Create Holiday Memories with a Gumdrop Christmas Tree

by AbbyFitz

Gumdrop Christmas trees are a great alternative to a traditional tree, ideal for small spaces, and can be a Christmas memory your children will cherish for years to come.

I have warm memories of visiting my Aunt Dorothy at Christmastime. In one corner of her living room on an end table was a hawthorn branch she had put in a flowerpot and carefully stuck gumdrops on the thorns.

When I would visit, I always made a beeline for the tree so I could eat all of the black gumdrops first, then continuing on to the other flavors. It was what really made my Christmas at Aunt Dorothy's.

I thought Aunt Dorothy put a thorny gumdrop tree up year after year because my cousins and I loved it so much.

After I was grown, my aunt let me in on a little secret: She wanted a no-fuss tree. She didn't want to spend time decorating a tree, just to take it all back down in a few weeks. She also lived in a small house and didn't really have enough space for a traditional tree.

To her, a gumdrop tree was an easy way to decorate for the holidays. But for us kids, it was a Christmas tradition that we couldn't do without.

A No-Fuss Christmas Tree

Gumdrop Christmas trees let you decorate without the work or hassle.

My aunt was an older lady, which was probably why she had switched to a gumdrop tree. Her children were grown and her Christmases were always spent at their homes, so she really didn't need a traditional Christmas tree.

Instead of bypassing a tree altogether, she used a gumdrop tree to still be festive, but with minimal effort. Having the gumdrop tree in her living room brightened up her tiny living room, so it didn't seem as if Scrooge lived there.

Aunt Dorothy still had visitors, and I'm sure she enjoyed watching the children ooh and ahh over her unique Christmas tree.

Plastic Christmas Gumdrop Tree

Gum Drop Tree

Creative Christmas Tree Alternative

A gumdrop Christmas tree is great for apartments, small homes, and hospital and nursing home rooms.

Clear plastic gumdrop trees are ideal for anyone who has limited space to dedicate to a traditional tree. At 12 inches high, it can easily fit into just about any space.

There's no need to move furniture around, because a coffee or end table becomes the perfect tree stand.

Don't Forget the Gumdrops!

A gumdrop tree would be a great Christmas gift for anyone who is hospital or nursing home bound during the holidays because it's small enough to fit onto their windowsill or bedside stand.

It's the perfect Christmas tree that doesn't require much storage space. It comes apart and lays flat in its own box, so it won't be taking up valuable closet or attic space like a typical tree would.

Gumdrop Trees are a Unique Holiday Decoration

Even if you have a standard tree, there's always room in your home for a gumdrop tree.

Gumdrop trees also make great decorations for your holiday table. Instead of using cedar or other typical holiday foliage, use a gumdrop tree. Most guests have never seen one before, and they'll love the novelty of being able to nibble at the centerpiece.

Also, place a gumdrop tree in your guest rooms for anyone who may visit during the holidays. It's an easy way to decorate their room, and your guests will thank you for the midnight snack.

Gumdrop Christmas Tree Craft

It's easy if you have access to the right trees.
Been pruning the hawthorn/whitethorn tree

If you have access to a hawthorn tree, any thorny tree, or artificial birch limbs, it's easy to make your own gumdrop Christmas tree.

Cut off a small, table-sized branch that has plenty of offshoots and thorns for your gumdrops. Be sure to clean your branch very well, because no one will want to eat dirty gumdrops!

Place in a pot filled with sand, and cover the pot with a small tree skirt.

Carefully place a gumdrop on each thorn/branch and enjoy.

Updated: 10/17/2015, AbbyFitz
 
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CruiseReady on 08/29/2015

Like you, I lost the Christmas spirit for several years, but I am determined to reclaim it this year. What a nice little idea the gumdrop tree is, and so easy to implement!

AbbyFitz on 12/14/2013

Thank you! It's a really unique idea

AbbyFitz on 12/12/2013

I'm leaning more and more towards it. I just don't get into the Christmas mood like I used to.

Guest on 12/12/2013

I have a 6-inch plastic tree with a bell on top which was my first tree, used as a desk decoration at work, before I even had my own place. One year I worked the festive season in a mental patient daycare unit. The poor tree got more stick than I did! One of the regulars bent it into 90* and kept hitting the tip to make the bell jangle constantly. The tree survived, although it's still slightly crooked. That's more than I can say I did in that role... Gumdrop trees are a lovely idea if you have guests or children visiting and are something I can imagine my m-i-l taking on if she spent Christmas here for any reason. (She usually decamps to her brother's timeshare in southern Spain as she prefers the climate). I've also seen gem trees performing a similar role as a small Christmas tree for people who want to be festive without the trimmings. Our 6' white artificial tinsel Christmas tree is going up this weekend, because I cleared space for it this morning and my husband is under notice to bring the boxes down from the loft at the weekend.

AbbyFitz on 12/09/2013

You're welcome! I think they're pretty cool:)

VioletteRose on 12/09/2013

Gumdrop tree look beautiful, thanks for telling us how to make one. It will be really fun!

AbbyFitz on 11/23/2013

I'm glad you like it!

Mira on 11/23/2013

This is a great idea! And I love gumdrops!:)

AbbyFitz on 11/19/2013

The candy is definitely a bonus!

jptanabe on 11/19/2013

What a lovely idea! I still have room (and energy) to put up a real tree, but I'd definitely want one of these if my situation was different. I do remember a colleague who always put a little tree on her desk at work - it was so nice. And if it had candies it would have been even sweeter!


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