12 Easy Tabletop Christmas Trees
Place-setting tree [1]
Spruce up your holiday tabletop with trees you place next to each plate.
Tuck floral foam in the base of a brass holder that's the size of a votive candle. In the floral foam, arrange short-needled greens such as mini myrtle to form a tree shape. Glue heather or tiny red pepperberries in place as ornaments.
Pepperberry perfection [4]
The red pepperberries on this miniature tree make it a festive addition for any room.
Start with a cone-shape topiary form that's 22 inches tall. Use hot glue to add long pinecones and dried juniper or other greens. Then decorate with lots of bright-red dried pepperberries or other berries. Drape the tree with a slender length of grapevine garland and place in a bark-covered container.
Trio of trees [7]
Tiny trees make a big statement when you showcase them in a group. These small evergreens, decorated with colorful glass ornaments, look dramatic against their white pail containers.
Citrus tree [10]
Combine lemons and greenery on a pyramid base to create miniature citrus trees perfect for a dining room centerpiece.
Rose topiaries [13]
Use these elegant trees to decorate your tabletops throughout the holiday season. Even after the fresh roses dry, these creations look pretty.
Start with mint julep cups or short silver vases. Pack each base with florist's foam and tuck in an 8-inch-tall round topiary form. Using floral picks and hot glue, attach fresh greenery such as boxwood or juniper to the topiary forms. Glue on miniature roses.
Snippets of pink heather dot the red rose topiary and mingle with moss that covers the foam base. The white rose topiary includes tiny white silk snowberries (Symphoricarpos) and boxwood.
Merry rosemary [16]
Rosemary makes an easy and long-lasting tabletop tree.
Buy a rosemary plant that's been pruned into a cone shape. Transplant into a large holiday pot. Decorate with your favorite ornaments; we used lightweight German glass ornaments and gold and white pearl garlands.
Keep rosemary consistently moist, but don't let it stand in water. After Christmas, move the plant to a sunny location indoors, then to full sun outside during the summer. Bring inside next fall to reuse again for the following winter. Keep pruning to maintain the cone shape.
Ivy tree [19]
Delicate ivy dresses up mantels and other small spaces. Choose a tiny-leaved variety such as Anita, Midget or Duckfoot to cover 8- or 10-inch cone frames atop copper pots. Add ribbon for garland or other lightweight decorations.
Petite boxwood [22]
Even after the foliage dries, this creation keeps its attractive shape. The petite boxwood tree looks good by itself, but you might want to make a trio in graduated sizes.
Begin with cuttings of fresh boxwood and a 2-inch sphere of plastic foam. Insert the cuttings into the foam to make the traditional shape of a tree. Add one or two twigs at the bottom to resemble trunks. Secure twigs in a pot filled with floral foam. Cover the foam base with decorator moss. Tuck taller, slender twigs into the foam base, threading them through the cone-shape tree for natural decoration.
Kitchen table tree [25]
Decorate a small tree with simple homemade ornaments for a welcoming kitchen decoration.
Make bows with red-and-white gingham ribbon. Bake a batch of gingerbread cookies or Stained Glass Cookies to hang on the tree -- or use holiday cookie cutters for quick ornaments. Form the bodies of simple doll ornaments with wooden dessert spoons and crafts sticks; dress the dolls using fabric swatches. Finish with a garland of cranberries or popcorn.
Starry tree [30]
A rosemary topiary in a rustic wooden pail creates a charming and simple tree. Tuck starfish in the branches for a pretty twist on traditional Christmas stars.
Natural wonder [33]
This dried display brings the feel of the woods indoors.
Start with a square, bark-covered pot filled with floral foam. Using a 20-inch cone topiary form covered with green sheet moss, hot-glue on pinecones, twigs, lotus pods, tiny bundles of horsetail (Equisetum) and gold bells. Fashion a tiny star from gold wire for the top. At the bottom, use a sturdy branch or twig to secure the topiary into the floral foam base, then add a bow.
Festive pasta tree [36]
This whimsical tree, poised on a counter, showcases ornaments you make from macaroni and other noodles.
String tubular pasta on dental floss to drape as garlands. For the ornaments, choose pasta of different shapes and sizes, and glue together to create original designs. Tie small wooden spoons with colorful ribbons to add the finishing touches.