Basic PVC Christmas Tree Frame 

As long as you don't glue the PVC joints together, you can pull it all apart.

Hi. $9 for three 10-ft. 3/4 inch pvc pipes; $9 for three 3/4 pvc cross tee connectors; $4 for six 3/4 pvc end caps; $14 for lights (incandescent from Walmart). Plus screws. You need about 100 feet of lights for my setup. I modified how I made the trees: Instead of cutting one 10-ft. length into three equal pieces for the bottom ring, I now cut each 10-ft. length into one 6-ft. length for one side, one 40-inch piece for part of ring, and remainder cut as desired for bottom leg. Three 10-ft. lengths per tree with little to no waste. I also created a plywood jig/form to bend the pipe around so that I don't have to use screws for bending.

@@ghostofautumnwood6379 do you think using a propane torch and making quick passes would be more effective than a heat gun?

@@powwow1218 I don't think I'd be able to control a torch well, but it might not be an issue for others. A heat gun doesn't require the (re)purchase of propane.

@@ghostofautumnwood6379 so I made one last night at 10' with a base made of 4 30" sections and an extra vertical support. I tried to used the torch for s**** and giggles. But I didn't even think about it, the propane torch won't work with the angle you have to hold it. No big deal, I had a heat gun and it was way less time consuming that I had anticipated. The wife did most with no issues. I do have a question though, how did you manage to get 3 arcs for the bottom with a radius of 20"? It's seems as if the bend is not enough to join the 3. Maybe I'm just doing something wrong?

@@powwow1218 If there's a problem, it probably has to do with the cross tee fittings. If you used four fittings, that mounts to about 12 inches (4 x 3") of straight line in the arc. That's why in both videos, before finishing a section, I attach the fitting--first to one end and then to the other--and heat the pipe near the ends to give the pipe a little extra bend, shifting the fitting back over to the line of the curve. I use screws to keep the fitting over the curve until the pipe cools. In my case, I divide the 120 inches of ring into the three 40-inch sections and have only three fittings. When I tried making the three segments without the extra bend at the ends, yes, I had to force the pipes into place, creating waviness in the rings.

Great idea.

This link is from the Canadian Home Depot site: www.homedepot.ca/product/lesso-3-4-in-pvc-schedule-40-cross-all-slip/1000166758 . I've heard them called cross tee fittings here.

@@ghostofautumnwood6379 - Thanks - I will look again!

Good question. I didn't notice any issue after lighting the trees from Thanksgiving to New Year's, but I didn't check the wires to see if there was any damage where they looped around the screws.

@@ghostofautumnwood6379 Maybe consider zip ties instead of the screws. Nice job and video, it will be very helpful for me when I do mine. I'm considering a taller tree, but your basics will be my method.

@@scottfaris9175 Gotta love zip-ties. I found that using screws, especially when I had to make 30 trees, allowed me to easily weave the light strings up and down each tree, although I used a couple zip ties along the bottom ring to secure the circling wires. I made one tree for a neighbor using one-inch long tubing on the two inch screws to keep the wires from touching the screw threads. I have to say, though, that I haven't had any problems with the wiring touching screws on any of the trees. (Knock on wood.)

Thanks. I had some store-bought frames that broke apart after a couple years. These are pretty much indestructible. The parts can easily be replaced if necessary, and the trees can also be disassembled for storage. I just made 30 more and will be posting a follow-up video soon about how I modified the pipe bending process to speed things up a bit.

6 feet.