PHOTO BY VICTORIA HEATH
Personalize a Tabletop Christmas Tree
Artificial or real—an easy and affordable gift for your loved ones
by Catherine Gannon Taintor
November 2022
Tabletop Christmas trees to make (not buy) are thoughtful gifts that bring holiday cheer to others. A handmade tree is special because each one is unique. Create a personalized tabletop tree to make someone smile.
There are several ways to create a personalized tabletop tree:
1. Buy an artificial mini-tree and decorate it.
They come in all sizes, but a 12″ to 18” tree is the perfect size for a dorm room, hospital, or nursing home room. Available from Amazon — a 16″ artificial tree. It comes wrapped in burlap in a weighted base and costs under $20.
2. Buy a real mini-tree from an online nursery.
- Kathy Shore Nursery specializes in growing tabletop trees. They sell wholesale online and offer money-saving shipping options to garden clubs and fund-raising groups.
- Amazon Dwarf Alberta Spruce tree. Approximately 12 ” tall. 1 gal. potted.
- Amazon lemon-scented gold Cypress tree online in a 6” pot. Approximately 10” tall.
3. Make your own real boxwood tabletop tree.
Making, not buying, a boxwood tabletop tree is inexpensive. A tabletop tree from a florist costs upwards of $65. You can make your own for much less, especially if you have a boxwood shrub that needs trimming. Alternatively, you can buy a box of boxwood cuttings. A box will make 5 small 16” trees.
Stephanie Fleming explains how to make a tabletop boxwood tree. See her post for pictures and a detailed how-to guide.
“Cute and classic, a tabletop boxwood tree arrangement is perfect for any space that could use a little more Christmas cheer,” says Fleming.
Materials you need:
Oasis floral foam (wet) block
1/2” Oasis (floral) tape
Fresh Boxwood cuttings (store in a place with cool temperatures like your garage.)
Container to make arrangement
Narrow holiday ribbon
- Cut floral foam to fit tightly into your container.
- Slice the edges of Oasis foam to form a pyramid shape
- Soak floral foam overnight
- Secure wet foam onto the container
- Insert a straight full boxwood stem into the top of the oasis.
- Form a tree shape by sticking longer stems into the bottom of the tree and shorter ones on top
- The tree can be trimmed to improve the shape
HOW TO DECORATE:
Decorating your tree is how you make it personal. Add horses for your granddaughter or stars for your stargazing friend. How about tiny Santas playing instruments for a music lover?
There are many themes to choose from to decorate the tree. What would delight your loved one? Natural with burlap ribbon and tiny animals, glitzy with silver and gold and small snowflakes, and a kitchen theme with mini-cookware items are a few theme ideas.