We have always set up Carter's own little tree that he can decorate as he pleases. Somewhere along the way, we lost a leg to his tree. (buried upstairs under insulation somewhere??) . He had a tree with two legs that fell over. That's no fun.
So he and Dad went out to find a new tree for him, but with no luck. They didn't find any cute little trees, and just came home with the idea to "just make something work". Aha. Enter a mom with nails. Literally.
Why didn't I think of this earlier? I guess I was busy decorating and doing my own thing, but I realized I had enough scraps and nails on the workbench and could figure something out. So I did. It was a little "Charlie Brown Christmas-esque" while I was working on it.
Two pieces of leftover 2x4's laid out in a stable pattern
Measure and mark the size of the base of the little tree.....
Realize that the largest bit you own and the largest one that will even fit in the largest drill you own is too small, but you will have to make do...
Drill, skillsaw cuts, more little drilling, and I had a (very) rough opening. It's not easy to do things without the right tools, but I make do. These metal ties are very overkill, but I had them left over from the tree house, and they worked better than trying to nail at 45 degree angles without a jig. 
And finally: SUCCESS! We had little tree up on all fours now and ready to decorate. The tree skirt will cover the rough tree holder to make it pretty now that the pictures are done. Total cost of the project: $0, since I had everything on hand.
Smile on son's face when he was able to decorate little tree: Priceless.
My payment: "I-love-you-mom-thank-you-mom".
Which is why I do what I do. And love it.
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