Christmas Tree Alternatives

Every year the debate starts about this time- Which is better? Real or Fake? Which is more ecological, greener or cheaper. And every year I get into the fray. Well this year i have a new answer... NEITHER!
let me 'splain... I have nothing against real trees. Just that every year the news media has a story about some poor bastard whose house has burnt down. I just don't like the fire factor. So I thought I would post a few alternatives to look into:

BOTTLE TREES- what better than a tree made out of your wine bottles? Actually these have gained some popularity over the years, and can look quite festive! The Bottle Tree store has many to choose from, including a DIY kit. And I think these are good looking enough to keep around all year!

CARDBOARD TREES- These are cool as well. You can decorate them with markers, photos or what ever comes to your imagination! You can decorate one and send it to someone special, a grandparent, a son or daughter away at college, a service man, a loved one far away.

METAL TREES Yes I said metal. I have seen a few ornament trees around and they can be pricey. But I found mine (at the top of this post) at Big Lots for $10!

Of course there are natural alternatives like Living Christmas trees, the advantage being you can plant the tree after the holiday. Or how about decorating an existing house plant? Or a smelly Rosemary plant (they can look like pine trees) I have done both of these and loved the look.