Large DIY Outdoor Christmas Trees from Tomato Cages

This Christmas I'm taking my front porch up a notch.  The icicle lights and wreath are just not gonna cut it this year.   Along with my Pottery Barn-inspired 'Be Merry' sign, I'm decorating my Christmas front porch with three DIY lighted Christmas trees - all of which I made from tomato cage and dollar store garland.  I shared my impromptu mini potted Christmas Tree earlier this week....

Well now, I have the details on how to make large lighted Christmas trees.  If you're looking for inexpensive DIY Christmas decor (for inside or outside) this is your project!  The tall tree are 54" and cost me about $15 each to make - a major bargain considering how much tall lighted Christmas trees sell for..think triple digits for a pair.
Here's what you need for the large outdoor Christmas trees:

• 54" metal tomato cages - Home Depot sells them in the garden section for less than $4 each
• Garland - Dollar Tree sells 15' garland for... $1 (obvi). I needed 8 pieces of garland for each of the large trees, and a two for the smaller tree for a total of $20 in garland.
• String of 100 lights for each large tree
• Strips of scrap burlap (optional)
• Gold Star Topper - Dollar Tree

This is really a very easy project and one that even my 5 year old could help me with.

But let's back up a little bit...we started by placing one of the tomato stakes on the floor upside down so it looked like the shape of a tree.

I began wrapping one 15' section of garland at a time around starting at the bottom.  The first two inches of garland or so I would bend around the tomato cage to keep it in place.

The wide part around the bottom takes a lot of garland.  I wanted mine pretty close together so my trees were as full as possible and so I couldn't see the cage.

Just keep working your way up until you get to the very top of the tree using the garland to keep the stakes together at the top.  I left them just a little exposed so I could put the star on top.  Then I added a string of twinkle lights and strips of burlap which I had cut about 3 or 4 inches wide.   I topped each of my trees off with a gold star that I also found at the dollar store.

I originally planned to just have the two taller trees, but when I spotted my sad tomato plant and the awesome shape of the cage I decided it would get a new home on my front porch, too.

Here's the tutorial for the small potted Christmas tree...and the tut on the Pottery Barn knockoff 'Be Merry' sign and the details on how to make a burlap bow (in 30 seconds or less).

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