It’s official, I’m going to start a crafting series that includes posts of crafts you can do at home and ones that I do in my home.   The problem is I need a cute catchy name for the blog series, something simple but that stands out.  Which is where you come in.  I need your suggestions!  Comment below with suggestions for the name of the craft blog series!  Make sure to plug in your email (It won’t show on the blog) so that I can contact you to thank you and send you a Starbucks gift card!

First DIY craft: Christmas Trees

The inspiration for this craft came from my desperate need to find something for my dinning room table centerpiece.  I really wanted something cheap (just being honest) but also cute.  I also wanted something that could make a display (not just one small or large item).  Well I was in Hobby Lobby and saw this gold floral embelishment (I’m honestly not sure what you would call it but I posted a picture below).  As if a light bulb went off above my head I pulled my best impression of Jimmy Neutron and had a genuine “Brain Blast!”.  I grabbed some styrofoam cones, green garland, little red ornaments, yellow stars and went home for an afternoon of crafting.  (Side note: I did already own a glue gun and wire cutters but if you didn’t have this you would need to buy some).

See below for instructions and images:

Materials:

• Green Garland
• Styrofoam Cones
• Your choice of decor (ideas include gold garnish, ornaments, stars, bows, tinsel)
• Wire Cutters
• Glue Gun

Craft Time: 1-2 hours

Step 1: Cut the Garland off the main stem.
This is the messiest part of the process as you’ll have little pieces all over the place.  I cut the pieces and put them into a big bowl so that I could later save time and just pull from the bowl instead of cutting the pieces as you go.  Make sure to cut the garland at the base so you have plenty of room when you stuff the pieces into the styrofoam.

Step 2: Stuff the Styrofoam
Now that your pieces are cut and ready grab your styrofoam cones.  Start at the base and push the garland pieces into the styrofoam.  Go completely around the cone and then start a new row but be sure to fill in holes or gaps as you go.  TIP: Try your best to push the garland pieces into the styrofoam at the same depth each time so you have a consistent look throughout the tree.  (pardon the iPhone image)

Step 3: Decorate your tree
This part is really where you can let your creativity shine.  I wrapped the gold trim around the tree and used hot glue to make sure it was secure to the tree.  For the ornaments, I did “hang” some on the branches but I also glued the back to the tree.  I wanted the tops to be on some branches so it looked a little more realistic.  Get creative with the decor and look around craft stores for small decor (usually for miniatures).
For the smaller trees you see in the picture, I decided not to put ornaments on them because I liked the idea of them being simpler.

Finished Project!