Here’s How to Give Your Christmas Tree a Modern Twist

Posted in Angelcityfurniture

The base of a Christmas tree presents a bit of a design conundrum. The traditional kind of tree, which one finds in the wild, is anchored into the ground by roots, and ends in a trunk, a very elegant design. A Christmas tree, whether real or artificial, must be held upright by supports at the base, which are effective but unsightly. How do you keep from exposing this structure to the world, and ruining the illusion that a tree has somehow sprouted unbidden in your living room? Traditionally the solution was a tree skirt, but lately I’ve been seeing more and more people choose another alternative that is equally elegant, and less expected: the tree basket.

Now, if your tree is small enough, and it’s growing in a pot, and is actually alive, you can just take a basket and place the pot in the basket. Easy. For larger tree setups there are baskets, sometimes called “tree collars” available that are made specifically for this purpose, ones that look a little like a wicker skirt and fit around the base of the tree. This is both attractive and a nice little illusion that will perpetuate the idea that your Christmas tree is still alive and growing, even if it actually is not.

The tree-in-a-basket was featured on West Elm’s blog, and though the setup may look complicated, it’s actually quite simple: the small tree has a traditional stand, and an upside-down bucket placed inside the basket raising up into place (click the link above to see the step-by-step guide.

This tree-in-a-basket setup is from Home Oh My : blogger Amy said she just took an artificial tree and propped it up inside a 21″ basket (without the stand that came with the tree).

In this photo from Garvin and Co , a wicker collar conceals the more unsightly bits at the bottom of the tree, but still allows access for watering. You can purchase a tree collar like this, or you can also convert an existing basket into a tree skirt with this DIY from In My Own Style . Just make sure that the basket is big enough to fit around the base of your tree.

Here’s another tree with a basket skirt, from Rowen & Wren via My Domaine . The smaller trees seem easier to manage and less susceptible to toppling over.

The basket at the bottom adds a touch of modernity to this colorful tree from Sisters Guild .

This Christmas tree basket (which just looks like a wide seagrass basket) from Chic Deco is accompanied by a bunch of other baskets, as well.

And here’s one more basketed tree, from Cote Maison . It’s a very streamlined look—perfect for your modern Christmas.

So we’ve convinced you to try this look! Here are some DIY options using your own basket:

How to Make a Christmas Tree Basket Base on By Stephanie Lynn

DIY Christmas Tree Collar (from a basket) on Home Spun Style

DIY Basket Christmas Tree Skirt on In My Own Style

If you’d rather purchase your own, here are a few for different size trees: