Fake Festivus Pole

On December 18th, 1997, the Seinfeld episode entitled "The Strike" introduced us to a zany new twist on traditional Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa celebrations.

"It's a Festivus for the Rest of Us!"  declared Frank Costanza...and a new Holiday was born!

If you're not familiar with the traditions of Festivus, Mr. Costanza will explain them.

The first time my family celebrated Festivus was while we were living in New Zealand.  You see, Christmas in New Zealand comes in the middle of their summer (southern hemisphere) and for a New Yorker like myself, that was a little hard to swallow.  Worse though, was the dark, cold winter that came in July and all I craved was holiday cheer to brighten up those dismal days.  Thus, we decided to celebrate our version of Festivus in July and it has become a family tradition ever since!  

This year, instead of the usual Holiday Party we like to throw, we're having a Festivus Party complete with Seinfeld-themed food, games & Festivus traditions!  (More on the party next week!)

First things first... where can I find a Traditional, Low-Maintenance Festivus Pole?  

A Festivus Pole lot? Credit

There's a really fun site, FestivusPoles.com that offers very well crafted Festivus Poles, but I have to say that the price is not putting me in a very festive mood.  The six foot floor model is $39 and the table-top model is $31, plus shipping!  I think I can "fake" my own for a little cheaper than that!

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Off to Lowes I went with a dream and I was not disappointed.  I picked up 2 six foot PVC pipes for $3 each, 4 terra cotta pots for $1 each, 1 large plastic pot for $2, 1 can of silver spray paint for $4, and 1 bag of pea gravel for $3.

First, I cut one of the PVC pipes into 4 pieces.

Next, I "planted" each of the small and large pipes into the pots using the pea gravel to stabilize them.

Finally, I spray painted the entire thing (pot, gravel & pipe) with the shiny silver paint.

That's it!  The entire project took me less than 20 minutes and I very pleased with the results!

I'll be keeping the large pole on display at my Festivus Party, and the 4 table-top poles will go home with Festivus contest winners!

The Fake-It Yourself Breakdown:

Fake Festivus Poles (2 PVC $6, 5 pots $6, gravel $3, spray paint $4)

Total Fake-It Cost:  $19.00, 1 Large & 4 Small Festivus Poles

Compare to Real Aluminum Festivus Poles (Large $39, Table-Top $31 each)

Total Fake-It Savings:  $144.00

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Linking Up at Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, The Frugal Girls, Funky Junk Interiors and these other Great Parties!