As we said, the most sustainable option for your Christmas tree is to keep your potted tree alive and thriving.

If you’ve got a green thumb and you love caring for plants, why not get yourself a small potted evergreen tree this Christmas?

Just beware that potted Christmas trees shouldn’t be kept inside for more than 7 days!

After that, they’ll get too used to the indoor heat and won’t survive the cooler outdoor temperatures.

If you’re not so sure about a little potted Christmas tree, you could try a rosemary tree.

Rosemary can grow indoors and outdoors, and it is easy to prune so you can even shape it like a Christmas tree.

And of course, you can use your rosemary plant as the season goes on to season your favorite warming winter meals.

I personally decorate our little rosemary tree every year on the balcony!

For those of you keen for a little DIY and a little foraging, you could try creating a festive hanging branch instead of a tree.

Head to your local park or woodland, and search for a branch that’s already fallen to the ground.

Hang it from the ceiling using twine, fishing line, or whatever else you have handy, and decorate it to add that festive touch.

Of course, the most sustainable option is always to use what we already have.

So, if you’ve already got indoor plants at home, you could simply decorate one of those.

Bring some festive spirit to your home by adding sweet decorations to your favorite indoor plant and pack the decorations away again when Christmas is over (or you know, keep them up all year! Whatever makes you happy!).

Part of the magic of the holiday season is bringing back old traditions and the nostalgia of that pine smell. The good news is, around the world, Christmas tree rentals are becoming surprisingly common.

Christmas Tree farmers have realized that so many of us are searching for more sustainable alternatives – and that discarding a living tree at the end of each holiday season can be a little melancholy!

So, they offer a service where you can ‘rent’ the same tree each year, for up to 7 years. They’ll care for the tree from January to November, and ensure it comes back to you in top condition for Christmas.

Once the tree grows too large, they plant it in the forest where it can live a long, happy life.

Have you got an old ladder lying around? Open it up, cover it in decorations, and there you have it!! A sustainable Christmas tree!

We’ve seen so many versions of this – some wrap the ladder in lights, others hang their lifelong collection of festive decorations from each step.

You could even place boards across the steps and cover these in foraged greenery and presents.

Added bonus: it’s a great way to keep presents out of reach of curious little hands and the mouths of furry friends!

Okay, while this is usually called a Driftwood Christmas Tree, it’s basically just a Christmas tree alternative made out of spare sticks.

You could collect them on the beach, from your local park or in a wilderness area (as long as you do it responsibly!).

Stack the sticks one on the other, starting with the longest and ending with the smallest, to create your ‘tree’.

If you’re a minimalist, you can leave it as is for a beautiful, minimal, sustainable Christmas tree alternative.

But of course, you can also go crazy with your favorite decorations!

If you’re still a fan of old-fashioned paper books, now’s your chance to put them to use.

Stack books in a conical shape, wrap them with your old twinkly lights and adda star or a pinecone on top.

Just like that, you’ve got yourself a sustainable Christmas tree adding a little festive spirit to your home.

The Vase of Branches ‘tree’ is sort of a lite version of the Driftwood Christmas tree.

Instead of having to figure out how to stack one branch on top of another, you can simply place them in a large vase and decorate them as you wish!

In the end, all it needs to add some Christmas joy and nostalgia is a beautiful decoration or three.

This one is an amazing Sustainable Christmas Tree Alternative if you have kids who love to get crafty.

Lay out an old bed sheet, or piece together large sheets of cardboard, and draw your Christmas tree.

They could use whatever crafty bits you have lying around to stick things on or to paint decorations.

Once it’s ready, simply hang it from the wall and you’ll have your very own wall art Christmas tree.

This is a great option if you have limited space. It will simply hang flat against the wall during the holiday season, and then you can fold it up and put it away for the next year.

For something three-dimensional and a little unexpected, create your very own mobile Christmas tree.

You can do this with literally whatever material you want!

Pieces of green card, an old collection of Christmas baubles that you’ve had for years, old pieces of tinsel, foraged leaves, or sticks or whatever else comes to mind.

Simply hang these at different levels to create your ideal Christmas tree shape.

One of our favorite circular Christmas Tree Alternatives is this one by Eco Christmas Tree from the UK!

Their handmade trees are handcrafted from sustainably sourced hazel coppice – which is cut as part of traditional woodland management.

What does this mean?? No trees are harmed in the making of their stunning Christmas Tree Alternatives!