If you want a Christmas tree for a corner a full-size tree can't fill, such as the hallway, the landing, a bedroom or a one-room flat, a 1.2m spiral tinsel tree is worth a look. It's tall enough to read as a tree from across the room, it looks finished before a single bauble goes on, and it folds down after Christmas to go on a cupboard shelf. This guide covers where a tree this size works, how to pick a colour, how to dress it and how to store it for next year.
Where a 1.2m tree works best
A 1.2m tree is about the height of a kitchen worktop plus a bit more. That's the size that works in the places a big tree can't go, and the places people forget to decorate at all.
- The hallway. It's the first thing you and your guests see when you come in from the cold. A tree by the front door says Christmas before anyone has taken their coat off.
- The landing. Landings are often the barest part of a house in December. A slim spiral tree in the corner gives the upstairs something to glow about.
- A small flat. In a flat with one living room, a full-size tree takes the corner by the sofa and half the floor in front of the telly. A 1.2m tree stands beside the bookcase or by the window and leaves the room usable.
- A bedroom or a second room. If the main tree is downstairs, a second, smaller one in a bedroom or a spare room spreads the season through the house.
- A work reception or a shop counter. Anywhere a real tree would be more trouble than it's worth, from watering to needles in the carpet by the till.
Where it is less suited: as the one big centrepiece in a large living room with a high ceiling. There, a 1.2m tree can look lost. It works best where the space around it is small too.
Why a spiral of tinsel reads as a tree
Most small artificial trees try to be a scaled-down version of a big one, with thin branches that look sparse up close. A spiral tree takes a different route. A single spiral of soft chenille tinsel winds from the base to the top, so the shape is clear from across the room and the outline is always full.
Chenille tinsel is the soft, fluffy kind, with more body than the thin, crinkly tinsel you might remember draped over a tree. It has a velvety look in daylight and catches the light at night. Because the tree is the tinsel, it looks dressed before you've added anything, which is the point for a hallway or a landing where you want the effect without an afternoon of decorating.
There's also a practical side to it. With tinsel there are no needles to hoover up in January, and nothing to water. You put it in the corner in December and it looks the same on Christmas Eve as it did on the first day.
Choosing a colour
The tree comes in five colours, and the right one depends mostly on the room and the decorations you already own. A quick guide:
| Colour | Works well with | Where it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Red and gold baubles, warm white lights | A traditional look, anywhere in the house |
| Gold | Cream, red and wooden decorations | A warm hallway or a living room with lamps |
| Silver | Blue, white and glass decorations | A cool, wintry look on a landing or in a modern flat |
| Blue | Silver and white baubles, cool white lights | A bedroom or a room with grey or white walls |
| Red | Gold and white decorations | A bold corner in a work reception or a shop |
If the tree is going in a hallway that already has a wreath on the door, matching the two ties the entrance together. If it's a second tree, a contrasting colour to the main tree can be more fun than a copy: a silver tree upstairs and a green one downstairs, for example.
How to dress a spiral tinsel tree
The tree has no lights built in, which is a choice as much as a gap. It means you pick the glow you want.
- Lights first. Wrap a string of fairy lights round the spiral, following the tinsel from the bottom to the top. Warm white suits green and gold trees. Cool white or coloured lights suit silver and blue.
- Battery or plug-in. In a hallway or on a landing there often isn't a socket in the right place, so battery fairy lights with a timer save running a cable across the floor.
- Keep baubles light. Small, light baubles suit the spiral. Keep heavy glass ones for a full-size tree, where the branches are made to hold them.
- Less is more. Because the tinsel already looks full, a handful of baubles in one or two colours looks tidier than a mix of everything from the decorations box.
- The top. A small star or bow at the top finishes the spiral off. Choose something light.
For a work reception or a shop, lights alone are often enough. A lit spiral in a corner reads clearly from the door and needs no rearranging when people brush past it.
Packing it away until next year
This is where a foldable tree earns its place in a small home. After Christmas it folds down and packs to 520 x 200 x 70 mm. That's slim enough for a cupboard shelf, the gap under a bed or the corner of the loft, rather than a big box that takes over the hallway cupboard for eleven months.
It weighs 880 g, so carrying it up a loft ladder or moving it from room to room during December is easy. If you like to try the tree in a few places before you settle on one, it's light enough to do that without a second pair of hands.
A tip for next year: take the lights off before folding it, wind them round a piece of card, and store them with the tree. Everything you need is then in one place when December comes round again.
Is a small spiral tinsel tree right for you?
It's a good fit if:
- you have a corner, a landing or a hallway that never gets decorated
- you live in a flat where a full-size tree would take over the room
- you want a second tree without buying a second big one
- you like a tree that looks full with very little dressing
- you want something that stores small and comes out again every year
It's less of a fit if you want the scent of a real tree, or a large, heavily decorated centrepiece for a big room. For those, a real or full-size tree still does the job, and a spiral tree can happily sit in the hall as the warm-up act.
A tree for the rooms that usually miss out
Most homes put all of Christmas into one room. A small spiral tree is an easy way to spread it: the hall that welcomes people in, the landing you pass every evening, the flat that has no space for a big tree. Pick a colour that goes with what you already own, wrap it in your own fairy lights, and it's done. When January comes, it folds away and waits for next year.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 1.2m spiral tinsel tree come with lights?
It has no lights built in. You wrap your own fairy lights round the spiral, so you can choose warm white, cool white or coloured lights to suit the room.
How small does the tree pack down for storage?
It folds down and packs to 520 x 200 x 70 mm, slim enough for a cupboard shelf, under a bed or the corner of the loft.
Which colours does the spiral tree come in?
It comes in blue, green, gold, silver and red. Green and gold suit a traditional look, while silver and blue suit a cooler, wintry scheme.
Can I put baubles on a spiral tinsel tree?
Small, light baubles suit the spiral well. Heavy glass baubles are better kept for a full-size tree.
Key details
| Packed size | 520 x 200 x 70 mm |
|---|---|
| Weight | 880 g |
Supplier-stated measurements.
Foldable Spiral Tinsel Christmas Tree
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