20 Ideas For a Non-Traditional Christmas Tree

Nov 04, 2021

Everyone knows that Thanksgiving Day signals the official start of the holiday season which means it's time to get a Christmas tree! And while there is nothing wrong with a gorgeous pine decorated in tiny lights and ornaments, we think it's also fun to opt for the unconventional route. Perhaps you don't have a lot of room for a tree, so you're looking for a small-space solution. Maybe you only want a small tree that can serve as entryway decor. Or, maybe you just want to “wow" people with your incredible creativity by building a tree out of repurposed materials like books or wood pallets. Let's get into it!

1. Knick-Knack Wall Tree

What better way to show off meaningful photos, jewelry and trinkets than by hanging them together as art? Pro tip: trace your tree outline with a pencil, then use Velcro brand fasteners or another type of mounting adhesive to easily hang within the lines. (via Jane Schouten/Flickr)

2. Kid Friendly Velcro and Felt Tree

What an amazing use of Velcro! This tree is perfect for those of you with kids who may want to add or move the ornaments around the tree each day until Christmas. Plus, it's a simple, fun and low-cost DIY project. (via I Can Teach My Children)

3. Washi Tape Tree

Washi tape is the best thing to happen to tape since we can remember. We can't get enough of all the patterns and colors! It's certainly fun for a multi-pattern look. (via Decoideas)

4. Colored Tape Wall Tree

If you're looking at our site right now, you know we love minimal, clean design with a lot of color. That's why we're so into this colored tape tree — make each branch a color of your choice! (via Bloesem Living)

5. Book Page Tree

Please just promise us you won't ruin an old classic like Jane Eyre or Moby Dick, okay? (The Wonder Forest Blog)

6. Encyclopedia Tree

This could go on the Things Organized Neatly blog. Also, it makes us want to play a game of Jenga. (via Recyclart)

7. Open Book Tree

Line up your books from large to small, open to the middle, and stack! It couldn't be easier. Great for those of you who like to consider yourselves “an open book." (via Twig & Thistle)

8. Reclaimed Pallet Tree

This tree *screams* shabby chic! We're on our way to a flea market to find some old pallets, stat. (via Dishfunctional Designs)

9. Ladder Tree

Whether you're a handyman or a hipster, this tree will definitely make your friends do a double take. (via Patricia Olazo/Flickr)

10. Traffic Light Tree

Designed by Pierre Vivant and located in London, UK, "Traffic Light Tree" has 75 sets of traffic lights. The sculpture was created to mimic a tree structure and reflect the energy of the developing Canary Wharf area. (via Giallozafferano Loves Italy)

11. Strawberry Christmas Tree Brownie Bites

The strawberry is places on top of the brownie and then covered with green frosting to give the tree its triangular shape! (via Sweet Tooth)

12. Green Tea Cookie Trees

Now there's a different take on the Christmas cookie. (via Diamonds For Dessert)

13. Sushi Trees

How cute would this be on display for a holiday party? (via Pretty Foods/Tumblr)

14. Fruit Tree

Perfect to serve as the fruit plate at breakfast on Christmas morning. (via A Brownian Walk Through Life)

15. Cheerio Trees

A spin on the rice krispy treat (and way cuter, by the way). (via Betty Crocker)

16. Vegetable Crudite Tree

If you've seen our sushi cupcakes or chocolate iPhones, you know we love food art. Though this one is way, way healthier than a chocolate iPhone. (via Betty Crocker)

17. Candy Cane Tree

We love the added effect of the green peppermints as ornaments. (via Amen Photography)

18. Purple Ribbon and Sequin Tree

Absolutely beautiful and so simple! Just wrap around the base and secure with hot glue. Fun way to use all that extra ribbon you bought for wrapping gifts. (via Lin Moon/Flickr)

19. Black and White Ribbon Tree

This tree is slightly more structured and may take slightly more work to complete, but it's still incredible nonetheless. (via Whipper Berry)

20. RAM Tree

Turn all of your memory sticks and circuit boards into a tabletop display. So incredibly geeky. (via Geeks Are Sexy)

Tag us in your creative Christmas trees on Instagram!

This post has been updated.

7 “Impressive” Whole Foods Deals Will Save You Major Cash On Your Grocery Bill

I truly feel like I’ve been living under a rock when it comes to what’s good at Whole Foods. Turns out, they’ve been hiding some really impressive deals on groceries in the shadows, but I’m here to shed some light on ‘em. Whole Foods offers savings every week, and I’m fully convinced that my local Whole Foods will be seeing a whole lot more of me from now on.

Scroll on for details on Whole Foods’ top deals to shop starting today!

Kaboompics / PEXELS

1. BOGO 50% off packaged soups (Tuesdays)

Tuesdays and Fridays are the main days of the week that Whole Foods offers savings on their groceries. The first amazing deal for Tuesdays is BOGO 50% off packaged soups – perfect for this time of year!

They’ve got every kind of flavor from minestrone and chicken noodle to Italian wedding and broccoli cheddar. Their packaged soups average out at about $9 per 24-ounce tub, so saving 50% on one when you buy one is pretty good, especially for meal prep purposes.

Lukas / PEXELS

2. $2 off classic and organic rotisserie chickens (Tuesdays)

You can take $2 off two kinds of Whole Foods’ rotisserie chickens every Tuesday. Their classic rotisserie chicken goes for $9 while the organic version sells for $13. I love using rotisserie chicken for soups, sandwiches, wraps, and pastas, so getting a whole chicken to use for recipes all week long for just $7 is so nice!

Nadin Sh / PEXELS

3. $8 large cheese pizzas (Friday)

Sometimes you just do not feel like cooking on a Friday evening after work – that’s where this Whole Foods savings hack comes in! Every Friday, you can get a large cheese pizza for $8. While there’s nothing wrong with a plain cheese pizza (nostalgia galore!), I’d take advantage of this deal then bulk up my slices with various toppings like peppers, pepperoni, and olives.

Nadin Sh / PEXELS

4. 12 for $12 wild caught oysters (Friday)

Ooh, fancy! Every Friday, Whole Foods’ wild caught oysters go for $1 a pop. Buy a dozen for just $12, and you’re golden. This deal would be perfect for a bougie at-home date night.

Pixabay / PEXELS

5. BOGO 50% off packaged sushi rolls (Friday)

This is another great date night pick! Buy one packaged sushi roll, and get another 50% off on Fridays only. From rainbow rolls to California rolls, this Whole Foods savings hack has my cravings going crazy.

Minchephoto Photography / PEXELS

6. $10 family-sized tiramisu (Friday)

Got a hankering for a sweet treat? Don’t fret – you can shop a whole family-sized serving of tiramisu at Whole Foods for just $10 every Friday.

Kseniia Lopyreva / PEXELS

7. $12 bottles of prosecco (Friday)

The death of the work week and start of the weekend is obviously a cause for celebration, and Whole Foods has you covered with $12 bottles of Presto prosecco every Friday. Cheers!

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Elle Fanning "Uncontrollably Sobbed" During One Of Dakota's Movies As A Kid

As much as I love celebrity couples, I love celebrity sibling relationships even more. And Elle and Dakota Fanning are two sisters I've grown up watching since I first saw Dreamer in 2005. Considering Elle Fanning is only five months older than me, and I have a sister of my own, this is one relationship that feels particularly familiar. And while Elle has also watched Dakota Fanning act since we were kids, Dakota just revealed seeing Elle onscreen is just as special for her.

Here's why Dakota & Elle Fanning get emotional seeing each other onscreen.

Elle remembers "sobbing" during one particularly emotional Dakota Fanning movie.

“When Elle’s in anything, it makes me feel it deeper,” Dakota Fanning said at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit on December 3. “She never can fully disappear into a character totally for me as her sister. She obviously does an amazing job, but I’m always gonna see my little sister a little bit.”

And Elle is just as touched by Dakota's roles, and remembers "uncontrollably sobbing" after seeing Now Is Good, a movie where Dakota's character was dying of cancer. “Because it was my sister, I had a real traumatic reaction after that premiere and the screening,” Elle says. “Obviously the acting, but it was something felt on a deeper level.”

“I’m doing this job, I’m an actor because my sister started before me and I watched her,” Elle continues. “I wanted to do exactly what my big sister wanted to do.”

And their movies have also made an impact on everyone who watches them.

When Brit + Co caught up with Dakota Fanning at the world premiere of The Watchers, I had to ask about one of her most iconic movies: Uptown Girls. "I love it," she says of TikTok memes and edits giving the movie new life. "It's nostalgic for people who are kind of around my age, who grew up watching that movie, I think it's like a comfort movie for people. And so I love that people are still revisiting it and loving it. And maybe now that everyone's older [they're] understanding different things about it."

Dakota starred opposite Brittany Murphy, who also had roles in movies like Clueless, 8 Mile, and Girl, Interrupted. Brittany passed away in 2009 when Dakota was 15. "I loved Brittany so much and I still miss her," she says. "So anytime that she has, you know, a moment where people think about her is also nice."

You can see Elle Fanning in A Complete Unknown, in theaters December 25, and you can also stream Dakota Fanning's new show The Perfect Couple on Netflix now.

pop culture relationships celebrity

13 Yummy Christmas Cookies From Around The World

Heaping plates of Christmas cookies are synonymous with the holidays. It seems that nearly every country around the globe has their own variation on the holiday classic. In fact, some of these regions have been making their version of Christmas cookies for literal hundreds of years.

If you’re looking for a way to reconnect with your heritage, or maybe just want a little baking inspiration, check out our picks for the yummiest Christmas cookies from around the world.

The Noshery

Mantecaditos con Guayaba

These may look like ordinary thumbprint cookies, but these almond shortbreads from Puerto Rico are filled with a special guava marmalade. (via The Noshery)

Broma Bakery

Meringues

French meringues are a classic crumbly egg white cookie with a chewy interior. These get an extra European twist with the addition of Nutella. (via Broma Bakery)

Pretty. Simple. Sweet.

Alfajores

Deeply flavored dulce de leche, a caramel made from whole milk commonly found in Spain and many Latin American countries, is the key ingredient in these super pretty sandwiched Christmas cookies. (via Pretty. Simple. Sweet.)

Fancy Peasant

Melomakarona

These Christmas cookies that hail from Greece get their sweetness from a generous soaking of fresh honey! (via Fancy Peasant)

Very Eatalian

Baci di Dama

The name of this Italian treat translates to “lady’s kisses” — how adorable is that? These bite-sized cuties are made with ground hazelnuts and filled with a dollop of dark chocolate. (via Very Eatalian)

Cooking Classy

Linzer Cookies

These Austrian Christmas cookies are typically made with raspberry jam, but feel free to get crazy with a filling of your choice. Plus, the gorgeous windowpane look will make them a prize takeaway at your next cookie exchange. (via Cooking Classy)

Olivia’s Cuisine

Basler Brunsli

If you’re hanging out in Switzerland around Christmas time, you’ll definitely see these chocolate treats around. They’re often described as Swiss brownies due to their deliciously chewy texture. Perfect with a cup of eggnog or coffee! (via Olivia’s Cuisine)

Cilantro Parsley

This post has been updated with additional reporting by Meredith Holser.

Lead image via Pretty. Simple. Sweet.

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