Out On A Limb: 10 Amazing Alternative Christmas Trees

Beer Christmas Tree

(images via: GreenPacks and Crazy Amigo)

Nice to see China’s getting into the holiday spirits, and that extra “s” is purely intentional as the 1,000 bottles of Heineken used to create this tree are full, not recycled. Let’s hope the organizers save the empties for next year’s tree at least. Check out a disturbingly large group of beer-themed Christmas trees here, and if a uniformed officer happens to ask how many beers you’ve had, don’t say “tree”.

Upside-Down Christmas Tree

(images via: OhDeeDoh, InfoBarrel and Hammacher-Schlemmer)

If holiday stress makes you want to turn Christmas upside-down, try one of these upside-down Christmas trees. Kinda gives “trimming the tree” a whole new meaning… these ones could use a Brazilian. At least “topping” your tree with a traditional star or angel is a cinch for a change but as for leaving the presents, you’re gonna need a bigger ladder.

Barbie Christmas Tree

(images via: Walyou and The Julie Blog)

Try topping your tree with everyone’s favorite modern angel, Barbie! Or, if you happen to have the odd Barbie head lying around (and face it, who doesn’t?), consider giving it a starring role at the apex of your Yule bush. It may not impress your in-laws but the Goth babysitter? Ohhh yeah…

Mountainside Christmas Tree

(images via: Move About Italy and Pocket-lint)

We’re not talking about a fir from the foothills, but a Christmas tree that takes up an entire mountainside! Every December 7th, the the town of Gubbio, Italy, flips the switch that lights up the world’s largest Christmas tree – or at least, carefully arranged lights that form the shape of a Christmas tree on the slopes of nearby Mount Ingino. The 800 meter (2,624 ft) tall, 400 meter (1,312 ft) wide tree requires a total of 12,000 meters of electric cable (40,000 feet). As for the electricity bill, fuhgeddaboutit!

Holographic Christmas Tree

(image via: TeslaRing)

Imagine, if you will, a Christmas tree. A seemingly ordinary Christmas tree, glittering with LED lighting, jeweled ornaments and topped by a softly glowing, golden star. Yet, something seems amiss. Branches rustle in the breeze unaccompanied by subtle sound; the tree itself shifts almost imperceptibly in and out of focus. A switch is flipped and… it’s gone! Actually it was never there at all – the new holographic “Holoday Tree” is destined to deck your halls in 2029, according to Future Update. No muss, no fuss, no spontaneous (or otherwise) combustion. All Christmas trees might be holograms some day; let’s just hope the presents remain real!