My Unconventional Christmas Tree

The Black Keys - Mind Eraser

I was thinking of buying a mini Christmas Tree this year.. but from the 17th-24th I will be visiting family in Phoenix. I decided it wasn't worth it to buy one, but it was so hard to break tradition and not get a tree! So I opted to use a jewelry tree that a friend gave me last year. Here is my version of a Christmas Tree for this year:

The only thing I bought this year was glitter gel; everything else I had at home! So it was an inexpensive tree (yay! to saving money). Here are more details on the what and how of this decorated tree:

1. I already had these ornaments, but I felt they looked so blah. I decided to buy glitter gel (less mess!) to add a little something to them.

2. I made these out of string, glue, water, and glitter gel following this. Some of them didn't turn out so well because a couple of them wouldn't harden, so I used extra strength hairspray that I found laying around the apartment; hopefully, I didn't harm the environment too much. I would try using liquid starch next time because that is what I used in elementary school and it turned out better.

 

3. Found these ribbons lying around and decided to put them to good use!

4. I love this fake pine cone because it makes my fake tree look more rustic. I wanted to add walnuts that were still in their shell next to it, but that would cost me money... so I randomnly came up with this idea to use polymer clay one night. I had left over clay from this project.

5. At first, I wanted to make walnuts in the shape of polymer clay. That got too complicated (especially since I was doing this in the middle of the night). So I figured, why not in the shape of  a sphere? I made the majority of them with holes in them to add texture. And all you need to do is pop them in the oven. Some of them, I made as hanging ornaments... all you need to do for those is get some jewelry wire and stick it in the clay before you bake it.

6. The one I made with no holes was glitterfied with my glitter gel.

Tadaa! My unconventional Christmas Tree of 2011. I really love how it turned out... and I am thinking of making this my tree every year!

Stay tuned! I have many posts to come...this includes my  X-mas Cards, a DIY Gift Suggestion Collage, AND I am so excited to show you my DIY project where I refurbish an old purse that was seriously dying. Hopefully I will find time to post in Arizona!

Oh and reminders: Please check out UGG Australia: Design for a Cause Competition (last day to enter is the 26th) and also, if you have the time... help feed a child in Africa through WFP by taking a 5 question quiz here! They are all great causes and this is such a great time to join in because tis the season for giving! :)