Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A Christmas Tree Or Three




Welcome.  I have been busy.  I was creating some trees yesterday.  Well actually I started the day before.  I finished the first yesterday morning, and after a day of construction, I created the final two.  Hubby cooked so that was awesome.  We are starting on our new bathroom which will be another blog...but not until its done.  Well maybe an update here and there.
 I was noticing Styrofoam trees all over blog land.  Wow those things are crazy expensive at Michael's.  I decided I could do without and went to my stash.  Behind my door I found my roll of cardboard that my Sisterkins had saved for me. 

   I got my trusty roll of duct tape out and went to work to create my "NOT Styrofoam" cardboard forms.    CHEAP.  

I started to cover the largest form with dried oranges. 

I kept going until it was almost covered.
  I then went out to my pump house and grabbed a bag of pine cones that I had gathered up last year.  It cuts down on all the little spiders and buggies that like to crawl out if you pick them fresh from the ground......yucky.  I filled in all the blanks with pine cones, not bug screams
I added a few Christmas sprigs of red and green and that was  tree number one. 



For a topper, I first had to build a jig.  I grabbed a star pattern which was available all over google.  I got a scrap piece of  2x6 and put my star pattern on and nailed at all the folds on the black dots.  For a five point star, you will need ten finishing nails.  I used finishing nails so that the wire would slide off easily.  I wrapped the copper wire around the nails on the jig.  That's my star.  I made two more so I had three in total.



   I pushed the wire through the top hole and filled in the top of the tree with glue and pine cones and embellishments.  This acts as a way to transport the tree too.


My next tree was covered completely with dried oranges.  Some a partial pieces and some I kinda broke to wrap around the curves.  I stuck in the star and put a few pieces of orange and Christmas sprigs around it with glue to anchor the star.  That was tree #2.
For tree number three, I got some jute and started wrapping.  I loved it, just plain with the star, but when I put it up to the other two i felt it was lacking.
  I grabbed some raffia and wrapped it around the tree like a garland.  I took some Christmas sprigs and pine cones and glued them on around the raffia.





  Well that's all.  It seemed so quick to blog about them but it seemed so long to make them. lol....  I guess I put about 6 to 7 hours total into the three so that's not too bad.  Anyways I hope this inspires someone the way that I get inspired from all of you!
Cheers.
I Party With


The 36th Avenue


monogram

11 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! I'm so happy Christmas is around the corner

    Jenny
    www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com

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  2. How creative...love how you made your own forms for your trees...Your trees look gorgeous :)
    Hope you have a happy holiday season!
    Big hugs,
    Queenie

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  3. Ooo those look so pretty and they probably smell really good too:)

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  4. Ooh! I Love the wire tree-toppers! Very rustic and pretty. I think my favourite is the orange colovered one. Did you buy those orange slices or dry them yourself? Very festive!

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  5. Hi everyone. Thanks for your awesome comments! They do smell really good as I sprayed them with orange and cinnamon essential oil. Love your welsh name Bronwyn! I bought these orange slices. They are so easy to make in a dehydrator and pretty easy in an oven too but I got such a good deal on them that it wouldn't have been worth it to make my own.

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  6. Excited to try this. I'm in love w burlap so this will be a great way to create the look I want. Thanks for sharing. Wondering if a cereal box could work?!?!

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  7. I'm totally doing this! Great comment about the cereal boxes, that would work great too! I like the jute one.....

    Bless, lisa

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  8. I absolutely love your trees! I have been wanted to dry some oranges and do something with them.. now I know what!
    www.crosson5.blogspot.com

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  9. Please tell me how you attached the orange sliced and pine cones to the cone form. Maybe I missed reading it in your text! Thanks.

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  10. Darling Christmas trees! Thank you for the instructions! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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