Collapsible Wire Christmas Tree

This is a quick and easy spiral Christmas tree made from heavy gauge copper wire and a string of lights.  While not as full bodied or fragrant as its leafy relatives, what I love about this wire tree is that it can be pushed flat for easy storage.

I used around 8 feet of wire for this tree, which measures around two feet tall. The wire needs to be thick enough to hold its shape while still being malleable. This was the perfect length for one strand of lights, but it could easily be made larger. 

First coil the wire into shape.  I made a straight portion at the top so I could attach a star at the end.  For the base I overlapped it slightly and reinforced with some thin wire, although there are certainly more high-tech/elegant ways of attaching the base.

Starting at the top, wrap a length of Christmas lights around the wire, making sure the plug is at the bottom.  If you have difficulty with the lights spinning while wrapping, you can tape the top end until finished wrapping, and then remove at the end. 

Now the fun part!  I used red berry-like twist ties to keep the lights in place and add color, which also served as a way to hang the ornaments.  Have fun decorating!