I know a lot of people go for no-drop types of Christmas tree these days but some of them still shed like billy-o.

Pine needles can be composted – they can be quite acidic though so if that’s undesirable, make sure you balance them out in your heap with some alkali things (wood ash, for example). Also don’t drop a heavy layer into the heap all in one place – they sit pretty densely together and can restrict airflow.

They can be used for lots of other things too – Crunchy Chicken linked to a range of recipes using pine needles in drinks and biscuits, and you can use them to stuff pin cushions.

Any other suggestions?

Oh, and happy Christmas to those that celebrate it :)