During our first year of "shacking," Justin and I decided we wanted a Christmas tree. Even though we were living in sin, we were super excited about decorating our duplex in celebration of baby Jesus. In all honesty, it probably had more to do with the fact that I love to decorate and I finally had some one to split the cost with ;-)
Fortunately, our local Tru Value was running an incredible deal on an artificial, pre-lit tree that year. We went to the store and left with "our" very first Christmas tree! It wasn't the most realistic tree that a person could buy, but it fit our budget. Next on our list was a quick-trip to Walmart for some decorations and Hobby Lobby for the tree skirt.
Several years later and I would love to have a new--more realistic looking--Christmas tree. Only problem? I don't have new Christmas tree money! I have completely stopped walking past the display of Christmas trees at all the stores because if I see something, I'm reallllllllllllllllly bad about justifying why I need it.
However, I can thank Ballard Designs for coming to the rescue and inspiring me to "renew" the look of our tree. Last year, they featured all these amazing tree planters/urns in their catalogs. I had never seen such a thing before and was in awe--I loved how they were a bit unexpected but also didn't take up as much floor space as a traditional tree skirt.
The catch? They start at $100 (without shipping) and never go on sale.
Knowing there was no way I could buy one, I decided I would figure out how to make one on my own. Starting this Fall, I stalked Home Depot until their planters went on clearance.
For $30, I picked up a green urn almost identical to the image shown just above ^. Now I just had to patiently wait until Christmas was close enough to start experimenting with my crazy idea.
After 40 pounds of quick-setting concrete (which came at no cost due to our Ace Preferred Customer reward points), Vasoline, saran wrap, a blow dryer, 3 patio chairs and an evening of 35 degree weather, I now have my Ballard Design-inspired urn at a third of the cost :-)
Thus far, the planter is working out GREAT! And no, I'm not quite ready for the big reveal ;-) Unforunately, our Christmas decorating is taking much longer this year. If I ever finish decorating the tree, I'll be sure to post a picture of the final product!
In case you're interested, here's a somewhat basic guide to making your own planter:
--Track down a fiberglass pot. Don't use a ceramic or terra cot pot as it will become too heavy! Ballard's now carries a wooden, square pot that is really neat--if you like this look, just make sure the planter has some type of liner.
--Find yourself somebody strong to help carry the heavy stuff and do all the stirring.
--I took the bottom part of our Christmas tree and decided how far down in the pot it needed to go. Luckily, a 40-lb bag of cement made enough to reach the level I wanted.
--Wrap the base of your tree in Vasoline and wrap with Saran Wrap. If the tubing is hollow, make sure you also cover the opening. The saran wrap and vasoline will guarantee that you will be able to remove the tree from the dried cement.
--Mix the concrete in the planter per the directions on the bag. Make sure your planter does not have an open hole in the bottom when you do this! Once the concrete is mixed, insert your tree into the gooey stuff and find a way to hold the tree in place. I used our 3 old patio chairs. Quick-crete takes a while to set and you don't want to be there overnight. Apparently, using a blow-drier does NOT speed up the process. Also, make sure the air temperature is not too cold.
--After 24 hours, the cement should be cured and you're good to go!
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