Animated Christmas Card  – ‘Tree’

Animated Christmas Card – ‘Tree’

‘Tree’ is a stop-motion animated Christmas card created as a festive greeting for clients. Produced by Sphere Design Associates (the predecessor to Toop Studio), this short seasonal animation blends handcrafted charm with playful storytelling, offering a unique and memorable way to spread holiday cheer.

The Story

The film follows a one-eyed Christmas tree decoration—a small, wheeled bird—who stumbles upon a lonely, undecorated tree. Speaking in its own ‘Christmas tree language’, the tree pleads for help, longing for ornaments to brighten its branches. Determined to assist, the bird rolls off in search of festive embellishments.

On its journey, it discovers a hidden gathering of baubles, led by a proud Christmas star. After some encouragement, the ornaments agree to follow, forming a quirky parade back to the tree. A tiny Christmas berry with a wiry body struggles to keep up, adding a touch of humour to the scene. Once they arrive, the impatient tree eagerly waves its branches. The bird flutters up, prompting the star and baubles to magically float into place, transforming the tree just in time for Christmas. A final unexpected twist delivers a lighthearted ending before the credits roll.

Production & Reception

This holiday animation was initially conceived as a rough first draft, with plans for a more polished final version. However, with the festive season approaching, the project was sent out as it was. Despite its imperfect production, the animated greeting received an overwhelmingly positive response from clients. One company even paid for the rights to use it as their own branded holiday video, with the fee being donated to charity—adding a touch of festive goodwill to the project.

By blending handcrafted stop-motion techniques with charming storytelling, ‘Tree’ stands as a delightful example of how an animated holiday greeting can bring warmth, personality, and creativity to seasonal branding.

Here is another Stop motion animation by Toop Studio: Compostable Packaging – Animation for Georganics