How to Make a Christmas Tree Basket (Using a Woven Tree Collar)
Do you love the idea of a Christmas tree basket as much as I do? I've always wanted to display my holiday tree nestled inside a sweet woven basket, but didn't want to spend a fortune on some overpriced wicker creation.
This year I discovered a simple trick to get the cozy large basket look using an affordable four-panel woven tree collar - flipped upside down!
Content may contain affiliate links. When you shop the links, we receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting my small business.
Jump to:
- Christmas Tree Collar vs Basket: What's the Difference?
- My Secret Hack: Invert a Woven Tree Collar
- Choosing the right Christmas tree collar
- How to make a Christmas tree collar basket
- Step by step instructions
- How to make a woven tree collar look like a Christmas tree basket
- The perfect cozy basket illusion
- Frequently asked questions
- More holiday decor inspiration and creative ideas
Christmas Tree Collar vs Basket: What's the Difference?
If you have ever wondered about the difference between a Christmas tree collar and a Christmas tree basket, you are not alone. Both are designed to hide the base of your tree, whether you are working with a fresh tree and its water stand or an artificial tree with a wide metal stand.
A Christmas tree collar is typically a single piece or a set of panels that wrap around the base. Most are made from wicker, wood, or metal. They sit on the floor around the stand and give your tree a clean, structured look. Collars work especially well with artificial trees since you do not need to water them, but many people use them with fresh trees too if the collar design leaves enough space to access the water basin.
A Christmas tree basket creates a softer, more organic look. Instead of rigid panels, it resembles a decorative woven or solid basket that your tree appears to sit inside. This style blends beautifully with cozy, farmhouse, or collected holiday decor. For fresh trees, baskets need to be large enough to hold the water stand and still allow easy watering. For artificial trees, baskets are simpler since you only need to fit the base.
Both options elevate your holiday style by hiding the unsightly stand. A collar delivers a more modern, tailored effect, while a basket feels casual, warm, and natural. The best choice comes down to your decorating style and whether your tree is fresh or artificial.
Note: If you have a large planter basket you would like to use for your Christmas tree, see my post on how to put an artificial tree in any planter.
My Secret Hack: Invert a Woven Tree Collar
I took a standard woven hyacinth tree collar and flipped it over so the widest part was now on top instead of the bottom. Suddenly, my collar transformed into a perfect makeshift basket for holding my Christmas tree! No one would ever suspect it started as an ordinary tree collar or that the bottom of the basket doesn't exist!
Choosing the right Christmas tree collar
The key is finding a basket tree collar made in separate panels that connect to fit around the tree stand and the base of your tree. I purchased a tree collar with 4 panels, each about 14 inches tall, made of natural woven hyacinth with great texture and seam details.
Look for a collar with built-in closure hooks on the panel edges, no hot glue required! This allows you to easily link the pieces into a collar, or in my case, an inverted basket. The hooks securely connect the panels while leaving room for a small opening to slide around the base of your tree.
Since my New England home uses fresh-cut Fraser firs, I was careful to measure the height of my tree stand and low branches first. That determined the right height I needed so the collar would support the branches without squishing them. This trick can work for a real tree and an artificial tree, but keep in mind their dimensions may differ.
Tip: Regardless of whether you use this collar in the traditional way or as a faux basket as outlined in this post, these panels are genius for easy storage in your holiday storage space!
How to make a Christmas tree collar basket
If you want to use your tree collar that is made of a single piece of fabric rather than separate panels, there's still a way to modify it into an inverted basket shape! Simply use wire cutters to snip the flexible metal rim at one point, creating an opening. Then carefully use sharp scissors to cut through the woven material as well, basically creating your own custom "panel" seam.
Wrap the now discontinuous wicker tree collar around the tree stand, overlapping the cut ends behind where no one will notice them up against a wall or corner. Conceal the opening creatively with decorations like pine sprigs or flowers. Smooth any frayed fabric edges with super glue or clear packing tape on the underside.
With a little inventive Christmas spirit, any store-bought, single-piece tree collar can be cleverly hacked into your own DIY upside-down basket illusion!
Tip: Before breaking out the wire cutters, first try simply inverting your existing tree collar upside down over the stand. There's a possibility the stand may neatly fit into the collar's smaller, formerly the top opening without any cutting required!
Shop here for more Christmas decorations.
Step by step instructions
Once I had the right tree collar with woven collar panels, I simply:
- Connected the panels using the built-in closure hooks, leaving an opening between the last two panels.
- Flipped the tree collar over so the wider opening faced upward.
- Slide the inverted collar/basket around the base of the tree, orienting the back access gap toward the wall where no one can see it or if your tree and stand will allow, simply fasten the collar.
Because my fresh Christmas tree has branches very low to the ground, I didn't need to add anything inside the collar to fill the space. But for trees with more room underneath, you could creatively embellish by tucking in pine sprigs, A cozy throw blanket, woodland moss, shredded paper, excelsior or other filler. Make it your own!
Shop beautiful Christmas garlands!
How to make a woven tree collar look like a Christmas tree basket
Time needed: 10 minutes
Materials:
- 1 paneled woven tree collar (with 4 separate panels and closure hooks)
Instructions:
- Stack the panels
Lay out the 4 woven wood panels. Make sure the hooks are positioned so you can easily connect them later.
- Connect the panels
Hook two panels together first, leaving an opening at the back. Then add the third and fourth panels to form a full collar shape.
- Check the collar
Stand the collar upright as it's normally used, with the smaller opening on top and the wider opening at the base. This helps you see the shape before the flip.
- Invert the collar
Carefully flip the collar upside down so the widest opening now faces upward. This creates the illusion of a deep basket.
- Position around your tree
Slide the inverted collar around your tree stand so it sits at the base of the tree. If the back faces a wall, you can leave a small gap between the panels, or close all four sides for a complete basket look.
Result: In less than 10 minutes, you'll have transformed an ordinary woven tree collar into a stylish Christmas tree basket that feels cozy and custom.
The perfect cozy basket illusion
I am so thrilled with how my upended woven tree collar convincingly mimics an adorable Christmas tree-in-a-basket look. This wicker basket trick is so easy but impactful nonetheless!
I hope my simple collar inversion inspires you to think "outside the box" when it comes to displaying your holiday evergreens this season. It's nice to step away from a traditional Christmas tree skirt into something unique. Experiment with creativity and you'll discover amazing ways to increase Christmas joy using things in unexpected ways!
Frequently asked questions
When using a real basket, choose one about one-third the width of your tree's base so it looks balanced. If you're using my woven tree collar hack, any standard collar will work because the inverted design naturally creates the basket effect.
Instead of a traditional tree skirt, try a woven tree collar, an oversized planter, a vintage crate or even a bedspread or a table cloth as a tree skirt alternative. These alternatives hide the stand, add style, and can match your holiday decor better than fabric skirts. My hack turns a collar into a basket look.
A Christmas tree collar basket is simply a tree collar styled to look like a decorative basket. Instead of wrapping your tree stand with fabric, you place the collar around the base to mimic a woven basket. It creates a polished, cozy look for the holidays.
To make a tree collar look like a basket, assemble your collar panels as usual, then invert it so the widest end faces up. Slide it around the base of your tree, and it instantly mimics the look of a decorative basket without buying one.
More holiday decor inspiration and creative ideas
When the season winds down, I take the woven collar apart and pack it away with the rest of my decor. If you're looking for simple, affordable ways to store your Christmas decorations, I shared my favorite Christmas storage bins here on the blog too.
Thanks for visiting the blog today for this Christmas tree basket post. I hope it inspired you to think outside the box this holiday season. Happy holidays!
Keep Creating Friends!
thanks for sharing this awesome idea of the tree basket. Looks super cozy! Have you shared the link for candle holder on your mantle??? I would love that.
Hi There,
It was from Target but sold out quickly. I will add the link in the event it comes back in. Here it is: https://rstyle.me/+k_vADRDsWFqjRqEy4Vm8Aw
Thanks for visiting the blog!