10' Megatree

Introduction

Here's an economical 10 foot Megatree that's simple to build and produces a nice result. My design is for 8 strands/circuits around the circimference, but you could easily add more. You could also easily build a taller Megatree by linking pipes together to make a longer "trunk". I also recommend installing Megatrees with Sleeves.

Materials and Tools

• 10 foot long 1½ inch EMT pipe
• T-post
• T-post driver, or better yet, use Sleeves for installation as described here
• 12½ feet of ½ polyethylene drip irrigation distribution tubing
• Polypropylene drip irrigation coupling
• 4 inch x 4 inch piece of scrap wood or plywood, about ¾ inch thick
• Good quality outdoor penetrating paint
• Two 12 inch pieces of 1 inch PVC pipe
• Two 1 inch PVC pipe couplings* (cheaper) or PVC caps
• Eight hard wall plastic hooks (see picture below)
• Sharpie® permanent marker
• Eight strings of 100-count Christmas lights, 20+ feet lighted length
• A booklet of Ideal® or Klein® Tools adhesive wire markers
• Three pieces of 12 inch long back-to-back Velcro@reg; strips
• rocks, pavers, stepping stones, or other suitable weights

I chose the EMT pipe because it is lightweight, economical, and a T-post fits nicely inside it. Check your pipe/T-post fit before buying to make sure the brands available to you give you the same slip-fit result.

• = You may want to put something such as a star on the top of the Megatree. If so, choose a coupling that slip fits onto the 1 inch PVC pipe on on end, and is threaded on the other end for attaching the decoration.

Construction

Cut the wood into a 4 inch diameter circle, then drill a 1¼ inch hole in the center. Paint the wood, to provide a good weather seal that will last for years. Set aside to dry.

Nail the hard wall plastic hooks evenly spaced around the outside perimeter of the wooden circle. The hook portion will hang slightly below the bottom of the wood. Use a Sharpie® to color one of the hooks differently from the rest of the hooks. Use the marked hook to help orient the Megatree in the same direction each year.

Place a coupling/cap on one end of each of the 1 inch PVC pipes. You may cement the parts if desired, but it's not necessary. Place one of the 1 inch PVC pipes through the center hole of the wood, leaving the coupling/cap flush with the top of the wood, then place the 1 inch PVC pipe into the top end of the EMT pipe.

Place a Wire Marker on the plug of each light string; this helps sort out the tangle of wires later.

Find the center of each light string, 50 lights on each half. This will be easy to spot, as most lights will have three wires going between them; the center two lights will have only two wires going between them.

Hang a light string on each hook, the center two wires looped over the hook, 50 lights on each side of the hook.

Tie the light strings to the EMT pipe with Velco® strips in about three places, to contain the tangle of wires.

Installation

Form the irrigation tubing into a circle, holding the ends in place with the coupling. The circle will be about 4 feet in diameter.

Place the circle of tubing on the ground, centered where the EMT pipe "trunk" of the Megatree will be.

You can drive a T-post into the ground to hold your Megatree. However, I recommend to permanently place a PVC pipe sleeve into the ground, place a removable T-post into the sleeve, then attach the display. At the end of the season the T-post pulls right out, leaving the sleeve available for next year's deployment.

If you have a decoration to put on the top of your Megatree, attach it to the top of the Megatree before you place the Megatree onto the T-post.

Place the EMT pipe (with light strings attached) over the T-post; the Megatree should be comfortably self-standing. Remove the Velcro® straps.

Sorting out each of the light strings, run both the plug and receptacle end of the light string under the irrigation tubing, proceeding in a clockwise direction. Place weights on the irrigation tubing at intervals to secure it in place. Surprisingly little securing is needed for the strings to stay in place for the season, usually about 4 weights should do it. YMMV.

Your Megatree is now ready to plug in and display.

Storage

Now your season has ended, and you're ready to store your Megatree. After unplugging the light strands, pull them out from under the irrigation tubing and cluster around the EMT pipe.

Being careful not to step on light bulbs on the ground, tie the light strings to the EMT pipe with Velcro® strips in about three places, to contain the tangle of wires.

Lift the EMT pipe with light strings attached off of the T-post, remove the decoratoin from the top of the display if needed/desired, and set aside.

Remove the T-post, and if you used the Sleve option, place the Debris Protector into the PVC pipe.

Store your Megatree, T-post and irrigatoin tubing ring as you have planned. BTW, if you followed the instructions above you now have a "spare" 1 inch PVC pipe with coupling/cap on the end. If you're looking for a good Megatree storage idea, check out my suggestion here. That's where you will use the spare PVC pipe.