2025 Press Photography by Richard Hancox for The Courier. Further images available to view and download here.
Since 2014, Dundee has been the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design. This global designation as a Creative City acknowledges Dundee’s rich design heritage, its thriving contemporary design sector and a city committed to using design to solve problems and make Dundee a better place to live.
Dundee’s Designer Christmas Trees celebrate this status, presenting designs developed locally. Part of Dundee’s Festive Celebrations, in partnership with Dundee City Council, 17 designs have been commissioned through the project since its start in 2022. All elements of the final trees (and their decorations!) must be made from 100% reused or recycled materials and utilise multiples of an object or material.
This year, we’re excited to present 4 new designs:
‘My Christmas Tree Was A…’ by Man Pin (Louise Forbes & Islay Spalding)
Constructed from broken and discarded musical instruments, Man Pin’s Christmas Tree design highlights the beautiful shapes and materials seen within these once loved objects. The Tree even makes its own music! When the wind blows, you may just hear it sing…
Man Pin is a collaboration between wood-worker Louise Forbes and jeweller Islay Spalding. Using old wooden objects such as instruments, whisky casks or sports equipment, they create limited collections of wooden pins and accessories.
Featured musical instruments were collected from ScrapAntics’ ScrapStore and Vintage Strings, a music shop that specialises in the sale and repair of orchestral instruments and pianos, both in Dundee’s West End.
“It has been really exciting taking apart these instruments and seeing all of the craftsmanship involved in the making. We hope creating this tree is an inspiring way to show the wide range of materials used in the creation of musical instruments.”
Louise Forbes & Islay Spalding, Man Pin
‘ARE WE THERE YET!!!’ by John Fairley (ZX81art)
Saved and given new life, these road signs have been reimagined as a Christmas Tree by John Fairley (ZX81art). Evoking memories of family road trips and the annual anticipation of holiday celebrations, ‘ARE WE THERE YET!!!’ feels like an apt title!
These road signs have been kindly donated by The James Hutton Institute, a world-leading scientific research institute for the sustainable management of land, crops, and natural resources that support thriving communities. Marking former roads across their campus in Invergowrie, these signs fell out of use and were removed to make way for new infrastructure.
John Fairley (ZX81art) is a Dundee-based installation artist on a mission to raise a smile. Working primarily with every day public items, ZX81 looks to transform the mundane into moments of joy for the viewer to pass along.
“It’s been so much fun reimagining the directions that we’re told to take in life. From the magic of being little at Christmas, growing up and recycling that magic into new directions for everyone, it’s been a great experience and I hope everyone enjoys it.”
John Fairley, ZX81art
‘The Christmice Tree’ by Hollis Crowe
The Christmice Tree is made from old wooden bed slats, reused chicken wire and household electrical waste. Here you can see all those things found in that old box of mystery cables that seems to sit in every home – USB cables, charging plugs, computer mice, ethernet cables and more.
So much everyday technology is disposable by design but the tech in your life should be high quality, durable, and repairable. 6 million tonnes of e-waste is generated annually in the UK, but we only recycle 31.2% of it.
Hollis Crowe is a creator with a background in environmental science, an interest in green space usage, and a belief in art and design as a science communication tool.
“Anything can be taken apart and changed, and anything that can be changed has potential.”
Hollis Crowe
“At UNESCO City of Design Dundee, we believe in the power of design and the essential place of designers in the life of our city. 2025’s Designer Christmas Tree makers have all excellently portrayed this ethos whilst showcasing the importance of sustainability in design.”
Lizzie Day, Project Coordinator at UNESCO City of Design Dundee
‘Tinsel Trash’ by Zoe Gibson
Made from tin cans, biscuit tins and reclaimed garden netting, this tree is bursting with movement. The netting has been cut into strips to create tassels, exactly like tinsel! This tree even jingles in the wind with bells placed throughout the design.
How many tree decorations can you spot? They’re made from tomato purée tubes!
Zoe Gibson is a Dundee-based visual artist whose work combines sculpture, filmmaking, installation and drawing. Her work is inspired by folk art, craft, festival culture and the Scottish landscape, underpinned by a belief that art should be a deeply embedded part of our everyday surroundings.
The garden netting (ripped and damaged by bad weather) has been kindly donated by Ninewells Community Garden, a therapeutic garden based at Ninewells Hospital.
“I’ve really enjoyed sourcing the materials for this tree, it’s nice to let the quirks and irregularities of second hand materials guide what you make!”
Zoe Gibson
Returning trees from 2022-2024 are:
- The Absentree by Lyle McCance
- Retro Celebrations by Billy Hutchison
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Caishnah Nevans
- Make Trees Trees Again! by Blair McCafferty
- Spiral Tree by Helm Young Team
- The Material Christmas by Lee Johnstone & Aymeric Renoud
- The Exploding Tree by Suzanne Scott & Louise Forbes
- ‘Silent night, holy bike’ by Camillo Atlas with pupils from Braeview Academy and Craigie High School
- ‘A Fast Fashion Christmas’ by Dreamland
- ‘Adrift’ by Steve Page
- ‘Cone home for Christmas’ by Jo-AMI
Dundee’s Designer Christmas Tree project is supported by Dundee City Council and delivered by UNESCO City of Design Dundee.
