Xmas tree stand hack

I hadn't had an Xmas tree in years, but since my nieces were coming to stay for a few days for the family holiday gathering I thought it'd be nice to put one up. I picked out a 5-footer from the Market, and brought it home in the trailer.

One problem, though. Since I'd not had a tree for a while I f course had not opened the box of decorations during that time. So as I sorted through the box I found the cup / holder part of my old tree stand, but not the support legs. Where the heck they went is now lost to time, but how was I going to put up my tree?

I could have gone to a local thrift store and found a complete stand, but that'd be too easy. But fashioning legs had a challenge, because the receiver for each legs was fairly small. What did I have that was narrow enough but strong? Drum sticks! :)

I sawed off some old hardwood sticks about six inches from the tip. The important part is that each tip was small enough to fit each receiver, but then flared out a bit so that there was enough wood to receive a wood screw up through a plywood base.


It worked, the tree stayed up, and the cats did not try to bring it down. :)