Decorating with Bottle Brush Trees in Creative Ways

Bottle brush trees are an easy to find and inexpensive Christmas decoration that can be used in SO many different ways. I’ve rounded up the most creative ways to use these little trees in your decor this holiday season!

These little sisal trees have been used as Christmas decor for decades. They have become such a popular vintage Christmas decoration that you can find them just about anywhere.

creative ideas for using bottle brush trees in Christmas decor

For a few years, I actually thought these bristly little trees looked pretty cheap when I would see them packaged up new in the store. Of course, now I’ve figured out that there are so versatile uses for these trees, and when used in creative ways, they look awesome!

How to Replace the Base of a Sisal Tree

This post has tons of ideas on how to use bottle brush trees in Christmas decor!

Sometimes, these miniature trees come with ugly plastic bases that look like a pile of snow poop. Of course, you can definitely cover these bases with faux snow or greenery, but I’ve found door knobs and drawer pulls work really well as a prettier base.

Simply remove the plastic base of the tree and update it with a vintage door knob or a decorative furniture pull knob. You’ll just need to make sure your knob has a hole in it (normally for a screw, but in this case, a tree).

What a great way to display bottle brush trees! Instead of those ugly plastic bases, sit them in vintage door knobs or fun drawers pulls or knobs.

Because I plan to use these door knobs in other ways throughout the year, I found a temporary way to attach the trees to the inside of the knobs – sticky tack! I also think that clay, kids’ playdoh or silly putty would work really well. If you wanted a more permanent base, use some hot glue to attach the trees into the knobs.

Instead of those ugly plastic bases, sit them in vintage door knobs or fun drawers pulls or knobs.

Now that you have a pretty little base on the bottom of your trees, let’s get to using them in our Christmas decorations!

I’ve rounded up a ton of different ways to use your own bottle brush trees in your holiday decorations this year. These ideas can be placed on top of your holiday mantel, as a centerpiece on your dining table, or sprinkled throughout your home on counters, dressers and shelves.

collage of ideas for decorating with bottle brush trees

Christmas Scenes and Crafts with Bottle Brush Trees

Bottle brush trees come in so many different sizes (including super miniature) which make them perfect to create little (or big) Christmas scenes.

christmas scene in a cheese cloche for upcycled christmas decorations ideas

Thrift Store Upcycle

Little House of Four took a cheese cloche from the thrift store and made it into the perfect Christmas scene. Adding a miniature truck and some faux snow make it complete.


white christmas village for easy DIY christmas decor

Add Them to a DIY Christmas Village

I love finding cheap Christmas village houses at thrift stores and painting them all in one cohesive color. Larger trees work perfectly in this DIY Christmas village scene to add interest but not clutter.


mini bottle brush tree used in a DIY ornament caroling scene

Miniature Scenes in Ornaments

Atta Girl Says used some tiny trees in these adorable Christmas scene ornaments. The little boxes and miniature figurines and bottle brush Christmas trees make it a fun ornament for adults or kids to make.


diy ornaments with embroidery hoops and tiny christmas trees

Embroidery Hoop Ornaments

These little ornaments from Ideas for the Home by Kenarry are so easy to make by using an embroidery hoop as the ring. Adding a little bottle brush tree and embellishments make it a great DIY ornament craft for adults.


I love the idea to reuse old glass jars to create these Christmas scene snow globes. Looks like an easy DIY project for the holidays!

Glass Jar Christmas “Snow Globe”

Create miniature snow scenes AND reuse glass food jars! All you’ll need to buy are little figurines, trees, and some fake snow. This Christmas craft is great for kids and adults!


christmas centerpiece with vintage basket and bottle brush trees

Vintage Christmas Scene

I used my doorknob/dresser knob trick to help the bottle brush trees stand up and look cute in this holiday scene. If you can get your hands on a vintage berry basket, it makes for an adorable centerpiece on a Christmas table!


bottle brush tree centerpiece with trees stuck in large piece of wood

Bottle Brush Tree Forest

You can use a piece of decorative or reclaimed wood as a large base to create a forest of mini trees, perfect for an easy centerpiece.


attach bottle brush tree to a vintage truck for christmas decor with vintage items

Tree on a Vintage Metal Truck

If you can get your hands on a vintage truck, you need to tie a tree on top of it! Or, even if it’s not vintage, any sort of little truck or car will do!

Add them to Make a Winter WReath

Bottle brush trees can easily be added to pre-made holiday wreaths, or you can transform an old, second hand wreath form into a new winter wreath with the help of some little Christmas trees.

bottle brush tree decor idea for DIY winter wreath

Create a Full Wreath

You can use bottle brush trees to update a boring wreath frame. Buying a large amount of small trees from Amazon would be the most budget-friendly way to create this wreath.


winter wreath with miniature trees

Wooden Bead and Tree Wreath

Adding a couple of bottle brushes and some greenery to the bottom of a wreath creates a tiny winter scene to hang on your front door. The large wooden beads work well for this wreath as they are pretty enough to leave alone on the top.

IDeas to Update Bottle Brush Trees

Sometimes, bottle brush trees can be a little boring straight out of the box (especially the more budget friendly trees). However, there are ways to dress them up to completely match your style.

pink bottle brush tree with glitter with 12 other ideas for decorating with bottle brush trees this Christmas

Add Glass Glitter for Extra Sparkle

Although some trees some with glitter applied, there is something special about adding German glass glitter to craft projects. Check out Delineate Your Dwelling’s tricks for applying glass glitter to make your trees sparkle.


how to bleach bottle brush trees and how to dye them a different color

Bleach Them or Dye Them

It’s easy to bleach bottle brush trees to turn them all white. Once they are bleached, you can then update them by dyeing them any color you’d like. Our Crafty Mom has the full tutorial on how to bleach bottle brush trees.


change the base of a bottle brush tree and use a door knob or a drawer hardware knob instead

Update the Base with a Cute Knob

Like I showed you in the beginning of the post, there are so many cute knobs and pulls that could be used as a base for a bottle brush tree. It instantly adds a unique look to any little Christmas tree.


bottle brush trees in wooden spools to replace plastic base

Update the Base with a Wooden Spool

You can also replace the plastic or wooden disc base found on most miniature trees with a vintage wooden thread spool.

I’d love to see how you use vintage bottle brush trees in your holiday decorations. Or, do you have any other creative ways to switch out the bases on these trees?

collage of ideas for decorating with bottle brush trees

Jenny at Refresh Living (dev.refreshliving.com)

Post by Jenny Leads

Jenny is the voice behind Refresh Living. She has a passion for helping people to create a home they love without spending a lot of money.

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4 Comments

  1. So many cute ideas for these brush Christmas Trees. Love it ! Thanks for linking up with us at Family Joy Blog Link Up Party. Merry Christmas!

  2. I love bottle brushes. I have a ton from my village scenes. Thanks for the tips and thanks for sharing on Sunday’s Best.

    1. Hi Nancy. Great question! I usually just stick mine together and then put them all in a plastic shoe box. I’m sure there’s a better way, but I don’t know it yet. 🙂