DIY Tomato Cage Christmas Tree tutorial

Bringing back an oldie but goody.

{scroll down to see all 4 of my Christmas trees}

A couple of years ago, I made a lighted tomato cage tree – a DIY Christmas tree using lighted garland and a tomato cage. I was able to find everything I needed at my local True Value Hardware.

Materials:

Tomato cage. Ask a store associate. They should have them in the warehouse/storeroom since it’s not garden season.I got the largest they had.

3 – 9ft. lighted garland

Thick rubber band

To make the tree:

Using a rubber band, gather the “stakes” to make a tee-pee top and secure together (sorry for the bad picture! I didn’t check it before going to the next step…too late now!).

Starting at the bottom (with the plug end of the garland), start to wrap the bottom wire circle with the garland. Wrap a few branches here and there around the wire frame to secure.

Working around the frame, continue wrapping.

When one garland ends, plug in another and continue wrapping to the top.

Fluff. If there are gaps, fill in by twisting branches around the frame or fluff branches to fill ‘holes’.

All done! We don’t have a live tree and I love the smell of pine. So I headed out to the backyard and clipped small pieces of different real pine.

Just tuck them in open areas for a fuller ‘real’ look with pine scent! (Mine are only tucked but you can use floral wire to make things more secure if needed.) I do this closer to the holiday since there’s no way to water the fresh sprigs or add only when entertaining.

Need more height? {This year I used an old small barrel}

Or this also works great for a base:

5 gallon bucket
fabric
large rubber band

Take the handle off of the bucket.

Stretch a rubber band around the top of the bucket.

Sit bucket in the center of a piece of fabric and tuck under the rubber band.

It’ll look like this:

Add a round tray (aluminum cookie tray or rattan works) and it’s the perfect base to add height to your tomato cage tree. If you have an out of the way spot, it can just rest on top. Otherwise attach with wire into the holes were the handles were removed.

You could also paint the bucket instead and fill with stones for weight to use outdoors. The base was a little to high for my purposes so I didn’t end up using it…oops!

My tomato cage Christmas tree in 2010:

This year…

Have you assembled your own tomato cage Christmas tree? They’re beautiful for outdoor entryways too!

More DIY shown above:

3 more OF MY CHRISTMAS TREES

{tips for decorating your Christmas tree – can you tell lights are strung vertically? I create a faux root ball to give our 7.5′ tree another foot of height.}

For even MORE Christmas tree inspiration…

Winner of the $100 True Value gift card has been announced!

We were chosen by True Value to be one of the members of the 2012 DIY Squad. I have been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY projects. However, the thoughts and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own. I have not been paid to publish positive comments and no one has twisted my arm to participate.