I Thought It Was Just a Little Christmas Tree, Until the Lights Came On

My sister Kate and I have a rule about Christmas gifts: nothing big, nothing expensive, nothing that needs a closet.

So last year, when a small box from her showed up on my porch in early December, I knew it would be something small. I opened it at the kitchen counter and pulled out a small Christmas tree made of colored glass, about the height of a coffee mug and a half, with a metal frame holding the panels together and a decorative base.

It was pretty. Red, green, gold and blue glass, set in sections like a church window. I texted her a thank-you, set it on the bookshelf in the living room, and went back to wrapping presents.

Honestly, I thought of it as a cute little ornament. I did not notice the cable tucked in the box until a few days later.

A Pretty Thing on a Shelf

For the first few days, it was just that. A colorful little decoration among the books.

In the daytime, the glass catches the window light and the colors show nicely, especially in the morning. If you look closely, the panels are layered, each section framed in metal, like a tiny version of a stained-glass window you might see in an old church or a library.

It was nice. But nice in the way a lot of Christmas decorations are nice. You see it, you think "cute," and your eye moves on.

The Evening Everything Changed

On a Tuesday a week before Christmas, I was clearing the shelf to dust it and found the USB cable in the bottom of the gift box. I plugged the tree into the charger on my side table, switched off the overhead light and sat down with a cup of tea.

I had no idea.

The light comes from inside the tree, and it turns every glass panel into a glowing piece of color. The reds go deep and warm. The greens look like real pine in candlelight. The gold panels shine. And the light spills out onto the wall and the books around it in soft, colored reflections, the way sunlight comes through a stained-glass window.

It did not look like a little decoration anymore. It looked like a small piece of artwork that had been waiting for the dark.

I took a picture and sent it to Kate. She wrote back: "Told you to plug it in."

She had not, in fact, told me.

Why the Glow Is So Different

I have had plenty of light-up Christmas decorations. Most of them use small, bright bulbs that look a little harsh, or plastic that glows flat and even.

This one works differently, and it is worth understanding why.

The glass does the work. The colored glass panels filter the light, so what you see is not a bulb. It is color, glowing from inside the glass.

The light is soft. It uses a gentle 5W LED, warm rather than glaring. It sets a mood more than it lights a room. It is ideal for evenings, not for reading the newspaper.

The frame draws the lines. The metal frame between the panels stays dark when the light is on, so each section of color stands out on its own, exactly like a real stained-glass window.

The reflections spread it out. Because the light shines through colored glass, it throws soft color onto whatever is nearby, so a small tree warms a much bigger space.

Three Places I Tried It

Once I saw what it could do, I spent the rest of the season moving it around. It is only 9 inches tall and 4.7 inches wide, and it runs on USB with no batteries, so it goes almost anywhere there is a USB port or plug.

The bookshelf. Where it started. At night, the colored reflections on the book spines are the coziest thing in the room.

The nightstand. For a few nights it was my bedside light. It is too soft to read by, but it is a lovely glow to fall asleep to in December.

The kitchen windowsill. This is where it ended up. From the street, the glowing glass looks like a tiny lit church window. My neighbor asked about it while walking her dog.

The Practical Side

For something this pretty, it is refreshingly easy to live with.

No batteries. It runs on USB, so there are no batteries to buy, replace or find dead in January. Plug it into a USB wall adapter, a power strip with USB ports or a laptop, and it lights.

Small footprint. At 9 inches tall and 4.7 inches wide, it takes up about as much room as a vase of flowers. It fits on a nightstand next to a phone and a glass of water, which is not true of most Christmas decorations.

Real materials. The panels are glass and the frame is metal, on a decorative base. It has the weight and feel of a real object, not a plastic toy, which is a big part of why it looks like artwork.

Gentle light. The 5W LED is soft enough to leave on all evening without it being harsh, and it is just right for a dark room at night.

Easy to store. When the season ends, it goes back into its box and onto a closet shelf, ready for next year. No tangled strings of lights.

Who It Is For

It fits anywhere big decorations do not. Apartments, dorm rooms, office desks, a bedside table or a coffee corner. It is a natural gift for a sister, a mom, a teacher, a neighbor or a coworker, or anyone who loves Christmas but has limited space.

And because it is glass and light rather than Santa and snowmen, it does not look out of place in early January either.

What Customers Are Saying

Linda M.

I honestly didn’t expect this little tree to look so pretty when it was lit up! The colored glass gives off such a warm glow, and I love how the light reflects onto the wall behind it. I keep it on my bookshelf in the evenings, and it makes the whole corner feel special.

Carol B.

I love Christmas decorations, but I don’t have much room for big ones in my apartment. This little tree fits perfectly on my bedside table without making it feel cluttered. The glass colors look lovely during the day, and the glow at night is even better. I also like that it plugs in with USB instead of needing batteries.

Susan R.

I bought this for my sister because she loves unique Christmas decorations, and she was so happy with it! She plugged it in right away and sent me a picture that evening. The stained-glass look is beautiful, and the colors really stand out when the light is on. It’s a lovely little gift that feels more special than an ordinary ornament.

My Turn