Style Your Holiday Décor with a Goodwill-Found Mannequin Turned Tree
Upcycle a dressmaker’s mannequin into a show-stopping, heart-pounding Christmas tree. This one-of-a-kind holiday decoration is made more memorable with repurposed items (also picked up at Goodwill), giving it DIY style, sparkle, and shine.
On a chilly December afternoon, with holiday music playing and a table full of thrifted treasures, this project came together in the most joyful way—proof that a little imagination can turn castoffs into keepsakes.
Here’s how:
1. Find Your Good & Unique Pieces at Goodwill–everyday
With the holiday season here and the end of 2025 around the corner, you might be thinking about your resolutions for the New Year. Our recommendation? Add shopping to your list in 2026 at a Goodwill nonprofit retail store to find special, fun, and unusual items — like this dressmaker’s mannequin.
When I saw it at Goodwill many months ago, it had to go home with me because it was an unexpected treasure. At that time, I never imagined it would become a Christmas tree gracing my living room.
In addition to the mannequin, most items used for this DIY project were picked up for pennies or a buck or two from Goodwill. Lime green placemats, beaded coasters, and colorful scarves were all collected there during various thrifting adventures.
During a recent Art Supply Swap event co-hosted by Finding Your Good & Tim Kime Art, I picked up wood-handled paint brushes, an impressionist coffee table book, and dotted cocktail napkins. Now they are a part of this DIY project. This holiday decoration is all about repurposing, rethinking, and rejoicing—and is good for Mother Earth, too.
2. Give your gal some grandeur
To make this mannequin resemble a tree, we needed to give it a broader, triangular-shaped bottom half. A large plastic flowerpot was enlisted for this step. It was flipped upside down, and a hole was cut into its center. Keeping it upside down, the mannequin’s support pole was inserted through the hole, and strong duct tape was used to hold it in place.
3. Dress her up with repurposed pieces
To give this gal some festive, upcycled style, a light blue scarf with shiny accents was pinned to her waist, allowing it to hang down and hide the pot. From the shoulders and draped around the body, a teal and purple throw blanket was added for a soft, fringed texture. The thin, leather and hot pink strap from a purse was removed and used as a belt to hold the blanket in place. While it already looked really nice, we now wanted to shift it from a dress to a decoration.
4. Twist on pine swags and string on lights
To make the mannequin look more like a tree, an artificial pine swag was wrapped around it from the waist to the bottom. A string of lights was also added, following the same path as the swag.
In the flick of an on switch, this piece became a tree!
5. DIY decorations double the delight
This decorating step is so much fun because it adds personality, pizzazz, and warmth when you incorporate gifted items from those you love.
Coasters
Beaded, shiny, and round coasters were turned into ornaments lickety-split by taping on tree hooks to their backs.
Coffee book pages & cocktail napkins
Book pages and napkins were rolled into cone/triangular shapes, then hot-glued into place. A tree hook was pushed through at the top. One book page had a young woman painting, so she was added, too, to highlight the artsy theme.
Paint brushes
A handful of handsome wooden paintbrushes added some personality when they were added to her waist and held in place by the purse strap-turned-belt.
Place mats
Three bright green place mats with circular designs and open sections were also draped on.
Handknitted scarf
A scarf hand-knit by my dear mom, Barb, in matching colors, was wrapped from the top down. To hold it in place on the shoulder, a bright blue bird statue was added, now perched there to welcome all.
Paint chip strips
A total upcycler’s delight, paint chip strips from a hardware store are added using ornament hangers. Matching tones connect them instantly.
Paris ornament & more
A Paris snow globe ornament from my dear friend Dianne was secured on the shoulder. A rhinestone eye-shaped earring was added over her heart in honor of being part of an optimist’s family.
6. Stage & style with other Goodwill items, personal accessories
To give this special holiday gal some stature, she was placed in front of my living room windows on a teal footstool/coffee table, also picked up at Goodwill, of course! Around her base, a sequined-bordered, teal and real Christmas tree was placed.
A blue glass-tiled votive, gifted by Carolyn of Finding Your Good, and a cheerful birdhouse were added, too, for more visual delight and loving charm. Given to me by my Uncle Randy and Aunt Gretchen, a beloved statue of a boy painter, whom I nicknamed “Guy,” was added in front, again underscoring the artistic theme.
Picking up the colors in the tree, a striped throw pillow was placed on a chair. On another footstool/coffee table, a square dish, along with coffee table books, a candle, a small Eiffel Tower statue, a wooden “Joy” cutout, and more, was added to complete the happy holiday look.
Thanks to Finding Your Good and Goodwill of Greater Washington for making the holiday season brighter and more affordable for all shoppers and treasure-seekers. Thank you for always being a light that shines on our community during this special time of year and every day!
Similar Reads:
- DIY: Repurposed Christmas Trees
- Reuse, Repurpose & Rejoice: Charming Holiday Décor Made from Thrifted Treasures – Finding Your Good
Tim Kime
Artist, Motivational Speaker, Life Coach
