It was love at first sight when I walked into Restoration Hardware yesterday and saw their stunning lit birch trees . Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford their versions, so I reasoned that I could probably DIY my own using some white-lit branches. However, when I went to Amazon, I saw that these birch trees with a nice base were available for less than half the RH price, so I decided to get them instead.

The real thing has the most attraction when it comes to greenery, but I do adore a beautiful imitation version that can be done up with glittery accents or accessorized with simple ribbon. Like the ones depicted below, a decent imitation can closely resemble the real thing in appearance. However, the added benefit is that they are durable and can be used repeatedly throughout the year.

Everything with real leaves eventually dries to a crisp, as nature intended, so I’m pleased to occasionally substitute false naturals to mimic the real thing.