Crazy for Christmas
If you’re sick of the same tired topiary each year, take inspiration from some of these over-the-top trees. From modern to traditional, neon to evergreen, we rounded up the kookiest Christmas trees in the world. Keep reading for a look at some Yuletide craziness.
Pac-Man Tree
Pac-Man and all his friends are rendered in LED lights across this giant static light display in Madrid.
Plywood Tree
The perfect use for home-improvement leftovers, this plywood tree was made from two full 4 by 8-foot sheets of plywood. The two pieces slide into each other to make an X shape, and the decorations are hung with pushpins covering felt.
Radio Tower Tree
This radio-tower tree in Australia is recreated every year. Of all the trees on this list, this could be the brightest: It can be seen from more than 10 kilometers away.
Silver Ball Tree
This modern tree in Toronto, Canada took traditional metallic spheres to new heights. The unveiling of the sculpture is an annual event in Yonge-Dunda Square.
Curvy Tree
Talk about a Holiday-lover’s dreamscape. This Christmas tree —shaped like an elf’s hat—sits atop a carousel. This real evergreen tree makes up part of the Christmas scene covering Bugis Junction in Singapore.
Soda Pop Tree
A really green way to “do the Dew,” this tree is made up of 400 Mountain Dew soda cans. A PVC-pipe trunk holds up the aluminum tower while a two-liter bottle-light adorns the top.
Lobster Trap Tree
In a state famous for lobster, this lobster trap tree sits outside of a firehouse in Cape Porpoise, Maine. The wood crates are adorned with greenery and buoys.
Space Saving Tree
Like any good DIYer, TOH reader Ann Doughtery made this kooky Christmas tree herself out of wood scraps. She painted the wood green, attached ornaments, and hung it on the wall over her fireplace.
Bicycle Tree
One hundred neon-lit bicycles make up this tree in Sydney. Located in a popular tourist district called The Rocks, the bicycles were painted green with red or gold tires and strategically piled to create this eco-friendly decoration.
Lumber Tree
This tree in Kalamaria, Greece is made with simple planks of wood, arranged much like the frame of a house. A wooden star tops the structure.
Neon Minimalist Tree
This conceptual conifer redefines the Christmas tree. A simple neon pole surrounded by suspended red balls in a loose conical pattern, this sculpture is located in England’s City Inn.
Beer Tree
This Heineken-bottle tree is made from thousands of green glass beer bottles adorned with red lights and bow. Designers created this “tree” in Shanghai using 1,000 full Heineken bottles.
Plastic Fork Tree
At first glance, this tree looks like your standard tinsel-covered affair. But, it’s actually built entirely out of clear plastic eating utensils. This masterpiece was displayed as part of 2009’s annual Festival of Trees in Methuen, Massachusetts.
Upside Down Tree
Want a kooky tree of your own? Buy this upside down tree (inspired by the 12th-century European tradition of hanging a tree from the ceiling) from Hammacher Schlemmer. This pre-lit seven-foot fir guarantees that your tree will be a talking point at this year’s holiday party.
Magic Tree
The magic tree has been an annual tradition in the college town of Columbia, Missouri since 1995. The crabapple tree became such a superstar that the display had to be relocated to better accommodate traffic and visitors.
Ladder Tree
It’s what every TOH fan needs—a ladder Christmas tree surrounded by gift-wrapped tools. DIYer Dottie Mae created this “tree” in 2003, and now it’s an annual tradition.
Shopping Cart Tree
For some, Christmas is all about shopping. Here, two stories of silver shopping carts are assembled into an ode to shopping. The designers behind this creation would have you know that this is a commentary on what they think the true nature of Christmas has become: excess consumerism.
Traffic Light Tree
Usually passersby hate red lights, but in this case it could pass as festive. This “tree” was created by Franch artist Pierre Vivant and is located on Canary Wharf in London, England.
Floating Tree
The world record holder for the world’s largest floating Christmas tree, this 28-story tower has been illuminating the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in Rio de Janeiro since 1996 with 105 strands, 3.3 million mini bulbs, and 2,100 strobes.
Water Bottle Tree
This recycled tree of shiny plastic water bottles was created in China to draw awareness to environmentally friendly causes.
Alternative Tree
Not all kooky Christmas trees have to be over-the-top, frightening, or socially conscious. This Charlie Brown-esque tree was made from attaching several branches together, and standing the whole thing up in a tree stand. You can see the how-to at Instructables.com
Barbie Tree
This Charlottesville, VA tree is covered in flowers, artificial fruit—and pretty-in-pink Barbie dolls. The whole thing is topped with an extra large doll. Yeah, we know it’s creepy. You don’t have to tell us.
Giant Chocolate Tree
What’s 10-meters tall, weighs four ton, and has 20 million calories? This enormous chocolate Christmas tree made by French chocolatier Patrick Roger, created to be displayed at a charity telethon.
