Some terrible human just assigned my wife to make this (see picture below) for my kids' school. Which means I have to make it. Doing it out of PVC was my first idea - but that's probably $75 + in 1'' (not sure if 3/4 would be strong enough ) PVC and fittings.

My next idea (which I guess I'd be stuck using 3/4 too from either lowes or HD) but would be super cheap would be to cement two ten foot lengths of pex into 2 5 gallon buckets. then slap a couplling on after boxes are on each side But. Not sure if the pex would be strong enough to not fall to the left or right.

I'm also going off the assumption there is nothing to secure whatever the frame is - to the top - of "whatever".

Any thoughts, good ideas, or words of discouragement. Ideal solution costs little to nothing......

How much is rebar?

good luck!

that is what I was thinking, some 1/2" with some 3/4" pvc in buckets to put the ends in. put sand in the buckets with pvc in center, bend rebar to shape and slide pkgs on.

Do you have access to super strong electromagnets?

go tell the wife you will have to order a lot of tackle so you can acquire the boxes.

Contact the person that assigned it to your wife and ask for plans or design specs and a budget.

Delegate the project.

Great idea. You could also put motors on them and make them rotate. Let's not halfass this.

That orange fiber optic casing is usually free , and already has a curve to it,

Mo

Tell them you will need after hours/weekend access to the school so that you can assemble it on sight (they will have to cover additional security costs).
Tell them the people needed to wrap the packages require $15.00/ hr and because it will have to be on a weekend it will be time and a half.
Ask if they have made sure the decoration is not going to offend any Race/Religion/Gender status/Sexual Orientation/Marital Status/Familial Status/Ethnic Background/Pronoun Preference of any one that ay be in attendance or could possibly see an image of the display on any social media?

1-1/2 pvc bend it at the top with a torch hot glue or wire the box's.this doesnt look fun tho

We can't really help you without knowing the contents of each of the gift boxes... Need to know that before we can advise you on how to properly support and distribute the weight. If there's a PS5 in one of those top boxes, that will make things more difficult. Please get us that information so we can help.

I've never worked with rebar - I know its cheap though...... prob the best idea so far..... if I am going to put motors on this...im going to turn it into a battlebot - and have it destroy the woman that thought that this was an appropriate request to ask of a volunteer......