How to reuse your Christmas tree – 5 innovative uses in your yard beyond the festive season

Another holiday season has come to an end and many people will soon be taking down their decorations for another year, including Christmas trees. If you're feeling hesitant to just discard your tree and throw it out, you'll be pleased to know it's possible to reuse your Christmas tree in your yard.

There are plenty of ways to get more out of your Christmas tree ideas by considering how to use pine, spruce and fir trees beyond the Christmas celebrations. Of course, this refers only to real Christmas trees that won't last in storage like artificial trees do. Whether by mulching or replanting to use again next year, repurposing your Christmas tree is a bonus way to make green choices for the festive season.

So, kick off your eco-friendly garden resolutions for the new year by choosing to reuse your Christmas tree in your yard. Here are five ways to get you started.

5 ways to reuse your Christmas tree in your yard

You might be considering just disposing of your Christmas tree, but there are actually lots of ways to reuse it in your yard. Not only is it festive waste you can compost, but your Christmas tree can also help your plants and enhance your garden landscape.

1. Create mulch with your Christmas tree

This is perhaps the most obvious way to reuse your Christmas tree in the yard after Christmas - cut it up and make organic mulch. Even if you haven't got much experience in making compost, you can easily repurpose your Christmas tree for mulch.

If you aren't familiar with mulching, it consists of placing a layer of organic matter at the base of a plant to both offer nutrients and insulate the roots. It's a common method for protecting plants from frost.

'To use a Christmas tree for mulch, you'll need to shred the tree up into woodchips,' explains Rachel Bull, H&G's Head of Gardens. 'Pine needles are also a valuable material for mulch and will help with suppressing weeds, as well as retaining moisture,' she adds.

There are a few ways to shred your Christmas tree. You can use a wood chipper, available at Amazon, or opt for using essential gardening tools like this hand saw from Amazon and these pruners from Amazon.

Rachel Bull

Rachel is a gardening editor, flower grower and floral designer. Her journalism career began on Country Living magazine, sparking a love of container gardening and wild planting. After more than a decade writing for and editing a range of consumer, business and special interest titles, Rachel became editor of floral art magazine The Flower Arranger. She then trained and worked as a floral designer and stylist in London for six years, before joining the Homes & Gardens team. 

2. Make a wood chip pathway with your Christmas tree

Similar to mulching, you can also shred your Christmas tree for your garden path ideas. More specifically, you can create a woodchip path with the material from your Christmas tree.

'Woodchip pathways are effortlessly beautiful,' Rachel says. 'They're perfect for fairy garden ideas, as well as those seeking a natural look in their yard,' she adds.

An added bonus to putting down Christmas tree woodchip on your paths is that it will help suppress and get rid of weeds.

One thing to note is you may have to keep on top of tidying your path as wind and footfall move woodchips around. Nevertheless, this is an easy way to add interest and texture to your pathways.

3. Make plant stakes from Christmas tree branches

If you grow plenty of plants to stake in your yard and are always looking for new ways to support long stems, turn to the help of your Christmas tree.

'There are lots of plants that benefit from staking,' Rachel says. 'It simply refers to a support, often a stick, that you gently tie the plant's stem to so it stays held up' she explains.

While there are plenty of commercial stakes available on the market (like this plant stake from Amazon), Christmas tree branches can work just as well.

Using essential pruning tools or a saw, cut off branches that are sturdy and long enough to support the plants you're growing. Insert the bottom couple of inches of the branch into the soil so it stands securely before using plant ties (from Walmart) to attach your plant stems.

Be aware that these branches will start to decompose in the soil, although at a slow rate. If your branch starts to fall over, you might need to cut off the bottom where it is decomposing and reinsert in the soil.

4. Hand your Christmas tree over to wildlife

For the wildlife garden-lovers, you can reuse your Christmas tree in your yard by making a wildlife feature out of it. In particular, your tree can be cut up and used as a log pile for a range of garden wildlife.

'Cut your Christmas tree up and make a pile of the matter in your yard. Leave it undisturbed and you'll observe insects, hedgehogs, and even frogs use it for shelter,' Rachel describes.

You can also use some of the material from your Christmas tree to make a bug hotel or a hedgehog house. There are plenty of ways to get creative with your Christmas tree to support wildlife through the winter season.

5. Replant your Christmas tree

Of course, it's also possible to replant your Christmas tree, so long as it has undisturbed roots. Many mini Christmas trees will be suitable for this, as they often grow in pots.

'If your Christmas tree has not been chopped down and is growing as part of a container garden, place it back outside for the rest of the year,' says Rachel.

Alternatively, you can also take your potted Christmas tree out of its container and plant it up in your yard. You may need to use something like this shovel from Amazon to help lift it, and make sure not to disturb the root ball in the process.

Your Christmas tree can then benefit from the essential plant nutrients available in your garden soil and is likely to grow bigger throughout the year. When the holidays come back around, pot it up again to bring indoors for your Christmas celebrations.

FAQs

What decorations can I make with my Christmas tree?

You can make a range of natural decorations from the material of your Christmas tree. For example, use the foliage for wreaths and garlands, or use the pine needles to create scented pouches for your home. You can also use the wood to create wooden decorations that complement your interior aesthetic, or gift them to friends and family. There are also plenty of sustainable Christmas décor ideas you could create for the next holiday season using Christmas tree material.

Any one of these ideas will allow you to make use of your Christmas tree long after the official date for when to take down a Christmas tree.

While you're taking down your holiday decorations and refreshing your home for the new year, don't forget to also tick off home maintenance tasks to complete in January.