You can turn a ladder into a tree-shaped Christmas display

If you don’t want to buy yet another Christmas decor item this year, here’s a clever idea to turn an everyday household item into a display shelf: Use a ladder to display your Christmas village set or other holiday decor.

This idea has been circulating online for some time but has resurfaced as folks prepare for the upcoming holiday season.

DIY Pallets Ideas shared an image of a Christmas village nestled amidst little fake trees on top of cotton-batting snow. Each shelf is made by putting a board across the rungs on each side of the ladder. Board lengths get smaller as you move to the top, mirroring the shape of a Christmas tree.

Other Christmas village ladder set-ups use green fabric or fake greenery wrapped around the ladder sides to make it look more like a tree. You can even paint the ladder itself.

One TikToker, @joette_florist_etc, wrapped Christmas lights around the ladder and placed a giant gold-trimmed red bow on top to create a festive showcase.

Ladders that can be used for this project are made of various materials like wood, aluminum and fiberglass. The best type to use here are twin ladders, which have steps on both sides.

Want a more detailed step-by-step tutorial? YouTuber Dale Lucid’s video shows how he painted a ladder and cut shelves to fit the Christmas tree ladder.

Of course, you could also make one from scratch.

In this YouTube video, Kelly Barlow Creations shows the entire process of making a ladder-style Christmas tree display.

If you don’t want to use an existing ladder or make your own, you could purchase a ladder bookcase instead.

One caveat to this idea is that if you have cats (or possibly overcurious little kids), they might like to climb or jump up on the ladder, knocking your collectibles down in the process. So, you’re going to want to make sure your display is especially sturdy, or perhaps opt for placing your Christmas village on another type of stand, like a mantelpiece or inside a china cabinet. Or, you may wish to invest in unbreakable holiday decor.

Are you ready to turn your ladder into a Christmas tree village display?