Hello Sweet Friends,
I hope your Saturday is an awesome one!
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Today I want to share how fast and easy you can distress a shiny new metal tub into a Christmas Tree Collar.
Months ago and if I’m being totally transparent here, last year about this time I was looking at tree collars.
I don’t know if you have looked lately or have been interested in tree collars but they are expensive. WHY?
It got me thinking. How can I spend less money on a tree collar but do it myself?
I started looking around and you know what? I found something that worked. A large bucket/tub.
Here ya go.
I know right.
Can you imagine it too?
I got all excited!
I actually saw this a few months ago but didn’t pick it up until last weekend at Home Depot.
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You can find it here.
It’s the Behrens 17 Gal. Galvanized Utility Tub.
You guys, this was only $19.97! Can you believe it? If you try to buy this exact tub at Amazon it will run you $50. So check out Home Depot first.
Here is the list of what you will need:
- Galvanized Tub
- Lysol Toilet Cleaner
- Steel Wool
- Rubber Gloves
- Sponge/brush
That’s it!
But, lol, I must tell you that I measured the base of the tree and thought it would work. Ran that thought by my husband and he thought the same thing. When I got it home, the tree fit inside but would not lock down. It stayed wobbly.
But, I had an idea.
We will get back to that idea in a minute. Just a side note: My idea worked, yay.
I felt like the tub was too shiny. So of course I looked on google to see what I could do to make it used. Jamie Ray Vintage has a great tutorial on this.
Take your steel wool and just go over your tub. Just rub it over the surface, doesn’t need to be hard. You can use fine or coarse, doesn’t matter what the size is.
Put your rubber gloves on and then you want to squirt the Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner all over the tub. ALL Over. Inside the tub, tub bottom and the outside.
I bought a twin pack at Walmart. With things shutting down again, I could not find them on Amazon or Home Depot.
After you squirt the cleaner on the tub, rub it down with a sponge or brush. Just like the picture above.
This is what I used.
Just use the sponge to make sure you are getting it into all the crevices.
As soon as you pour it on, you will start to notice a change.
Let the tub sit for 4 hours.
Come back after the 4 hours and take your sponge and go over it one more time.
Let it sit for another 30 minutes.
Come back and wash your tub off.
Since it is November, I took mine inside and washed it out in the bathtub.
Let it sit and dry or dry it off with a towel and see the difference?
I love it.
If it doesn’t have the worn effect you’re looking for you could add paint and shabby it up but I am loving this. No more shiny.
Remember my tree would not lock.
Here is how I fixed that problem.
I just needed the legs of the tree stand to slide all the way out and lock.
I had some broken bricks outside. You can use wood also but this is what I had on hand.
Lay them inside the tub where the legs will sit.
This worked just fine because the tub is tapered and the bricks were tall so the tree stand just slid into place and locked.
Problem solved.
Nice and sturdy.
The tub had a big empty space inside, so to solve it I decided to add an old quilt that was torn and no longer used.
Raise your hand if you love it?
I do, I do!
It just looks right!
And it loses it’s needles just like a real tree, lol.
Another bonus –
I don’t have to rearrange a tree skirt every few hours or shake out dog hair.
For the cost of the tub and cleaner and your time, it turned out Awesome!
You can do this friend! I believe in you!!
I need to go fluff the tree and add decorations but for now, I have a tree collar that didn’t cost an arm and leg, something that will last a long time, I can use it for other things if I so choose and I LOVE it!
So tell me what you think?
Yes or No?
I hope this inspires you to make your own tree collar.
Happy Weekend Friends
*My tree is a Martha Stewart Living 9 ft. Pre-lit Alexander Pine
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links in which I earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases through these links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping to support my blog! *