Tired of your ho-hum, bah-humbug, sit-there-like-a-lump-of-wood, old-school Christmas tree? Well, Instructables user fjordcarver has a solution for you.

The Instructable includes complete, clear instructions on how to build the tree and its servo-motor animatronics. The work involved is nice and simple, and would make a fantastic project for you and the Geeklings during the holidays. The list of required materials is very reasonable, and most can be found at a dollar store or scrounged from the basement:

A small wireframe artificial tree from the dollar store

x-mas tree covered wire (like the branches of the tree)

x-mas tree garland

scraps of wood, cardboard, polystyrene

craft paints

styrofoam balls

craft foam sheet

miscellaneous bits of wire or twist ties

1/4 inch piece of tubing

two servo motors

an Arduino or clone

a breadboard

two sets of Lynxmotion ball joints and threaded rod to match

Christmas lights (possibly battery operated)

various wiring headers

some Christmas decorations of a suitable scale for your tree

The Instructable includes a video of fjordcarver's final version:

I think the tree is pretty neat, though my wife says it's a little creepy. Head over to Instructables for the full story, and decide for yourself....