Here’s a cool idea to make your own Christmas tree – out of wire coat hangers!
It’s a very easy project, consisting mainly of winding lights and garlands. It would suit someone who has experience using a hot glue gun.
The main cost of this tree is for the lights. If you want to leave the lights out, I think it would look great with the garlands, ornaments, and bows. And if your garland is multi-colored, you don’t need to use so many ornaments.
The lights I have found are very pretty, but they are not the same as the lights in the video.
These trees would make a great gift for someone with limited space. If permitted, it could be a gift for someone in hospital over Christmas, or in a nursing home. This size tree would also suit a dorm or small apartment.
Supplies Needed
- String of 70 to 100 lights
- Red and green garland(s)
- 6 hangers
- Zip ties, lots of them
- Hot glue gun
- Small ornaments
- Small tree topper, if you wish
Step-By-Step Instructions
Forming The Tree Shape
- Separate your hangers into pairs.
- Take a pair and place them on the table with the corners overlapping at the top. The hooks or tops of the hangers should be facing sideways on opposite sides. Make sure they’re facing in the same direction.
- Put a zip tie on the very top to hold the hangers together.
- Put a zip tie on one of the tops and tie it to the other hanger.
- Repeat with the other hanger top.
- Repeat this process with the other 2 pairs of hangers.
- Cut off the excess of each zip tie as close as possible to the tie, but not so close that it might come undone.
- Pass the center of one section through the center of another section.
- Zip-tie the top; the tree should be able to stand upright.
- Pass the other section through the middle and zip tie it to the top.
- Place zip ties where you need to, so as to hold the tree together, including in the middle.
Hanging The Lights
- Test the lights first.
- Hang the opposite end of the plug end on the top of the tree, zip tie it.
- The other end of the lights needs to be kept out of the tree. Leave about a foot of the string outside the tree.
- Wrap the lights around the tree, getting the lights to point outwards if possible. The bottom of the tree is a wider area, so it needs more lights.
- Place zip ties to hold the lights in place.
Hanging The Garlands
- Place the end of the garland at the top of the tree, and glue it in place.
- Wrap the garland around the tree and glue it as you go.
- As you wrap, pull the light bulbs to the outside of the garland.
- If you get to the end of one garland, tuck the end into the middle of the tree. Start a new garland by gluing the end of it into the middle of the tree. Start wrapping as before.
- When the tree is completely wrapped, cut off the excess garland.
Decorating Your Tree
- Glue the ornaments onto the tree.
- Place the topper if you are using one.
Now you have a unique and compact Christmas tree!