Every year, the number one questions I’m asked is, “Where did you get your sparse Christmas trees?” In my dining room, I’ve got a pair of sparse Christmas trees with hundreds of vintage ornaments hanging from the branches and every year I scream from the top of my lungs that I LOVE SPARSE CHRISTMAS TREES because there is plenty of room between the branches to show off treasured ornaments! The secret is out because it seems like everyone is loving sparse Christmas trees (including me for the past six years) and I am excited to share sparse Christmas tree inspiration plus the best, most realistic, top rated, and most affordable ones for you (I update my source list ever year so you can be sure to find your favorite)! I’ve always wanted a fresh Silver Tip Christmas tree because they have the most stunning, spaced out branches that are perfect for displaying ornaments. The fact that they grow high in the mountains of Oregon and California means they are difficult to come by for this east coast girl. So for the past few years, I’ve been decorating with sparse Christmas trees because I love their imperfect shapes which makes them look much more natural in my humble opinion.
If you’re searching for your own sparse Christmas tree, fear not! I’m also sharing some of my favorite sparse Christmas trees at the end of this post including full size and table top trees, flocked and plain trees, green and tinsel trees, pre-lit and unlit trees. Order early to make sure you get your sparse Christmas tree with plenty of time to enjoy it!
Here is a stunning Silver Tip tree in all it’s natural glory!
Tone on Tone shows us that less is way more when he planted this live little tree in an antique urn and decorated it with mercury glass ornaments.
Mercury Glass Christmas Tree in Urn
Clip on candles and string lights create a warm glow in Dear Lillie’s bedroom.
Far Above Rubies gets her trees from the woods surrounding her home and this Hemlock is the prettiest Charlie Brown tree I’ve ever seen decked out in vintage tinsel and Shiny Brites.
There is nothing like the real thing and a few special vintage ornaments are all this tree from Vintage Society Co needs. The chunky wool blanket as a tree skirt looks like snow.
Brooklyn Limestone keeps it simple with a wood bead garland on her flocked tree.
Flocked Tree with Bead Garland
If one tree is good, two is way better and I especially love the way My 100 Year Old Home turned vintage wood crates into tree skirts brimming with ornaments.
This post contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Shop My Favorite Sparse Christmas Trees
click on each pic to see more 
I love the vintage green ornaments, including a beautiful tree topper, on Faded Charm Living’s tree.
These trees are especially welcome in homes that don’t have space for massive trees. I love that this type of tree is equally gorgeous in a farmhouse as it is a modern home and everything in between.
This tree gets festive with touches of red, black and white and how fun is the antique piano bench turned Christmas tree stand from Adams and Elm Home.
Antique Piano Stand Christmas Tree
My friend Doreen of Hymns and Verses bought the same tree as the two I have in my dining room! I love the way you can see the bark between each branch and how her color scheme carries down to her beautifully wrapped gifts.
Whimsical Sparse Christmas Tree
Just look at the way the ornaments pop between the branches of this tree! It seems like there was a memo passed around where everyone, including Emily Henderson, decided to decorate their trees in black, white and red!
Now let’s take a look at my sparse Christmas trees including the pair in my dining room. I covered them with vintage Shiny Brite ornaments last year and love how all sides of the ornaments can be seen.
I’ve had this little feather tree for years (in fact, I have two) and love displaying small ornaments on it. Vintage Pepsi bottles create a “tree skirt” which makes it the perfect kitchen counter tree.
Soda Bottle Tree Skirt Feather Tree
Although not quite as sparse, this Christmas tree is very realistic looking because of its irregular shape. I decked out the tree with over 1600 string lights, clip on candle lights and hundreds of my treasured vintage Shiny Brite ornaments.
You can read more about my realistic looking Christmas tree in this post.
Here’s my little Charlie Brown tree complete with tiny little pine cones. I added a flock of bright red cardinals.
I love the realistic look of sparse trees and I’m sharing my favorite and most highly rated sparse trees below.
My Favorite Sparse Christmas Trees
click on each pic to see more
Thanks for the inspiration, Kelly! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Wishing you and your family the merriest of Christmases! I’ll have to walk by Lincoln Hubbard and have a seat on your bench!
These are hands down my favorite kind of trees. My mamma always called them a “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree. I think my parents got these because they were about all they could afford. Some years we’d even go an borrow one from the woods out back. We decorated them with a box of old ornaments and lights from the attic and then usually we would make some homemade ornaments. Thanks for reminding me of the gold old days. Simple and just about perfect!
What a great memory Kathy! We had a fake tree growing up … definitely not the same thing!!
I love the trees that are a bit more sparse. My family has an Annual Christmas Tree Hunt, where we drive up to the National Forest in Idaho (permits in had of course 😉 ) and cut down our trees. It is always an adventure.
That sounds magical! I wish I could join you!
I’m inspired !
My collection of ornament gets lost every year on a “full” tree. Now I know what to do
Thanks.
Send me a pic of your decorated tree Alan, I’d love to see it!
i LOVED all of the trees… thanks so much for the inspiration!!!!!!
So glad you liked them! I can’t get enough of them either Lynne!
Love your trees but please check the usage of it’s. From a former proofreader. Janet.
LOL Janet it’s (or is it its) a struggle to have perfect grammar 100% of the time!
They are all beautiful, i don’t care how a tree may look, when decorated for Christmas i think they are all beautiful and love all the differences in the way people decorate them. Thank you that was fun to see.
Agree! A string of lights is all any Christmas tree really needs to add that magical glow!
oh my I love all of these trees! Who knew? Sharing on the weekend edit on Saturday! Love this trees! laura in colorado
Sounds great Laura!
I like a sparse tree, too. I giggled when I scrolled to the very last of your Favorite Sparse Christmas Trees;) Great post! Merry Christmas, Kelly!
Charlie Brown knew his trees!
Luv all the Xmas decor
I’ve been collecting cardinals off & on when I can find them/ they stay up all year long
Where did you get the ones to put on the Charlie Brown tree??? Would luv to find these / thks Donna
Thanks Donna! I got the cardinal ornaments years ago but here is something similar: http://bit.ly/2R1Jv8K
How do you string the lights? I’ve tried up amd down the branches and around the tree. Neither looks right.
Girl it’s a process! I think I need to make a video!
I just came across this. We are from CA and just moved to SC. My favorite tree is a Noble fir but ca not find anywhere here! Probably because they too are in CA and OR. What kind of tree do you get on the East coast that’s sparse? Thank you!
We don’t really have sparse trees on the east coast Jennifer but I did manage to find one at my local Christmas tree stand. I assume they shipped them in from somewhere else. Go faux, that’s what I do!
Our tree stand had a few of these “sparse “ trees, in Charleston, SC. They referred to them as European or Old Fashioned Christmas Trees. I fad to get one. I’ve never seen trees this pretty. Here it is all about the bushy Frazier Fir.
I found a real sparse one at my Christmas tree stand too! They are rare in my area but beautiful! Glad you found one Maria!
Kelly…Great post, this takes me down memory lane. Living in Northern California, until 3 yrs ago, now in GA. We would get a tree permit from the U.S.Forest Service and go out to find the perfect tree. Anything
above 5,000Ft. elevation was the best. Very sturdy branches to hold lots of ornaments. Thank you !
I found a real sparse tree at my local Christmas tree stand last year and put it on my porch! It was stunning! How fun that you got to cut down your own tree!
I already bought me one for this year and can’t wait to decorate, thanks for these ideas. I am doing nothing today but cleaning up after and resting, hopefully tomorrow i will feel like getting my trees out at least and maybe getting them up, ha!ha!ha! You have a good weekend,xxx.
Marlene! I have finished my decorating and my Christmas tour is Monday! Today, I have been purging all the old Christmas stuff I no longer want and selling it on Facebook. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving
This is just a perfect example of less is more! I enjoyed looking at all the different trees!
I love light and airy look of these trees!
Love your pics of Sparse trees. We just got an 8 foot real alpine. What is best way to put lights in a sparse tree?
I like to run the lights up the back of the tree along the trunk to the top and start wrapping around each branch. Under and over so they stay put.
I loved seeing all these ideas! I love your 2 trees in the dining room. Must be stunning to see at night! I also love your cardinal tree!
Glad you enjoyed my trees Lisa!
Love the look of sparse trees. I call them Alpine trees. Is your cardinal tree one in the list of your favorite faux sparse trees? I can’t seem to find it amongst those you pictured.
Kelly just found your sparse trees. Love them! Can you source for me the center and right trees on the first row of samples? Your help is greatly appreciated.
Hi Char! Did you try clicking on the pics? That should lead you to the source to purchase.
OMG! Beautiful, I love them all!!!
I love this type of tree so much Cristina!
I love Christmas trees no matter how sparse or full they are, no matter how many decorations. They all look beautiful when you turn on those lights and they glow so beautifully. I did buy a sparse one last year. Thanks Kelly they are lovely ideas.
Agree Marlene – the lights make every tree sparkle!
I love your Charlie Brown tree with cardinals!
I love cardinals!
We always called them Charlie Brown Christmas trees! A longtime favorite of mine. I guess it started in my childhood as this was the tree my mom always picked. I think they do allow for more room to show the ornaments. I always decorate our with antique glass ornaments that we have collected over the years. So looking forward to Christmas this year!
Your ornaments sound beautiful Kathy! Christmas can’t come soon enough!
Good morning. My mother really likes one of the spares trees that you had posted. Where can she purchase a Christmas tree at?
All of the trees are linked in my post – just click on the links (text and photos) to shop