Behold: 9 great ideas for what to do with real Christmas Trees after the Holidays are over and done!
Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without that real Christmas tree! But what to do with real Christmas trees after Christmas is over?
Growing up, my family always had a real Christmas tree. We would either support our local Christmas tree farm or we went out and cut our own tree. Right from our pasture!
That’s a whole ‘nother story for another time.
But the big question you’re asking is what did we do with that Christmas tree after Christmas? Because, after the holidays are over, that tree will still be there in your living room.
If you’re having a guilt trip over just throwing away your Christmas tree, you’re in luck. You’re in the right place. Keep reading on, my friend. There are several solutions for Christmas tree recycling.
In this post, I will:
– Provide answers for what to do with real Christmas trees after the holidays are over.
– Give you 9 ways to recycle Christmas trees.
– Answer the popular question: Are Christmas trees safe for animals?
Listen to the Podcast Episode:
Host a Bon Fire
Pines and Cedars burn so well and can make great bon fires. With that said, this needs to be done outdoors! And far away from your home and buildings. And with snow or mud all around.
Then, invite friends and family over to celebrate the new year with s’mores, cocoa and memories by the fire.
Just be careful by the fire, ya’all.
Mulch for Your Garden
Christmas tree mulch is awesome for your garden. The pine needles can be great insulators and organic matter for the soil. And winter is a great time to add this type of mulch to your garden soil that will be ready to plant by spring.
Compost Your Tree
Another way to re purpose Christmas trees for your garden is to throw pieces into your compost pile. Break up the tree into pieces so that they don’t take as long to break down as bigger pieces would. Then, you can use in compost later.
Make a Decorative Reindeer
Trunks and branches can be made into this adorable and easy to make reindeer.
There’s lots of things to do with tree branches, but this awesome craft is a really great way to use the trunk.
As you can kind of see in the picture below, the pieces you’ll need to make this cute decorative piece for winter. Two pieces of trunk. Two branches for antlers.
And then, a red nose and eyes. Plus, a way to stick them together. Here are some supplies you might need to make this:
Remember that being creative means to make it in your own way. Not every reindeer or craft project in general needs to be the same. They are more special when they are all different. Just something to keep in mind.
Other Crafty Ideas using the Trunk
Just some ideas for more wood crafts:
– Ornaments
– Photo frames
– Coasters
– Garden Landscape
Just use your creative imagination and run with it! The possibilities really are endless.
Feed to Goats
Goats love real pine, spruce and cedar Christmas trees. However, it’s important to make sure that the tree hasn’t been sprayed with anything toxic that might harm your goats.
I usually cut branches to divide the tree among the goat herd because my goat like to fight over their treats for some reason. So, I have to spread them out give them space with their tree branches.
Or Treat Your Birds
Likewise, if the goats can’t get along with it or if you don’t have goats, you can share it with birds that come into your yard. This is a fun way to recycle Christmas trees.
You’ll need to prop it up in some way. Add in additional treats, like homemade suet treats, popcorn or pine cones with peanut butter and bird seed.
The best part is that when Winter is over and the tree is dead and done, you can easily break it up and use it in your garden for mulch.
Homemade Drinks
People will actually use needles to make beer and tea! Just an idea – I have no clue how to make beer but if it’s your thing, you might look into it.
For the tea (something I do know and love), all you have to do is steep some pine needles into boiling water. You can also add additional flavors, such as lemon, honey, chamomile, etc.
To sum it up, the tea is definitely worth trying on a cold day!
Create a Smelly Potpouri
Keep the scrumptious pine smell in your home by creating some delicious potpourri. You’ll be enjoying the smell of fresh Christmas tree a bit longer.
Simply take some of the needles and a small satchel or cheese cloth. Then, add in some festive scents, such as dried apples, cinnamon, cloves, pecans, etc.
Finally, you can set the bundle somewhere, like your bathroom or trash can, to keep things smelling a little bit more like Christmas.
Christmas Tree Recycling is Totally Possible!
Your real Christmas tree is such a special sentiment of the holidays. Above all, I know you wish you could keep it around longer. I hope you’ve found some ways to do so from this post.
I’ve given you 9 solutions for what to do with real Christmas trees after the holidays. I know there are a LOT more hacks out there for recycling Christmas trees that you can probably think of. Please share more with me in the comments.
