Uncommon Uses for Your Real Christmas Tree After the Holidays

After the joy and excitement of the holiday season, you may find yourself with a used Christmas tree. Instead of simply throwing it away, there are several creative and eco-friendly ways to repurpose your real Christmas tree. This guide explores various methods to extend the life of your tree, benefiting both your garden and the environment.

Thinning the Tree for Gardening

If your Christmas tree trunk is thick enough, consider stripping away its inner core to use as a clothesline holder or in a garden fence. This saves you from the cost of purchasing lumber, which can be quite expensive. By removing the inner core, the tree can become a versatile piece of natural infrastructure for your garden. This is a particularly useful strategy for those with limited gardening space or on a budget.

Providing Insulation and Mulch

Another practical approach to repurposing your Christmas tree is by using its branches as protective insulation for plants in your garden. I have used this method with great success, particularly for plants that thrive in marginal conditions. Over the winter in zone 4, I mulched my strawberry bed with Christmas tree branches and additional mulch. In early summer, the result was four massive crops of the sweetest strawberries imaginable. Friends who tried it were genuinely impressed with the outcome. This method helps insulate plants from harsh winter temperatures, promoting their survival and subsequent growth in the spring.

Making Toothpicks and Bird Shelter

Toilet paper or paper towel rolls or wood scraps may be the go-to for making toothpicks, but if you have a bit of an artistic flair, consider repurposing your Christmas tree into something unique. Strip the bark and carefully whittle away 1/16-inch thick and 1/8-inch wide sections to create toothpick-sized sticks. After drying for a couple of weeks, you’ll have a reliable supply of toothpicks. Another fun project is to create a natural bird shelter. I tie the tree to the back of my property and regularly add birdseed and suet. It serves as shelter for birds, squirrels, and chipmunks, especially when hawks are nearby, providing them a safer environment during their forays outside.

Transforming into Garden Bed Mulch

Once the tree's foliage has turned brown and fallen off, you can cut it up and use the branches in your flower garden. They provide excellent shelter for birds and become a natural and attractive mulch. It’s much lighter and easier to handle by the time the tree has been in the garden long enough. For gardens where curbside pickup of whole trees isn’t an option, it’s often easier to break them down first.

Sustainable Grave Markers and Recycling

Some adventurous souls choose to use their Christmas trees as a grave marker. Each year, they drag their favorite Christmas tree to the spot where their loved one is buried and lay it there. This adds a sentimental touch to the traditional burial plan, creating a personalized and beautiful tribute.

For those who prefer eco-friendliness, taking your Christmas tree to a composting recycling center or arranging for pickup is always a viable option. Many towns offer curbside pick-up for discarded trees, making it convenient to dispose of them responsibly.

Lastly, don’t forget to remove any decorations and take the tree to a local recycling location where it can be chipped up and used as sweet-smelling mulch for someone’s garden. This helps reduce waste and gives back to the community, ensuring that your tree’s useful life continues long after the holiday season has passed.