential oil. Use in fireplaces and outdoor fire pits.
- Make DIY scented wax sachets: Add the dried needles to scented wax sachets along with dried flowers and pink peppercorns. Then, add twine to hang.
- Save wood slices for crafts: Cut and dry the tree trunk to create wood slice crafts like DIY ornaments.
- Turn it into plant support: My husband turned cedar trunks into climbing poles for our moonflowers. You could easily turn your Christmas tree trunk into plant support, too. Make sure it's securely attached to a fence or stake it deep in the ground.
- Make DIY cleaner: Create your own natural cleaner by infusing white vinegar with tree needles. Allow the needles to steep in a dark place for a few weeks. Then, use it as you would pine cleaner (of course, it's wise to test a spot before cleaning surfaces).
Another thing I like to do is clean and dry the needles, then dry them in low in my oven for a couple hours. After the needles are dry, I remove them from the branches and store them in mason jars to use later. Storing them in airtight jars keeps them dry, fresh, and fragrant! I love having a batch of tree needles ready to use all throughout the year!
Have you ever repurposed your real Christmas tree before? What's your favorite way to repurpose your Christmas tree?
