Here’s an old Southern tradition for a quick and easy Christmas tree that’s perfect for the front porch, a nook in your kitchen, or even for your entryway. And all you need are tomato cages! That’s right, just take about four regular sized tomato cages—or one big one if you have it on hand—and turn them upside down to create your “tree”.

If you’re using several cages, simply stack them one by one on top of each other, but raise them up a bit—about three or four inches each—and then secure them with floral wire. Secure each cage before adding another to the stack. Place your “tree” in a decorative plant container to create a secure base.

Now decorate! I love using garland with lights already attached so I can loosely wrap the greenery around the top to the bottom. Using two strands of garland and wrapping each in the opposite direction creates a fuller look to the tree. Since I keep them primarily on my front porch, I like to use tiny bird house ornaments and snippets from the holly bush to trim it out with color. But use your imagination!!

So drag out those tomato cages you’ve stored for the winter and start decorating. You’ll never look at tomato cages the same way again!