Unusual tree toppers for holiday tree
November 25, 2011 2:45 PM Subscribe
Quick, what's the strangest/most unusual/coolest holiday tree topper you've ever seen? Links appreciated, bonus points for light-up. No religious symbols, please.
Previously: HolidayFilter: Help us top our tree!
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:56 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:56 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's religious in its own way, but we used a Fighting Nun puppet for several years.
We also printed out a picture of our baby son in ugly mid-cry and used that for a while too.
posted by Lucinda at 3:15 PM on November 25, 2011
We also printed out a picture of our baby son in ugly mid-cry and used that for a while too.
posted by Lucinda at 3:15 PM on November 25, 2011
We top our tree with a plush Chthulu.
posted by leslies at 3:15 PM on November 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by leslies at 3:15 PM on November 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Those are a few good ideas, but I'm looking for more - saw one other thread about pagan symbols, but that's not really what I'm looking for...
posted by agregoli at 3:16 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by agregoli at 3:16 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Regretsy has the only one you'll ever need.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 3:18 PM on November 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 3:18 PM on November 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Friends put a photo of Carol Channing atop their tree one year -- because there's no bigger star than Carol Channing!
posted by kittydelsol at 3:19 PM on November 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by kittydelsol at 3:19 PM on November 25, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: One year we did an Illuminati eye-in-the-triangle tree topper that was a huge hit.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 3:19 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by rabbitrabbit at 3:19 PM on November 25, 2011
I use a plastic doll head on mine. If the mood strikes, I tuck a few lights from a strand already on the tree for a disconcerting light-up effect.
posted by corey flood at 3:29 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by corey flood at 3:29 PM on November 25, 2011
Best answer: For years I had a gold-painted papier-mache sun, nice nod to the solstice. Now I have a skull-bedecked Tibetan demon mask, because that's how I roll.
posted by cyndigo at 3:40 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by cyndigo at 3:40 PM on November 25, 2011
The Scream, from the Unemployed Philosophers Guild. (And maybe decorate your tree with several of these puppets?)
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:02 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:02 PM on November 25, 2011
I used to have a hand-made Donald Knuth tree topper.
Nobody ever knew why there was a bald white guy on top of the tree though.
posted by selenized at 4:16 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Nobody ever knew why there was a bald white guy on top of the tree though.
posted by selenized at 4:16 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
The family of an ex-girlfriend of mine was pretty hardcore atheist, and they had a Benjamin Franklin doll they put at the top of the tree. I loved that.
posted by number9dream at 4:30 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by number9dream at 4:30 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
A friend of mine had an old junker of a BMW that had reached the end of it's life. He converted the hood ornament into a Christmas tree topper (and has the steering wheel hanging on his wall)
posted by easily confused at 4:32 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by easily confused at 4:32 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
If I can find it, we use a koala hand puppet, with a festive strand of tinsel slung around its neck.
posted by thylacinthine at 4:50 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by thylacinthine at 4:50 PM on November 25, 2011
Best answer: We put a starfish on the top of our beach themed tree.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:56 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:56 PM on November 25, 2011
Best answer: Adorable baby sloth stuffed toy. Should probably get him a funny little hat this year, come to think of it!
posted by jetlagaddict at 5:03 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by jetlagaddict at 5:03 PM on November 25, 2011
Somewhere I have a Babylon 5 Vorlon figure which I keep threatening to drill out the bottom of an use as a tree topper. Not exactly religious.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 5:05 PM on November 25, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 5:05 PM on November 25, 2011 [4 favorites]
My husband's family used a stuffed snake for many years.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 5:55 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 5:55 PM on November 25, 2011
I have a plush seal, with a big gold bow. He gives the tree that certain...christmas seal of approval.
*taptaptap* Is this thing on? I said...christmas seal of approval....
I'm so sorry. I'll get me coat.
posted by dejah420 at 6:49 PM on November 25, 2011 [6 favorites]
*taptaptap* Is this thing on? I said...christmas seal of approval....
I'm so sorry. I'll get me coat.
posted by dejah420 at 6:49 PM on November 25, 2011 [6 favorites]
Patrick star, Spock, Bones McCoy, and Abe Lincoln have graced our trees lately.
posted by pappy at 6:59 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by pappy at 6:59 PM on November 25, 2011
Best answer: In my part of the world you often have a fairy as a Christmas tree topper. I don't do a tree but many are the gay buddies that have received an action man in a tiara and tutu and wings get-up from me.
posted by Iteki at 7:23 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Iteki at 7:23 PM on November 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My sister put an old wig on top and addressed the tree as a living being all season. It developed quite the personality.
posted by troika at 7:42 PM on November 25, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by troika at 7:42 PM on November 25, 2011 [5 favorites]
We have a genuine (purpose-built-and-sold) Warner Bros. "Marvin the Martian" tree topper.
He has a ribbon that says "Peace on Earth".
It's awesome.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 9:49 PM on November 25, 2011
He has a ribbon that says "Peace on Earth".
It's awesome.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 9:49 PM on November 25, 2011
I've been putting Jonathan Richman at the top of our tree for the past couple of years. Google image search+colour printer+scissors+cardboard+double-sided tape. Also works for Michael Caine or Dame Judy Dench.
posted by hot soup girl at 10:35 PM on November 25, 2011
posted by hot soup girl at 10:35 PM on November 25, 2011
We went to I think Michael's a few years back and got a fake bird with a clip on the bottom. I think it's a robin, and I think it's supposed to be used as an ornament. One of its wings has fallen off and it's looking pretty raggedy, and it doesn't really clip properly to the top of the tree, kind of upside-down, but we think it's the best thing ever. :)
posted by agress at 5:23 AM on November 26, 2011
posted by agress at 5:23 AM on November 26, 2011
My housemate and I stopped off at the craft store and with some pipe cleaners, glitter baubles and googly eyes made a flying spaghetti monster tree topper to celebrate His Noodleyness for the holidays.
posted by Saebrial at 5:40 AM on November 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Saebrial at 5:40 AM on November 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
We have a sparkly silver piggy bank on top of our tree. Got it at Old Navy for five bucks, pull out the money plug and it goes on the top perfectly, and it sums up my personal opinions of giftmas.
posted by themissy at 7:12 AM on November 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by themissy at 7:12 AM on November 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I've been trying to get my husband in the holiday spirit so we put up a mini dog-themed tree in the TV room where we spend most of our time with our dogs. He's nuts about our pups. We decided to paint a cheap plaster dog house to make it the tree topper and used the rest of the set as ornaments.
posted by TrickyLib at 9:34 AM on November 26, 2011
posted by TrickyLib at 9:34 AM on November 26, 2011
Best answer: As a slacker family, the first Christmas that our kids were with us (adopted) we still had some of our hallowe'en decorations sitting around. We all went out and bought a (silver foil) tree but, on arriving home, realized we didn't have any topper to put on it. Looking around, we found a ceramic skull decoration - with an open bottom and holes for eyes - and we fed the end of a string of lights up and in to make the eyes glow (purple). The kids loved it and, several years later, it's a tradition that we put it on the top of the tree - and the skull is safely stored with our Christmas decorations.
posted by VioletU at 9:50 AM on November 26, 2011
posted by VioletU at 9:50 AM on November 26, 2011
A pizza, the Empire State Building, and a meatball.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 12:18 PM on November 26, 2011
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 12:18 PM on November 26, 2011
Best answer: One year, I went to my Unitarian-Universalist church for a party to decorate the Christmas Tree... uh.... make that Solstice Tree, and we scratched our heads for something to put on top. We scrounged up some aluminum foil from the kitchen and fashioned a question mark ( ? ) that did the trick.
posted by exphysicist345 at 3:43 PM on November 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by exphysicist345 at 3:43 PM on November 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
One year I cut a star out of a disposable pie pan (the edge of it rolled up nicely to go on the tree). Another year we put a Barbie up there. (Possibly dressed as an angel or fairy, I don't remember very well.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 5:26 PM on November 26, 2011
posted by Margalo Epps at 5:26 PM on November 26, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kellyblah at 2:48 PM on November 25, 2011