THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TABLETOP CHRISTMAS TREE
You might need a tabletop Christmas tree and not even know it! Tabletop trees are small and add a big dose of Christmas charm and cheer! Let's answer your tabletop tree questions and also give you lots of ideas for decorating them. Here is the ultimate guide to tabletop Christmas trees.
A tabletop tree is one of the most versatile and oh, so pretty holiday decorations you can add to your home! They create an instant WOW factor focal point and are easy to set up, decorate, and takedown. Here is everything you need to know about a tabletop Christmas tree!
WHAT IS A TABLETOP TREE
A tabletop Christmas tree is a small tree that can easily be tucked into a room.
It is often the top of a regular tree or sapling. It’s proportionate with beautiful branches perfect for decorating!
These sweet little trees are full of Christmas cheer and make any room they are in so much more festive!
WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET A TABLETOP CHRISTMAS TREE
I think we love these trees for the same reason we love our regular size trees. They are ironically Christmas and the centerpiece of our Christmas décor! And because these trees are small they work in almost any room adding the same beauty and wonder as their full-size counterparts!
DO I NEED MORE THAN ONE TREE IN MY HOME?
If you have a small apartment or a home with small rooms, a tabletop tree is perfect for adding Christmas style and spirit to your home!
Even if you do not live in a smaller space or have small rooms in your home, a second tree (or even a third) is such a pretty addition to your Christmas home! And a small tree is a perfect second (or third) tree!
We have a tabletop tree in our sunroom. This room is small-ish and a tabletop tree is just the right size for our space. Because we spend a lot of time in this room I wanted a tree in here during the holidays. Because our home is very open we can see our little decorated tree from our dining area and kitchen.
It’s become one of my most favorite decorations!
WHAT ROOMS WILL A TABLETOP TREE LOOK NICE IN?
A tabletop tree would look nice in almost any room in your home! We have a couple guest rooms that will be filled with family over Christmas. I’m adding a real but smaller size tree to each room!
Bobby will add lights to it and I’ll add a topper. No other Christmas decorations are needed.
And that is the only Christmas decor the guest rooms will need! So simple!
REAL OR FAUX
If you decide to add a tabletop tree to your home this Christmas you might want to think about whether you want a real or faux tree.
The pros and cons are just about the same as a full-size real or faux tree.
There is nothing quite like a real tree for organic beauty and aroma! But they are messy. A tabletop tree will just make a smaller mess than a big tree!
You will still have to change the water and clean up the needles but it will be a much easier task!
A faux tree is not as organically beautiful as a real tree and you will have to store it from year to year but it has so many advantages!
Here are just a few…
- no water changing
- no needle cleanup
- easy to set up
- easy to take down
- the branches can hold heavier ornaments
- a faux tree may come lit and may even be battery operated with timers
I also think you can find tabletop trees in many sizes and shapes. There is a tabletop tree that would be perfect for almost any space in your home!
Both real or faux trees will make a beautiful addition to a room in your home!
LIGHTS OR NO LIGHTS
One question to ask yourself is whether you want to light up your tree. Lights or no lights?
For me, there is magic in the lights of a Christmas tree, so I always light up our trees!
Even if your tree is on the smaller side you can always add fairy light with batteries to make it glow!
One of the advantages of a faux tree is pre-strung light!
Our tabletop tree was purchased pre-lit.
It has a battery pack in the burlap base and I can choose different settings for the lights. My favorite is the timer setting so the little white lights go on and off automatically! So easy!
One tip: If you choose to string lights on a tree, make sure the wiring is the same color as the tree. Green for a green tree and white for a white one.
TOO BIG, TOO SMALL, JUST RIGHT FOR YOU!
Small trees come in so many sizes… some only an inch tall! Are all small trees considered tabletop trees?
No! So let’s talk about what size tree is considered a tabletop tree…
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF A TABLETOP TREE
Not all small trees are true tabletop trees! True tabletop trees are somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-4 feet tall. Give or take a few inches!
What distinguishes a true tabletop tree from a small ornamental Christmas tree is tabletop trees look like the top of a real tree and can be decorated like a real tree.
Our tabletop tree is 42 inches tall. Such a manageable size!
Two important things to consider when looking for a tabletop tree are height and the widest part of the tree.
If you want to put your tree on a low table you might want a taller tree and vice versa.
And it’s important to get a tree that is not too wide or skinny for a room.
Get out the tape measurer to figure out what size tabletop tree will fit best in your space!
WHERE TO PUT A TABLETOP TREE
Tabletop Christmas trees can sit fit into so many areas. They work well in small spaces as well as large ones!
And your tree can sit on so many surfaces!
You can put them on a side table, kitchen counters, coffee tables, sideboards, and almost any other flat surface. And they are the perfect addition tucked into small spaces and corners!
The last two Christmasses we put our tabletop tree on a round table in our sunroom and the year before it sat on a big hamper basket.
This year our tabletop tree will sit on an upholstered bench!
WHAT TO PUT A TABLETOP TREE IN?
These darling little trees look so pretty and finished if their trunks and bases are put in something that works with your decor.
If you are using a real tree you will need to put a real tree in something that holds water and is waterproof but a faux tree can go right into a container or be wrapped in something pretty.
I usually put our little tree in a big basket, big enough to hide the burlap base. You will have to stop back next week to see what I’m using to put our tree in this year!
Here are some things you can put a tabletop tree in…
- a decorative bucket
- basket
- wrapped in a chunky-knit throw
- a gilded or painted pot
- perched in a decorative urn
- wrapped in burlap
- put inside a box wrapped like a Christmas present
- dropped in a champagne bucket
- put inside a big bowl
DECORATING A TABLETOP TREE
Now, this is the fun part! I love to decorate my little tree. It is so much less of a commitment than our big trees and it takes me only about an hour or two to decorate it from start to finish. And it is such a fun Christmassy project!
Just like a full-size Christmas tree, there are a few things that you should consider using when decorating a tabletop tree!
You can see how I decorate a tabletop tree and get designer tips for making your little tree the prettiest Christmas decoration in your home HERE.
ADDING ORNAMENTS
Tabletop trees should be full of pretty ornaments! Use shiny ornaments and other balls and such that work with the Christmas decor in your room.
One thing to remember is a tabletop tree is small so big ornaments may look out of proportion and weigh down the branches on a small tree.
Think about adding medium and small ornaments to your sweet tree!
One year I used two or three little ornaments grouped together and they looked so festive!
OTHER THINGS FOR DECORATING A TREE
Just like a large Christmas tree, a tabletop tree looks so pretty when more than just ornaments are used to decorate it.
Here are things you might like to decorate your tree with…
- pinecones and even the tinest pinecones grouped together
- berries
- brambles
- sticks, twigs and fluff (see HOW TO DECORATE A TABLETOP TREE LIKE A DESIGNER to get the explaination)
- ribbon used as garland
- flowers
- beaded or glass garland
- paper cut-outs
- snowflakes and stars
- icicles
- tinsel
- anything organic
CHOOSING A TOPPER
Every tree needs something for the top of the tree! And choosing a pretty tree topper for your tabletop Christmas tree is easy with just a little know-how!
Your tree topper should be in proportion to your tree! You want your tree and the topper to look balanced and fit nicely together.
If your tree is wider choose a wider tree topper like a big loopy bow or an angel.
If your tree is slimmer try an elongated star or something slimmer too!
Choose a tree topper that fits the style and theme and color palette of your tree. A topper should look like it belongs with the tree.
A tabletop Christmas tree can be the star and centerpiece of a room! It’s important to remember to choose the best artificial tabletop Christmas tree (or real one) for your space.
Then put the tree in a sturdy and pretty container, decorate it, and finally top it with the perfect tree topper! And most importantly enjoy it!
It’s never too late to add a beautiful tabletop Christmas tree to any room in your home!
This post contains affiliate links. That means when you click on some of the links in this post and you make a purchase I earn a small commission at no cost to you. All my opinions are my own. You can view my full disclosure here.
BEAUTIFUL TABLETOP TREES…
You might also like to read…
HOW TO DECORATE A TABLETOP TREE LIKE A DESIGNER
HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREE FOR YOUR HOME
THE MAGIC OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS TREE
Good morning! We have a table top tree too. I put our brass we have colleted from many places we have visited over the years. It’s a favorite of ours.
Your Christmas home is absolutely beautiful!
Where did you find your great tree if you don’t mind??
My tree came from Ballard Designs.
You have a beautiful home and I enjoy your blog. You always have great decorating ideas.
I love full-size Christmas trees but I have to take a table out of the living room if I want to put the tree in the “best” spot. Remodeling my master bedroom and bath has turned my entire house into a warehouse of miscellaneous furniture and boxes of plumbing fixtures. I just couldn’t cope with the idea of trying to find a spot in another room for my antique pedestal side table so I decided to buy a small tree to put on it. I was getting discouraged because all the trees I’d seen seemed overpriced for the quality. I wandered down a décor aisle at Hobby Lobby and found a 3′ flocked tree with all PVC needles. It was smaller than I was thinking but the branches were moveable and I could visualize ornaments on it. Best of all, it was on sale and was only $15! I bought a metal decorative bin to hide the burlap sack it came in. I also had to buy lights but everything I bought cost much less than the 4′ trees I was looking at. It’s simple but very cute. Moving a lamp was so much easier than moving a table! I’ve decided to go with a tabletop tree from now on so I gave my 7 1/2 foot tree to my newly married granddaughter.
Where can I find the basket that the table tree is in?
I found the basket at Pottery Barn years ago. Sorry I don’t see it on their site anymore.
Can I use a table top tree as main tree now that I’m in a small condo ?
Oh yes! My mom is in an apartment and it looks beautiful!