It must be nearly Christmas.

[reynardo]

'cause we now have a tree up.

No decorations yet - I have to wait for the cement to set.







Protecting your floor from the water in the bucket part 1:

Christmas tree in a bucket, held steady by rocks and a brick. The tree is about 7 feet tall, and a gentle scent of pine is suffusing the house.

 

 

 

Protecting your floor from the water in the bucket part 2:

Take that old record bin that you now use to hold tools in. Line it with two black rubbish bags, then put the bucket in the middle (weighed down with bricks so it doesn't float up). Mix a bag of cement with water and pour the mix in the gap between the bucket and the edge of the lined bin.

This picture isn't quite accurate, as I took the tree out of the bucket before setting the bucket in the concrete.

 

Protecting your floor from the water in the bucket part 3:

Grab that old pink sheet from the cupboard upstairs, and put it on the floor. On top of that place one of the old cardboard boxes that we've finally emptied (careful observers will notice it's from the Y2K computer upgrades at Blue Mountains TAFE). Into that box put an old tarp.

Into that box, on top of the tarp, place the square tub with the rubbish bag lining and the cement filling and the bucket. The cement isn't quite dry yet, but that's ok. At this point, take the "weighing down" bricks out of the bucket - the whole thing's heavy enough without that as well.

Then carefully put your tree in the bucket, and use assorted bricks and stones and broken grave markers and bits of basalt to wedge it into place. It helps if you have a willing partner to hold the tree while you do this. You might also need to tie the tree in place while the cement dries.

But now you can rest assured that the water in the bucket will not leak out onto the lounge room floor. The decorating can wait until tomorrow. At the end of Christmas, I can either discard the cement weight quietly in a rubbish bin, or save it to use next year.

If you're very very lucky, I'll put up a pic of the tree once it's decorated.

Oh. I forgot the water.

Comments

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

The little illustrations make this.

[panacea1.livejournal.com]

You guys don't have Christmas Tree Stands down there?

Or are you just being clever?

[lederhosen.livejournal.com]

We probably do, but do they provide water?

[panacea1.livejournal.com]

Most of the ones I've seen here have a plastic basin that holds the water (often with a notch for easier filling with a household watering can), a ring with some screws that tighten to hold the trunk in place, and 3-4 legs for stability. Some of the older models are one piece with the basin being broad enough on the bottom to be more or less stable.

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Aha! Found them online, but they're about $50-70 - this cost me $6 for the cement (the bucket was on its way out anyway) and perhaps 50c for the rubbish bags.

[moxie_man]

Kind of steep for a tree stand 'round these parts. My folks keep a sheet of heavy plastic sheeting under the stand as a precaution. I don't recall if it's 4 mil or 8 mil thick.

[kerravonsen]

Yes, you can get ones that provide water/bucket. My father has one.

[droxy.livejournal.com]

Points up. We have flange stands and you bolt the tree into it. =)