Upcycled Christmas trees go on show

FORTY Christmas trees with a difference went on display at Buninyong Town Hall recently.

Made from recycled wooden pallets and decorated by artists, community groups and schools, the trees were also part of a competition judged by members of the Buninyong Men’s Shed.

“Last year we worked with the Men’s Shed to make a lot of the trees. We had a Christmas tree farm and we had a few art trees,” said co-organiser Brigid Corcoran. “This year we decided to go a further with the art trees.”

All the trees were up for sale with 10 per cent the proceeded going to Soup Bus, 20 per cent returned to the event and the rest back to the artists.

With organisers gathering up the pallets, the Men’s Shed making the trees and the subsequent decorators coming from across the region, it’s been a whole of community effort.

“The diversity of talent means people have loved it,” Ms Corcoran said. “It’s so festive and such a nice start to Christmas and very Australian. One of the criteria the judges decided on was, ‘Christmas spirit, Australian vibes, and artistic ability’.

The environment and reusing items that might end up in landfill was a big part of the idea behind the trees and their decoration.

“It’s part of making a sustainable Christmas tree,” Ms Corcoran said. “People are looking at news ways, or inventive ways, to be more sustainable, and that doesn’t mean you can be creative.”