Years ago in Honduras it was illegal to cut trees. People took large branches, mounted them and spray painted them silver . It was amusing to see these Christmas "tree" lots. Guess they were on to something.

I have always,for many years now,opted to have branches in a vase rather than destroy a perfectly good living tree.Once while living in NYC I even obtained cherry blossom branches and hung origami birds on them and placed them in a blue and white asian vase.Very nice.

I used to have a ceramic tree with lights, but I gave that away last year, because I prefer evergreen branches in a big vase in the living room and a red bow on the front door.

I'm ordering a large evergreen wreath to hang in the living room this season (inspired by a photo I saw here on AT)

I also like the tabletop trees but prefer them without ornaments. I display it on a bookcase with a mercury glass tree and candle holders. Bowls of ornaments or pine cones can be pretty. I love the idea of cranberries surrounding candles in the holder (in one of the Thanksgiving table photos). I plan to use it for a Christmas soiree.

I'm actually working on shadow boxes for each of the major holidays - this way all I have to do is switch out the box, and if I'm feeling fancy at Christmas, I can string a few lights!

Speaking of, anyone know where I can get a six inch Christmas tree?

In my old studio, I removed stuff from a low bookcase in front of a window and put a 4' tree there. And then I often hung lights and/or ornaments on my four poster bed.

I hang a cranberry wreath on my apartment door, which puts me in the holiday mood as I come home from work. Tiny Christmas tree on a side table, holiday coasters, and wintery scented candles (pine, ginger, etc.) also help.

Decor aside, it's not really Christmas until I start watching all the classic movies and listening to my "Very Special Christmas" and Nat King Cole cd's. No matter what my place looks like, that makes it feel like the holidays!

When we lived in NYC in tiny apartments (three different ones), I always went to Union Square and bought a fresh tree and somehow made it fit into our space. Being from the Midwest, it was a must.

I also think those cute rosemary bushes they sell this time of year would be cute potted in something red to put on a counter or console table (maybe one on each end).

I have a ten inch pink tinsel tree that someone gave me as a joke gift a few years ago. When I first saw it I thought it was tacky (pink tinsel!) but as soon as I set it up I realized how wonderful it really was. I have tiny little ball ornaments and tiny birds, and I top it with a star shaped brooch. During the rest of the year it goes back in the plastic tube that it came in and stashes under the bed.

I hang garlands EVERYWHERE, and hang all of my christmas ornaments on the garlands. I'm lucky; we have picture rails that already have convenient nails in them to hang things from, so I don't have to poke holes in nice wood.

The other nice thing about garlands above my windows and in my entryway: the cats can't reach them.

I agree with phillaylay, too. Christmas music is a must. It's also not Christmas until we've made a disturbing amount of cookies. ~_^

It'd be a no-brainer if we had a nice conical conifer in our garden ... this is the only time of year that I fleetingly wish the crabapple tree were something else. But we keep it quite simple and ecofriendly... we string lights on the crabapple tree outside our front window. LEDs of course.

The chair in the first photo is gorgeous!

I have a 3-foot Christmas tree. All I need!

Recycled paper garlands inside (a la http://www.threadbanger.com/decorityourself/post/10788/recycled-garland-how-to), with a 3 foot tree on my window seat. :)

I have no space or storage for a fake tree and the thought of cutting down a real one makes me sad. This year I strung my lights and garland around my spiral staircase banister and bought hooks for my ornaments and hung them from the garland. My stockings are hanging from an unused phone jack!

Buying a live tree is a must. I grew up in the city, not the suburbs, and usually people with the tiniest spaces got the biggest trees. Proportion. you know. I support tree farmers and tree lots, so I'm getting a giant one this year.
Sustainable, you know?

Does anyone know where that white table in the second picture came from? I'm looking for something like that to go over a short radiator in a narrow spot.

I want to go out and take a walk and gather twigs!

This year, I am going to get a boxwood and pot it, then decorate it like a Christmas tree and put it on top of a lamp table. Then I'll put it outside on my balcony in the spring, and I can bring it inside again next winter and decorate it again.

I know this is sacrelidge (I'm an atheist) but I'm thinking about skipping the sad table tree and doing a menorah just for the homey, seasonal, centering decor ritual. No offense, jews. I mean it in solidarity.

A childhood of 12 foot live trees make even the best tabletop trees to sad to bear, at least this year.

This year I was thinking of using lights mounted on the wall in the shape of a tree.
I have an artificial tree because I can't bring myself to buy a cut tree, but my new kittens would destroy any tree I put up.

Do that, Creolesugar! And send us all a pic, after!
LOL.

I live in 500 square feet with my teenager. NO room for a tree!
We hang a garland on the curtain rod and put about 150 vintage glass ornaments on it. I bought a case of Mardi Gras beads and use them as the dangly beaded stuff. It looks fabulous and takes up no room in our Teensy apartment! It is a riot of color and fun.

Peace on earth and in every home!
Be the change you want to see in the world!

3-foot artificial tree, usually on a side table. it actually looks a lot like a "normal" sized tree because everything is in proportion: the lights are small and white, the ornaments are nickel-sized and color-coordinated, and the "garland" is actually just silver and white gift-wrapping ribbon. i think it looks quite nice. if anyone knows of any cute 2-3-inch tree toppers, i still need one!

also, fake multicolored xmas lights (the kind you often see as tacky necklaces) strung on top of lamps, TV, etc.

I took a bunch of ornaments and strung them along the edge of some of our book shelves that we have covering the majority of one wall. We also have a little nativity set that we bought on a backpacking trip to Guatemala that was small enough to be hauled around the country on our backs but still has lots of fun bright colors.

I am in big support of the music theory as well. Listening to God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman by the Barenaked Ladies right now.

Since a lot of you mentioned sustainability and real v artificial trees, I remembered reading this article a few years ago:
http://www.grist.org/article/umbra-tree/

What does anyone think of those artificial half-trees that you put up against the wall and only take half the space of a full tree? Kitsch, or good space-saving idea?

I have two small kids, and the 7 year old loves going to buy a fresh tree each year - he has his heart set on it! But, this year, I don't want to buy a cut tree, and I don't want to deal with the fake trees either, seems wasteful. Also, my living room is super small and does not have a lot of natural light - the big tree actually darkens the room and looks kind of depressing to me.

I've seen some Swedish Christmas decor where there are simple branches with subtle ornaments on them made of natural materials.

Now I only need to get my 7 year old on board without breaking his heart! I hope that this year will usher in a new Christmas tradition without a real tree, and that each year we'll come up with new creative ideas for xmas "trees"!

Peace

My son (5) and husband are going out to cut our Christmas Tree on Sunday. The place is about 15 miles away, they are a small, locally owned family farm and we have been buying from them since we moved here 6 years ago.

We've been pulling up tubs of Christmas stuff all week long (I've been collecting Christmas stuff for 20 years or so) and we'll decided what we want out this weekend.