All you need are 4 pieces of wood, a bit of trim and bed hardware to make this beautiful and incredibly simple wood tree collar.
This build is so ridiculously easy, it’s almost embarrassing to put up…
but I’m sharing it because the key to it’s simplicity wasn’t my idea; it was the gentleman at Lee Valley’s and it’s genius!!
I made a wood tree stand several years ago and it had a stand in it to take my tree from 7.5′ to 9′. It worked and was cute, but it was so bulky to store that this year I decided it was time to find a collapsible tree collar. Something that wouldn’t eat up square footage in my already cramped utility room.
I found this wood tree collar on Bed, Bath & Beyond and I loved that it had hinges and hooks, allowing it to be folded upon itself and stored away flat.
I didn’t love the price tag – YIKES!
Even on sale this thing is awfully pricey for something that gets somewhat hidden under the tree and behind gifts.
Fortunately for me, I’m taking cabinetmaking at school right now and I have access to a giant pile of scrap wood – in all sorts of species and grains. (sorry I drooled a bit there)
I found 4 pieces of rough (meaning not smooth or planed down) and I got to work milling them myself.
You don’t have to do this, you can grab any scrap wood, regular or select cuts from a home improvement store, and save the extra step.
Once I had my wood nice and smooth, I cut it down to size;
Wood tree collar cut list
(2) boards at 25″ long by 10″ high and ¾” thick – front and back
(2) boards at 22 ½” long by 10″ high and ¾” thick – sides
(4) pieces at 25″ long by 1″ high by ¼” thick – front/back trim
(4) pieces at 22 1/2″ long by 1″ high by ¼” thick side trim
(8) pieces at 8″ long, by 1″ high by ¼” thick
Once you have all of your pieces cut to size, it’s just a matter of gluing the trim pieces, shaker style, to each board.
I used wood glue and clamps to hold them in place, but you could tap finishing nails in as well.
I gave the fronts and sides of each board a good sanding and then used a pickling white stain.
You’ll notice that I didn’t add the ‘X’ to the panels of my wood tree collar – you could easily do this by cutting more 1″ x ¼” strips, but because I was using oak I didn’t want to cover the beautiful grain up with more “stuff”.
Now comes the magic! I went to Lee Valley to see if they could hook me up with the hinges and hooks like in the Bed, Bath and Beyond version of the tree collar. The gentleman at the store suggested bed hardware instead – at less than ½ the price of the hinges and hardware, but accomplishing exactly what I wanted it to do, it was brilliant!
Bed hardware consists of two pieces – the hooks above, which slot into the rack below:
Better still, bed hardware comes in a package of 4 sets for about $10 – so it covers all four corners of your wood tree collar in one inexpensive solution!
I lined up the edges of my panels and then attached two pieces of the bed hardware to either end (of the backs).
See how flat those boards are – I’m talking for storage here. That’s all the space that your wood tree collar will take up when you unhook the sides and back and line them up on a shelf!
When you are ready to set it up for the season, just drop the hooks into the slots and make your perfect box!
The shorter sides nest inside of the longer front and back so that you have a sleek profile.
It’s so pretty it’s almost a shame to put it under the tree. lol
Four pieces of wood, a few pieces of trim, and 1 bed hardware kit to make a beautiful tree collar for your Christmas tree and still not take up storage real estate in the off seasons.
Have a great one!