Holey Christmas Tree: St. Paul entrepreneur punches up an enviro-friendly take on the artificial tree

"I'm going to write about how this Holey Christmas Tree is environmentally friendly," I told my girlfriend as I punched the tree's sections out of a large sheet of cardboard.

"You can also," she suggested, "say how it allows you to have a semblance of Christmas spirit with about 12 minutes of work."

The Holey Christmas Tree is the invention of St. Paul resident Terry Casey. It's a two-and-a-half-foot artificial tree manufactured—also in St. Paul—entirely of recycled cardboard. There's, yep, about 12 minutes of assembly required: once the two halves are punched out, all that's left is to slide them together and poke out the holes where you'd like to hang your ornaments.

When assembled, the tree has a appealingly retro look; I added some vintage ornaments from my family's Christmas chest and decorated with a string of lights. It would make a great St. Nick's Day treat for your favorite environmentally-conscious hipster living in close quarters. (Thanks, but I already have one.) Holey Christmas Trees are available for $15 at all Bibelot locations and for a penny less at the Lake Calhoun Whole Foods.

• Love it! - by Nickey Robo on Thu, 12/06/2012 - 1:47pm