Lilybug Designs: Outdoor Christmas Tree

Here's a very simple project on making your own outdoor Christmas tree decoration. This project came about because our store bought ones were stolen last year. The nerve of some people! They took off with our little trees and our blow up Frosty the snowman. My daughter was so upset that we replaced Frosty and made our own trees.

Materials:

dowel rod (.5 dia X 42")

1/2" or 3/4" plywood circle (Approx 24" Dia)

eye bolts (13)

white paint

2 strings of lights (100 count Ea.)

zip ties

First step is to draw a circle on the plywood. The easiest way to do this is to drill a screw in the center and tie a string half of the diameter from the screw to the pencil. Then draw a circle.

Now cut the circle out with a jigsaw. I then painted it white and added the eye bolts. You will evenly space the eye bolts around the circle.

Go ahead and cut the dowel rod to size and paint it white as well. Next you will put an eye bolt in the top of the dowel rod.

Now use a small paddle bit and drill out a hole in the center of the circle. Don't go all the way through the circle, just enough to put the dowel rod in.

Now it is time to string the lights. Use a zip tie to secure the end of the string of lights to an eye bolt.

Take the string of lights and go to the top of the dowel rod and zip tie it to the eye bolt on the dowel rod.

Take the string back down to the circle on the opposite side that you started on. Keep in mind while string the lights that you need to balance the tension on each side every time you go up to the dowel rod.