This DIY Tree Collar May Even Be Prettier Than Your Christmas Tree

If you've ever set up a Christmas tree, real or artificial, you're probably aware you need a stand of some sort to hold it up — and stands aren't usually the most aesthetically pleasing decor items. This is why most people wrap the base of their trees with fabric skirts, but an alternative option is the tree collar, which is typically made out of a sturdier material that stands upright — just like the collar of a button-down shirt.

TikTok user Emily Shaw (@emilyrayna) recently went viral with an instructional video of how to build your own curvy tree collar, and we're absolutely obsessed with the end result. It's modern, fun, and can be constructed on a budget. (Shaw spent just $40 on materials.)

@emilyrayna

I should patent this or something #christmasdiy #diychristmasdecor #treecollar

♬ It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas – Michael Bublé

To start, place your Christmas tree stand on top of a large piece of foam and draw the shape you're looking to create around the base.

Then, you'll take a separate piece of foam and cut it to the height you'd like your collar to stand. Ideally, this piece of foam will be the length of the edge of your collar, but you may need to connect two pieces of foam to cover the full distance.

Next, cut narrowly spaced slits halfway through the foam — that way, the foam will be able to bend, but it will still be connected as one piece. (We highly recommend watching Shaw's TikTok video to see how it's done!)

Now, it's time to attach the two separate pieces. Create L-shaped brackets out of foam and glue them around the curvy base. Then, wrap the bendable piece of foam around the edges of the base and glue them to the other half of the brackets.

You can end the process there — if your foam is cut evenly — but Shaw takes the process one step further by covering the foam collar in a plush red fabric.

It might take a little elbow grease to build this curvy collar, but we think it's worth it.