There’s nothing I love more than a Christmas tree displayed in an urn!

I’ve always loved seeing Christmas trees displayed in urns but they can be very expensive!

The very well known home decor company, Ballard Designs, offered a beautiful Christmas tree urn this year on their website and I loved the look, but not the price! So I decided to try and DIY my own version! 

This is the urn from Ballard Designs.

And this is my DIY Christmas tree urn!

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The urn was very easy to make and it should last for years if stored properly. Our tree is 8′ tall and I would not recommend displaying a tree taller than 8′ unless you increase the overall size of the urn.

Here are the supplies you will need to create this DIY Christmas tree urn:

• Plastic planter (mine is from Lowe’s and measures 19″ wide x 18.75″ tall.) Here’s a similar one on Amazon. 
• PVC Pipe (12″ long x 2″ diameter) Tip: Measure the width of the pole on your tree and get a PVC pipe that is just slightly larger so it’s a close fit. (I found my PVC Pipe at my local Ace Hardware and they cut it to the length I needed.)
• Quikcrete 10lb bags (I used 2 bags but I would recommend using 3 for additional added weight)
• Krylon Spray paint 
• Paper Clay
• Wreath Mold and Swag Mold
• E-6000 Glue

This is the urn that I started with. It’s just a very basic plastic urn planter.

Using the paper clay and molds, I created two wreaths with garland swags to put on each side of the urn. You could use any design you wish. There are so many mold designs available so get creative!

Carefully remove the clay from the mold and add the E-6000 glue to the back. Then place it onto the urn and let dry. 

I turned the urn on it’s side and let one side completely dry (overnight) and then turned it over and put the mold on the opposite side. The clay will be a little bit fragile when you pull it out of the mold, so you’ll need to handle it carefully.

Once the clay molds were completely dry, I sprayed the urn with satin spray paint designed to adhere to plastic. I gave it several coats to get good coverage. 

After the spray paint dried, I placed the PVC Pipe in the center of the urn and mixed up the Quikcrete, pouring it in the urn and around the pipe.

I let it set up overnight and then placed my tree in it!

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Our tree is 8′ tall and it works perfectly for this size urn which is 19″ wide x 18.75″ tall. It would also work great for a smaller tree.

If your tree is taller than 8′, then I would suggest using a larger urn in order to support the height of the tree. 

Adding the Quikcrete to the urn gave it enough weight to be very stable. 

Of course, you could also use a concrete or iron urn and create the same look, but this is a very budget friendly option!

My Christmas tree urn is slightly different than the one from Ballard Designs, but I love the look and it was much less expensive!

When the paper clay dries, it may have a few hairline cracks in it as it cures, which is very typical. Those imperfections don’t bother me at all, and they probably aren’t noticeable unless pointed out.

I haven’t done much decorating so far, just decorating the tree and adding a few touches of white lights here and there.

It’s amazing how festive your home can look just be adding twinkling lights in a few places.

I usually add battery operated lights to my angels for the holidays, and it creates the perfect ambiance.

The Christmas tree urn will be easy to store and should last for years to come. And if you wanted to leave it out during the rest of the year, it would be simple to just place a potted or faux plant in it.

I’ve decorated with other colors in years past, but decorating with shades of blue and gold is still my favorite.

As you can see from my home decor, I love using shades of blue and turquoise. I’m always drawn to those colors and this year’s tree reflects that.

Of course, the urn could also be painted in any color you like! I love the clean profile that the white urn creates, and it balances the colors of the tree quite well.

After seeing the simplicity of the tree and the placement of a few white lights, I may not do any more decorating. Sometimes, simple is the best!

Last year, I created a Chinoiserie Christmas tree box and you can see it HERE!

 I hope you have enjoyed seeing my Ballard Design’s knockoff Christmas tree urn! Hopefully, it has inspired you to create your own! 

Cheers, Cindy