SANTA'S WORKSHOP: YellowDog Country's Andy and Emma Berridge are building a barbed wire tree empire from their home at Brigalow. Photos: Brandon Long

Andy and Emma Berridge build barbed wire trees in all finishes and sizes and deliver them to towns across Australia.

When it comes to Christmas trees, some prefer the fresh smell of pine, while others want a maintenance-free plastic affair, but a crafty couple from the state's southwest believe the best tree for the festive season is one made of barbed wire.

YellowDog Country's Andy and Emma Berridge at Brigalow are into their fourth year building and selling the spiky centrepieces and business is booming.

"Last year we did over 150, and then we thought, 'Surely not this year?' And [we'd] already delivered over 100 of our larger trees [by early December this year]," Mr Berridge said.

The pair hand craft the trees in their shed in a range of finishes and sizes, from new and shiny galvanised to rusty and burnt, and from the 'mini' all the way to the 3.5m extra large.

Mrs Berridge said most customers preferred the rusty over the new.

"Every tree is unique depending on what condition the wire is in," she said.

"Some of it can be burnt and black and others have different shades of brown and orange."

New wire is mostly sourced from Chinchilla, while their old wire is usually gathered from farmers in the area who are upgrading.

They use a wire winder out in the paddock to make the job easier, but once in the workshop, they get back to basics.

Andy Berridge uses just three tools to build the trees.

"We've got the drop saw for cutting the steel, the grinder for touching stuff up and the welder - that's it," Mr Berridge said.

"There are a lot of people that don't believe us [when we say] we haven't got a mechanical winder. I weld the branches onto the trunk, Emma spins the tree, and I thread the wire on."

From there, the small trees are usually posted, while the larger ones are put on their custom 8m long trailer and delivered across Australia.

It's not an easy feat for the couple - Andy works as a fencer on the Darling Downs Moreton Rabbit Board and Emma is an admin manager in Chinchilla.

However, both work nine-day fortnights, which means when they need to do a run, they leave on Thursday night and return on Sunday, taking turns driving and sleeping.

"We take the swags, so when you're out around Winton and those types of places, there's always a roadhouse with a shower. Even if you have to camp on the side of the road with your swag, you just do that," Mr Berridge said.

These days they clock 15,000 to 20,000km a year in deliveries.

Andy, a mechanical engineer from Brisbane turned cattle contractor in the NT turned rabbit proof fence worker, has been making bush crafts since 2014, starting out with horseshoe boot racks.

All the work is carried out in the shed.

It was the following year that the tree obsession took off.

"Me and some mates drank some beer and built a three-and-a-half metre horseshoe Christmas tree," he said.

"Emma's mum said, 'Reuse the horse shoe tree next year,' and I said, "No, I've got to do something different'. So that's when we actually built a three and a half metre barbed wire tree."

After posting them on social media, customers began placing orders from all over the country, from city centres to far flung bush towns.

"We did notice in the first couple of years with the city [customers] - [there were] a lot of older, possibly widowed ladies who had lived on properties out west and retired to the city," Mr Berridge said.

"One lady actually said to us, 'It reminds me of the station I grew up on'. But then I think a few hipsters like them because they're barbed wire."

The pair say their passion allows them to spend more time together and build a business in the process.

"It gives us time together. We haven't killed each other yet," Mrs Berridge said.

"I think it's working on a future. My body's not going to hold up fencing forever. I'm not saying I'm going to retire in five years, but it's [about] putting a plan in place," Mr Berridge said.

Want daily news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the Queensland Country Life newsletter below.