Quick & easy, environment-friendly Christmas tree

Our household is not totally sans holiday decorations. Two years ago this month we suffered a horrendous flood with water knee-deep throughout the house. It took us 6 months to get everything back in order again. Needless to say, that year we did not have much of a Christmas, and a tree was just not on the agenda. However, we have one of those nice folding, 3-panel bamboo screens between our dining and living room areas. I looked at that screen and thought that by stringing one set of lights on it and hanging a few decorations we could simulate a Christmas tree. It looked very jolly, and last year we did the same thing.

This year the job is even easier because I decided last January that I was NOT going to struggle with getting those damn lights back into the required contorted configuration, enabling the lights to all fit into their ridiculously small box. So, I....just....left....them....up. Yes, all year they have been draped over the screen, fairly invisible in their unlit state. All I need to do when the time comes is to hang up a dozen or so ornaments and then flick the switch. No needles dropping, no needing to water the tree, and it can even be moved to another spot if necessary.

And it's also useful for other special occasions throughout the year...