Modern Christmas tree DIY

We're trying out a pared down look this Christmas and our tree is no exception. No watering, no needles to clean up, sounds pretty good, right? One of the trees in our front yard was sprouting a large branch from its base, which wasn't good for the tree, so I asked Adam to cut it off and got the idea that we could use it for a Christmas tree. We trimmed it down so it would fit in our living room, stuck it in a pot, and picked some of my favourite (and lightest) ornaments to hang (yeah, Adam has zero interest in tree decorating, so I was on my own for this part).

I picked up this garbage can over the weekend, thinking that it would make a good planter when the holidays are over. Its filled with leftover peastone from our driveway, which adds some nice weight to the base, holds the branch in place and keeps the whole thing from tipping over. I thought about adding greenery to hide the peastone, but I think I like the clean, contemporary look of the stone. The branch-as-Christmas-tree look isn't for everyone, so it's completely OK if you hate it :)

As you can see in the first picture, I moved a few things around to create a work/craft area behind our sofa. I still need to add a lamp, filing cabinet and style the area (it's pretty much a mess of sewing materials right now - hence the new sofa cushions), but I love having a dedicated work space. Having to clean up whatever project I was working on so we could use our dining table for actual dining got old fast - especially when I didn't clean it up and Adam and I had to eat dinner standing up, which happened more than a few times. Yup, pretty much can't wait to start pinning work areas for inspiring ways to style mine.

Psst...I'm linking up to Megan's Christmas Cheer Link Party today - come check out all the beautiful trees!

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