Decorated Pint-Sized Trees

A Touch of Tinsel Can Make a Big Impression

Photo by Scott Holstein

Trees shown were designed by Terra Palmer and Patricia Greene of Greene with Envy.

Germany’s first Christmas trees were small, decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers. As with many things, the Americanized take on the tradition over the years has trended toward bigger-is-better supersized holiday trees — soaring evergreens requiring miles of lights, piles of ornaments and hours and hours to assemble.

But what if it were possible to pack an impressive decorative punch without pulling out the stepladder?

We’ve taken the Christmas tree back to its roots with small trees that pack a lot of style into three or four feet of height. The trees shown here get a lift by being placed in decorative urns (this is also a good idea if you want to make a 6-footer get closer to the ceiling).

Then, the decorating fun starts. Because they’re small, they’ll fit on top of a table or counter (no rearranging furniture!). And it’s easy to create trees with themes, load them with ornaments and place them throughout the house — copper and cookie cutters in the kitchen, pearls and sophisticated ornaments for an Evening in Paris tree would be perfect for a bedroom, or perhaps a pink fir with teacups in a little girl’s room.

But here’s the best part: After the New Year has been rung in and the parties are over, just put a dust covering on the tree and plop it into a closet. It will be good to go for years to come and decorating will be a breeze — leaving you more time to enjoy your holidays.

Trees shown were designed by Terra Palmer and Patricia Greene of Greene with Envy.