4 creative DIY Christmas tree collar ideas to take your holiday decor to the next level

Christmas tree collars are a super trendy alternative to a Christmas tree skirt. They have a sleeker, more modern look compared to a fabric tree skirt.

Think of a sofa: some have a fabric flap at the bottom, while others simply have little feet. Neither is wrong, it’s just a different aesthetic and vibe.

Tree collars hide the base of your Christmas tree and are surprisingly easy to make yourself! You can upcycle them from everyday items or make your own!

What is a tree collar?

A Christmas tree collar is like a choker necklace for your tree. They cover the base and stand of your tree without excess material.

They usually look sleeker and more modern than a tree skirt. Tree collars are usually made of sturdy materials such as wicker, metal or wood, and not fabric.

Tree collars are a good option if you want to cover the base or stand of your Christmas tree and want something sturdier than a piece of fabric.

Can you use a tree collar on a real tree?

Yes of course! Although tree collars were originally designed to hide the bases of artificial trees, they can also work with real trees. Just make sure your tree’s stand fits into the collar and you’re good to go!

You also want to make sure you can water your Christmas tree through the collar. It should be open at the top and you can use a watering can.

Tree skirt versus tree collar

Christmas tree skirts are usually circles of fabric with a hole in the center for the tree trunk (and usually a slot to easily slide it into place). Christmas tree collars are usually made of hard material such as wood, metal or wicker.

The advantage of a tree apron is that it can be folded up small and takes up virtually no storage space. They can be washed and replaced after a few years for a new look.

However, tree skirts can become wrinkled and untidy much more easily.

Tree stands are typically large and do not fold or collapse, so they take up much more storage space. However, they are more durable and stay in place once installed.

How do you make a tree collar fit?

It is super important that your tree collar fits around your tree stand. Measure the interior width and length and the height. A tree collar with an excellent standard is… not a beautiful whole.

On the other hand, you don’t want it to grow too big for your tree. You can always cut off the lower branches to make room for a tree collar, but generally you want to cut it to the right size without too much pruning.

Typical store-bought tree collars range from about 21″ in diameter to 27″ in diameter, and between 9″ and 11″ in height. Larger trees should have larger tree collars, while smaller trees should have smaller tree collars to look balanced.

DIY Christmas tree collar ideas

Christmas tree collars are easy to make. They can be expensive or cheap depending on what you have on hand and how creatively you shop.

DIY silver bucket tree skirt from a galvanized steel tub

It’s super easy and budget-friendly to turn an old galvanized bucket into a metal Christmas tree collar! The basis of this is simple. You turn a steel tub upside down and cut out the center.

If you’re using an artificial tree, you just need to make sure the hole is big enough for the post. If you are using a real tree, you will need to cut the hole to fit the entire stand. This is a fun and easy DIY if you’re looking for more rustic or farmhouse style Christmas decor.

DIY silver bucket tree skirt from a galvanized steel tub

DIY wooden tree collar with slatted base

If you love decorating with wood tones, consider making this wooden slatted tree collar! It is round and made of wooden slats, making it easy to adjust to any size!

This is a really good project where you can use any type of wood you like. You can use plywood and stain it, or use something like oak and leave it natural. Anyway, you cut two rings out of wood and nail slats to them. It looks great!

DIY wooden tree collar with slatted base

DIY box stand tree collar

This tree collar with tree stand is a bit of a collar and a bit of a stand. It’s the perfect way to add a little height to your tree while covering the stand. For this purpose, the box goes on the ground and has a double bottom, so that the tree stand is inside and covered by the sides of the box. So you get height and design!

DIY basket style tree collar

It’s super easy to make a tree collar from a basket! As with the galvanized tub, all you need to do is cut the bottom out of the basket and slide the tree stand in. But you can also cut off the back of the basket if you need to slide it around the stand.