Amazing Christmas Trees Made from Recycled Junk

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Chances are that you are setting up your Christmas tree right now. You imagine yourself sitting by the yuletide logs burning sweetly in the background as you curl up to your lover sipping hot chocolate.

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

However, if you are a "green enthusiast", this traditional holiday fantasy is far from your mind. Enter really cool Christmas trees made from recycled junk. The above and below images feature a Christmas tree in Sydney's The Rocks shopping plaza. It's made of 100 bicycles, "borrowed" from a junk yard until Christmas is over.

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Standing 23 feet tall, every part of this Christmas tree you see here is made of bicycles. The majority of each bicycle is painted green. The tires are all painted brilliant colors of the rainbow to simulate tree branches and Christmas lights.

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

It took eight weeks to make this magnificent work of art. However,it will be on display for only a month, until December 28th. The Tree-Cycle is part of an annual display of recycled material trees at Syndey's The Rocks. This is their third year doing this project. In the previous two years, the Christmas tree was made of bottles and chairs. This is by far the prettiest and most realistic looking Christmas tree thus far.

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

While many children across the world fantasize about having a bicycle under the tree, these bicycles are the tree itself. Even the "star" at the top of the tree is made of bicycle parts. It features the forks of the bicycle, near the handle bars, in a lifelike star arrangement.

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

After December 28th, these beautiful, artful pieces of junk will be returned to the junk yard. The salvageable parts will be made into usable bicycles for underprivileged children. So, expect a lot of kids in the Sydney area to be riding on green bicycles!

Photo: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Australia isn't the only place you will find unusual Christmas trees; there are some a bit closer to home too.

California features at least two "trees" made of shopping carts: One in Santa Monica and one in Emeryville, in the Bay Area.

Photo: impeccable swag

In a state built on materialism and abundant wealth, it is fitting that California would sport Christmas trees built out of shopping carts. The same artist, Anthony Schmitt, was the mastermind behind both the trees.

In total there are 84 shopping carts in each tree and it goes as high as 33 feet. The lighting ceremony was on Dec. 2.

This just proves that Charlie Brown was up to something grand when he brought out his unconventional Christmas tree.

I would like to thank the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority who permitted me to use these images. If you would like to see more of the bicycle Christmas tree in Sydney, please go here.