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17 Best Aluminum Christmas Trees on Amazon

The aluminum Christmas tree is a staple of classic Mid-Century Modern style and this vintage silver Christmas tree trend is in for 2023. These are the 17 best metallic trees with the convenience of shopping on Amazon. If you’re short on space, consider a pencil Christmas tree. Don’t wait as shipping times may be slower than expected again this year.

Price: $ – $
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What Are the Origins of the Vintage Aluminum Christmas Tree?

While fake Christmas trees had been around since the 1880s starting in Germany, according to the University of Illinois' Christmas Tree Facts page, it wasn't until the late 1950's that an American company figured out how to mass-produce an artificial tree with reflective foil needles. 

This new style of tree was an absolute sensation and aluminum trees flooded the holiday aesthetic of the 1960s transforming the rustic pine into a sleek, Mid-Century Modern piece of art. 

Not to mention it was one of the first artificial trees to be affordable enough for the average household and it had all the benefits of a fake tree in that it lasted for years.

Why Did They Use Christmas Tree Color Wheels?

These trees were lit from below instead of placing lights on the tree itself. While this is no longer a danger, back in the 1960's these trees were made of metal, so running electricity on them was a recipe for a nasty shock. Instead, a rotating color wheel of light was set up to create a light show on the reflective needles. They're still available today for a truly vintage look. 

For that reason, as cool as it could be to get an authentic period tree, they simply aren't as safe as the trees manufactured today. You can still get the retro look without risking electrocution. 

What Was the 1960's Silver Christmas Tree Style?

The decoration trends to go with these new shiny trees were fairly minimal. Style books of the time like Midcentury Christmas Holiday Fads, Fancies, and Fun from 1945 to 1970 suggested no tinsel or garland and restricting ornaments to a single color and very few in number.

Did Charlie Brown Kill Silver Christmas Trees?

It sounds wild, but according to David Murray, A Charlie Brown Christmas is what killed the aluminum tree. 

Released in December of 1969, its depiction of a Christmas tree lot filled with cold, metal, and brightly colored fake trees became a symbol for losing the true meaning of Christmas. 

Almost immediately families ditch their shiny metal trees en masse and went back to real trees causing the original aluminum tree company to shut down production in 1970.

Not long after, the development of the plastic bottlebrush artificial tree hit the market and people never looked back. Until now.

Want a Mid-Century Modern Christmas?

The clean, Mid-Century style is still seeing its resurgence today. (Art Deco gave it a good try this year, but that look gets old fast and Mid-Century's simplicity and beauty is timeless.)

Silver trees with sparse decoration are trending for their clean, modern look that also creates such a feeling of nostalgia for folks who grew up in the aluminum tree boom. 

Pro Tip: Trees with this type of coloring are sensitive UV light which can discolor or fade them. Protect your tree with a Christmas tree storage bag and keep the bag out of direct sunlight.

What Are Some Decorating Tips for the Modern Aluminum Tree?

  • Go retro with only one color of ornaments 
  • Or go overboard with vintage old-world glass ornaments
  • For colored trees, use ornaments of the same color as the tree
  • Try all pastel Christmas balls
  • Use a retro color wheel light
  • Leave it completely bare and perfect as it is
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