DIY An Outdoor-Friendly Christmas Tree With The Help Of A Tomato Cage

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Outdoor Christmas decorations come in all sizes, but the more you buy and the larger they are, the more storage becomes a post-Christmas challenge. One way to cut down on the clutter — and save money during the holidays and beyond — is to whip up some festive decor yourself. This is where old tomato cages come into play; they're probably just cluttering a corner of your garage or shed since it's well past tomato season. Perhaps you've already made the switch from tomato cages to something that works better in the garden. DIY tomato-cage Christmas trees are perhaps the ultimate upcycle; they're quite sturdy and weather-resistant. It's also easy to pair them with other craft supplies to make a tree — or three — in your favorite festive color scheme.

Besides at least one tomato cage, you'll need zip ties, 16- or 20-gauge craft wire, and rolls of mesh ribbon, such as this Ribbli green metallic mesh from Amazon, and a strand of outdoor-rated miniature holiday lights per tree. The fun of this project is that it's completely customizable; you can add baubles, a tree topper, or anything else that's festive and fun to jazz up your creation. They go great with other holiday DIY projects, like these repurposed foam pool noodles that add festive flair to your porch. 

An upside-down tomato cage already offers the beginning of a conical tree shape; all you have to do is push the pointed ends together and secure them with zip ties to make the top of the tree. It may look a bit more like the top of a tipi rather than a point. Run some of the thin craft wire from the top connection down over each ring, wrapping it on the lowest one, and positioning it between the vertical supports that are part of the cage. Doing this between each post gives more support to weave some of the mesh ribbon through later on.

Next, wrap a strand of holiday lights around the tree, securing it with zip ties in places. Then wrap mesh ribbon around the form, starting at the bottom and securing it to the vertical wires or supports with zip ties. Tug the ribbon a bit to fluff it up and fill in gaps with little bow tie shapes made from a complementary color. Add adornments such as Christmas baubles, stick-in decorations that might typically be found in floral arrangements, and so on. Any colors or design ideas can be incorporated into these DIY holiday trees.  

For a spring-season twist that reuses some of the same items, but for the garden, you can repurpose old Christmas ornaments to protect your tomato plants from birds. Using off-season items in new ways like this helps bring even more joy to your home while highlighting a handy skill: resourcefulness.