DIY Christmas Tree Stand

This year we got our first pre-cut live Christmas tree! Unfortunately, we didn't have a christmas tree stand, so we went ahead and made our own. This tree stand supports the tree, makes it easy to water, costs around $10, and looks great!

DIY Christmas Tree Stand

Check out the instructions below to make your own.

Designing a DIY Christmas Tree Stand

We decided our Christmas tree needed to be relatively cat proof. This meant it needed to be very sturdy with the lower branches away from the floor. We also wanted to keep the cat from trying to drink (or spill) the water used to water the tree. We chose this design because the rocks make the water inaccessible to the cat. It also make the tree very sturdy so we shouldn't have to worry about the cat knocking the tree over.

Supplies

You will need relatively few supplies to make this work. We spent about $12 on everything but you could probably do it cheaper depending on what supplies you already have on hand.

• Planter or bucket with no holes in the bottom - $6.00
• 2 bags of rocks - $3.00 each 
• Saw or branch trimmers. 

All the supplies you will need for a DIY Christmas tree stand

Instructions for DIY Christmas Tree Stand

When picking the container make sure that it is tall enough to fit at least 10 inches of your tree trunk. The taller the container the more stable the tree will be. Also make sure that there are no holes in your container and pick a container that can hold water. We found a planter on sale for about $6.00,  but you could just as easily use a 5 gallon bucket that you could cover with wrapping paper or a tree skirt.

Container with no holes for DIY Christmas Tree Stand

Next you will want to trim the branches so that the trunk of the tree goes all the way to the bottom of the planter with no branches below the top of the planter. You can stand the tree up inside the pot and then mark a line on the tree where the top of the pot is and then remove all branches below that line.

Trimming the bottom branches for our DIY Christmas tree stand

Next you will want to prepare you rocks. To avoid making a mess we emptied our bags of rocks outside and then rinsed them. If you have clean rocks or are using gravel you could skip this step. Also if you are really careful you could empty the rocks into the container directly from the bag. Since I am known for being clumsy I decided to do this outside.

Rinsing the rocks for our DIY Christmas tree stand

Now add just a few rocks to bottom of your container and bring it inside.

Cover the bottom with a few rocks before bringing inside.

Now bring the tree inside and place it in the empty container. If you have a helper, have them the hold the tree in place. If not, try and prop the tree up against a wall. 

Center the tree in the container for the DIY Christmas Tree Stand

Now you can start filling up the container with rocks. I used a gallon pitcher and added the rocks, adjusting the tree as I went. Eventually the rocks will fill in around the tree trunk and will be strong enough to hold the tree on their own. 

Adding Rocks to the DIY Christmas Tree Stand

Continue filling the container until the rocks are at the very top. As you are filling the container with rocks you can adjust it so that your tree stands tall and straight. 

Sturdy DIY Christmas Tree Stand

Now your tree should be nice and sturdy and you can get started decorating your tree! 

Our Cat Approves of the DIY Christmas Tree Stand

I think you will find that this is a DIY Christmas tree stand that the whole family can enjoy! Please share this post with anyone you think would find it interesting. Many thanks to those of you take the time to read about my DIY adventures. I hope they inspire you to try a few projects on your own!