Ring the Tree - Tree Collar DIY

Merry December November 17th, friends! But it may as well be December already...we have decided to pretty much skip the Thanksgiving festivities and get right to the good stuff - CHRISTMAS! Because really...who wants to spend the two days after Thanksgiving in a mad rush to switch out all of your decorations by December 1st when you could just have them up..well...NOW?! 

In the spirit of kicking things off early this year (or right on time if you ask me), here is a little project for you to bring in some trendy decor and save a bit of money for your Christmas shopping. 

I KNOW you all get the Crate & Barrel catalog and have already picked out 47 things you must have this year, and I would be willing to bet that their new "tree collars" are somewhere in your top 5, right? They are super cute, a fun alternative to the boring old tree skirt and, as my good friend Natasha pointed out...won't collect endless mounds of dog hair throughout the month. But I can't justify spending $60+ on an upside down washtub that is used once a year...so, it was time for a DIY! We spent about $15, but you could do it for even less depending on the bucket/pot you find.

Here is what you need to get started: 

- Bucket/Tub/Planter, etc
- Hammered/metallic spray paint
- Tape measure
- Drill/attachment
- Box cutter (optional)
- Your tree stand/lower pole piece

**Notes**: 

a) Even though I love the galvanized/metallic look, I think I may actually repaint it red with white polka dots and/or chevron and/or some sort of fun and colorful Christmas print. Why not??
b) If you don't have a drill or attachment to make a larger hole, you can always just use a plain old box cutter to cut the hole (or the entire bottom out)....no one sees this part, so it doesn't have to be pretty!
c) It would be great to just get an old, cheap galvanized tub and cut the bottom out, but sometimes these are actually fairly pricey and more importantly not quite so easy to cut through. With the seasons changing, a ton of stores have their flower pots on sale, so I picked this one up at Home Depot for next to nothing. I know I could have gotten something even closer to the original and probably even cheaper, but with a teething TODDLER in tow, we were forced to choose between the nearest few stores. 

Now, get started!

1.  Make sure the diameter of your pot is large enough to cover the base/stand of your tree, and make sure the height of the pot is short enough to allow your lowest tier of limbs to be attached (for artificial trees).

2. Measure the diameter of the tree pole, and choose a slightly wider drill attachment to allow for some clearance. Again, you can always skip this step (and step 3), and just cut out a hole or the entire bottom of your bucket with a box cutter/sawzall/etc. 

3. Drill your hole through the center of the bottom of the pot, and make sure the tree pole fits comfortably in the stand beneath.

4. Spray paint your pot the desired color (or make hubs do it to avoid fumes)..add patterns...bedazzle it....whatever your heart desires!

Ta-Da!

And there you have it....just four super simple steps, and you have yourself a very chic and trendy new tree collar straight from the pages of C&B! I was also loving their metallic garlands, so I whipped one up for this picture and think we may just have to keep it. You can get yours here! 

I promise I will catch up on our Halloween and fall ASAP, but for now I will leave you with a little Christmas cheer from Trent. Next up...a mini tree collar for his tree?? I am thinking YES. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone....we are going to try and stay in the spirit despite the 84 degree high today!