If you celebrate the holidays by decorating a real Christmas tree, there are several ways you can put those evergreen boughs to use after the holidays. Instead of merely hauling your tree to the dump, entertain the kiddos and practice good recycling habits with these creative ideas! If you have an artificial tree, take advantage of this article by asking a neighbor or friend if you can dispose of their tree for them! By doing this, you help both them and the environment!
Perhaps too obvious to even mention, save money by chopping up the tree to use as firewood! If you have storage space, you could place cut-up wood in a dry place for next summer's bonfires. Be sure to use common sense and safety measures and burn outside, using small pieces at a time. Some trees emit dangerous amounts of chemicals, and sap may cause unpredictable combustion.
Since trees are all over the place here in the Pacific Northwest, it makes sense that we can reuse Christmas trees for animal habitats! Once cleaned, small branches work as excellent decorations in a fish tank because they create perfect hiding spots for the fish. You could use larger limbs from your Christmas tree in an outdoor pond for the same effect. If you or a friend has goats, you may know that these animals consider an old Christmas tree a delicacy! Prefer the no-hassle disposal of just dropping your tree off somewhere? Call your local wildlife park or rehabilitation center to see if they take tree donations! Lots of animals enjoy playing with or munching on these small evergreens!
If you tend to enjoy crafting, cut up several wood slices to use for all sorts of homemade winter décor! Scour Pinterest for ideas like twig gnomes, wood-slice snowmen, and DIY coasters. Outside, painted wood slices can create unique garden or pathway borders. With a few household tools, you could craft a homemade bird feeder out of branches and birdseed. Also, pine needles help make a lovely stovetop potpourri, and small twigs and boughs make an excellent garland (check out this blog post for ideas)!
With so many uses for these evergreen boughs, we might almost look forward to the end of the holiday season!
How have you put your Christmas tree to use post-holidays? Share your other creative ideas with us on our social media!