The Best Sparse Christmas Trees

I’ve been itching to get a new Christmas tree this year and last week I was voraciously saving all. the. links.  Not just a regular Christmas tree though, I wanted to get a scraggly one.  The Husband calls them ‘Charlie Brown Christmas trees’, essentially they have less limbs and branches than regular artificial trees and can be flocked or not.  So, rather than keep all my browser favourites saved just for me – I thought it would be a good idea to share them here!  Here are the best sparse Christmas trees I’ve found (all under 500$).

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For a little backstory, no we are not getting a second tree at our house.  Now that our cottage is complete and we’ve been spending our free time there when we can, I want to decorate a bit for the holidays.  Actually, I’ve been dreaming up this cottage-Christmas theme for years, as evidenced by this mini-moodboard I shared in my email newsletter back in 2021:

Do we need a second Christmas tree at our cottage?  No.  But did that stop me from scouring the internet to find the best sparse Christmas trees available?  Definitely not.  For my search, I wanted something at least 5′ high (preferably taller since our ceilings peak up and we have a lot of space).  Oh, and the cheapest possible.  Honestly, you can get some really expensive artificial Christmas trees (I’m talking thousands of dollars expensive).  But I wanted to keep my cost at under $500.

And so, I’ve separated them into two lists (non-flocked and flocked).  Flocked just means they have a dusting of fluffy white powder that makes it look like snow.  You can buy a regular tree and flock it yourself too.

Let’s start with the ‘regular’ non-flocked trees:

Non-Flocked Sparse Christmas Trees

1. Alberta Spruce Artificial Christmas Tree 6‘ (Wayfair, 345-390$)
2. Bed Rock Pine Artificial Christmas Tree 7‘ (Wayfair, 435-500$)
3. Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Tree Alaskan Fir 6.5′ (Target, 170$ USD)
4. Pre-Lit Potted Indexed Balsam Fir 5′ (Target, 100$ USD)
5. Pre-Lit Slim Warsaw Twig 7‘ (Home Depot, 370$)
6. Artificial Christmas Tree 70” (Ikea, 90$)
7. Pre-Lit Alpine Fir Artificial Christmas Tree 7‘ (Amazon, 350$)
8. Pre-Lit Slim Layered Noble Fir 6.5′ (Home Depot, 440$)
9. Minimalist Balsam Fir 7‘ (Amazon, 290$)

Flocked Sparse Christmas Trees

1. Pre-Lit Medium Flocked Alpine Twig 5‘ (Wayfair, 295$-320$)
2. Pre-Lit Flocked Pine Artificial Tree 7‘ (Bed Bath & Beyond, 270-360$)
3. Flocked Alpine Twig Artificial Tree 5‘ (Wayfair, 310$)
4. Pre-Lit Glitter Flocked Indexed Balsam Fir 7.5‘ (Target, 250$ USD)
5. Green Slim Flocked Nordmann Fir 6.5‘ (Wayfair, 385$)
6. Pre-Lit Sparse Christmas Tree 9‘ (Target, 250$ USD)
7. Slender Green Realistic Pine Tree 6‘ (Wayfair, 310-460$)
8. Artificial Pine Tree in Woven Basket 4‘ (Bouclair, 130$)
9. Full Champagne Tinsel Twig Tree 3‘ (Wayfair, 120-160$)

Okay, technically that last one should be an honourable mention since it’s a tinsel tree.  But I love the shape so much and it has the perfect full-at-the-bottom-but-scraggly-arms look.  And I think that #2 and #7 are the same tree – but they were from different stores and had different names/prices so I included them both.

As a twist of fate, I actually got one of these trees!  I haven’t received it yet, but I will be sure to update you on how it looks.  Obviously, I haven’t purchased and seen all these trees in real life – so I can only go by the photos online.

Let me know if you like the sparse Christmas tree look, or if you prefer something more full.  For sparse trees, you should do more minimal ornaments – so we’re only planning on hanging a couple of balls and maybe a wood-bead garland.  I do find that they look realistic, and while the Husband suggested we get a real tree – I am vehemently in the faux-tree camp :)