If your idea of a merry Christmas is one filled with plaid, pine cones, birch paper ribbon, winterberries, rattan, and burlap, you need a rustic Christmas tree in your home. While natural trees are stunning, their cleanup and annual costs aren’t. Moreover, manufactured trees have never been more beautiful, and they’re incredibly easy to set up and store too. A top pick is the Douglas Fir Feel Real Christmas Tree by the National Tree Company.
While you might have a precise look and shape in mind when you think of a rustic Christmas tree, that image will vary depending on where you are from and your upbringing.
A rustic wrought iron Christmas tree with minimal decorations might fit that idealized image for some. To others, a rustic wooden Christmas tree is the only option. There are also rustic flocked Christmas trees, traditional rustic Christmas trees, flat back rustic Christmas trees and even upside-down rustic Christmas trees! The best thing is that it’s all a matter of preference, and nearly every unique Christmas tree option is available if you know where to look.
Nothing is worse than finding the perfect Christmas tree and realizing it isn’t available in your required size. While extra-small and extra-large trees tend to be specialty sizes, you should easily be able to find trees with heights that range 4 to 12 feet.
Many would agree that decorating your tree is the best part of Christmas. While you likely have decided to go with a traditional rustic Christmas tree this year, next year might usher in a trend that you want to try out.
Some Christmas trees include truly rustic options like a permanent metal collar or burlap base, but if you opt for those features, you might narrow your decorating choices for next year. Instead, consider accessorizing your tree with separate items such as a burlap tree skirt that will last for years, but it isn’t a part of the tree itself.
Unless the tree boasts an "exposed bark" design, the branch tips on your rustic Christmas tree should mask the tree stem. Try fluffing the branches if the stem is visible. If you have already fluffed them and still see the stem, there are not enough branch tips on your tree.
You will have two options when it comes to branch tip connection types: hooked or hinged. The hooked branch tips are packed separately from the tree and will need to be individually hooked onto the trunk as a part of your setup process.
Hinged branch tips come attached to your tree and are merely folded down upon removing it from the box. When you set up your tree, you will unfold the branch tips and fluff them. Since it is so simple, this is usually the preferred branch tip connection.
The material your branch tips are made from makes a big difference in how realistic your tree’s “needles” look. You have the option to get polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE) branch tips.
PVC tips are constructed from thin sheets, cut into needlelike rectangles, and wrapped around a metal wire, eventually becoming a Christmas tree branch.
PE, however, is made with injection molding that is sculpted. It tends to be the preferred material because it looks more realistic. However, PE also costs more than PVC. That is why you will find many trees made from both materials — PE on the tips and PVC toward the stem.
You can find a PVC branch Christmas tree for around $99, and the best PE rustic Christmas trees can cost over $1,000.
A. Your rustic Christmas tree and topper should land at least 6 inches below your ceiling.
A. When shopping for a rustic Christmas tree, you should look for decorations that incorporate burlap, rattan, plaid, wood, red berry sprigs, metal and pine cones.
Douglas Fir Feel Real Christmas Tree by the National Tree Company
What you need to know: It boasts hundreds of outer branch tips that are realistic and crush-resistant PE, as well as PVC inner branch tips to ensure that it looks full and remains affordable.
What you’ll love: It is available in heights ranging from 4.5 feet to 12 feet with a 49-inch diameter. The branch tips are fire-resistant, hinged for easy assembly and boast 650 pre-strung white lights. It also includes a built-in tree stand.
What you should consider: While it includes hundreds of PE branch tips, the tree is also filled with PVC branch tips.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s, Home Depot and Macy’s
Aspen Fir Christmas Tree by the Puleo International Store
What you need to know: It is a realistic Christmas tree with exposed bark for a rustic look and feel.
What you’ll love: It’s available in heights ranging from 4.5 feet to 7.5 feet with a diameter of 54 inches. This pre-lit Aspen Fir includes 500 white lights and over 900 realistic branch tips that are hinged for quick and easy assembly. It’s also fire retardant.
What you should consider: While the exposed bark adds a nice realistic touch if you get close to the tree, you can also slightly see the branch tip hinges.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s, Macy’s and Home Depot
Nordic Spruce Feel Real Christmas Tree by the National Tree Company Store
What you need to know: This is the ultimate rustic Christmas tree if you want a showstopper in your living room.
What you’ll love: It is 7.5 feet tall with a 65-inch diameter. It includes hundreds of feel-real branch tips with PVC mixed in to ensure that it looks full. It boasts 900 pre-strung white lights, hinged branches for easy setup, and it is fire retardant.
What you should consider: This tree is rather costly.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon, Macy’s and Home Depot
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Ella Scott writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
