Virtual Advent Calendar Day 3: Cake Pan and Tin Can Tree

22 Days Until Christmas!

Cake Pan and Tin Can Tree

Is there anything prettier than a pink Christmas made out of garbage?  This project can be found on page 25 of that crafting classic, "Holiday Decorations You Can Make" by the good folks at Better Homes and Gardens.

 
This book is absolutely loaded with table top trees made from just about everything.  The one that caught my eye was the "pot" tree (not that kind of pot, duh) on the lower left.  I liked that you could put stuff in it.  'Cause, baby, I've got a lot of stuff that needs puttin'.  I used it to display my vintage Shiny Brite ornaments (which would never survive on the tree thanks to Frank Borman the cat).

I didn't have any pots around, so I kicked around a few other ideas...  plates, plastic containers, trays from microwave dinners, etc.  I finally settled on a set of layer cake pans I had that I knew I would never use for their intended purpose.  Then I made spaghetti sauce because I needed the tomato paste cans.  After that, it was just a matter of a little glue and some spray paint.

Materials Needed:

• Whatever you plan to use for your tiers (plates, bowls, pots, etc.)
• Whatever you plan to use for your "trunk" (tin cans, yogurt cups, etc.)
• (Optional) a base for the tree (I used a glass pillar candle plate, but you could use the same thing you are using for your tree trunk)
• Strong glue (I used Loctite super glue)
• Glossy Spray paint

Instructions:

Step 1:  Starting at the bottom, glue your trunk and tiers together.  Take a look each time you add a piece to make sure it is centered.  Let dry over night or even longer.

Waiting for the glue dry.

Step 2:  Spray paint.

Step 3:  Glue on the base, if you are using one.

Cost:  About $4 (if you use stuff you have around the house, all you have to buy is spray paint)

Time to Complete:  Due to drying times, this will take a couple of days, but actual work  will be about 30 minutes or less

Craft Skill Level: If you needed instructions, you may not be smart enough to do this.

That's it.  We're done.  How stinking simple was that?  See you back here tomorrow for Day 4 of the Retro Craft Virtual Advent Calendar.