It’s less than a month till Christmas, so it’s about time to start thinking about Christmas crafts and decorating for the holidays. I’m not sure what I’m going to do this year – with two puppies running around the house, I’m thinking a Christmas tree covered in breakable decorations is just a great big accident waiting to happen. Not to mention that a tree skirt could easily be mistaken for a pee pad.
And I definitely can’t put up the usual tree in the dining room, because that’s the puppy playroom at the moment. Sooooooo… what to do, what to do, what to do… well, this might be a good year to try something different with our Christmas tree. Something small and safe from curious little dog noses and mouths and paws…
1. Love these pretty seashell trees. Glue a Styrofoam cone onto a wood base and go to town with a hot glue gun sticking on seashells. Pinterest
2. Simple & pretty tree made from pieces of driftwood. Basic Label*Sweden
3. Stack a bunch of starfish from biggest on the bottom to smallest on the top. Handmadeology
Love these next ideas for creating a Christmas tree on a wall. You could create any of these trees on sheet of painted plywood or a mirror and lean it up against the wall. And then you can re-use it every year.
4. Adorable pom pom tree and cute bunny :-) Pinterest
5. Draw a tree on a piece of kraft paper or a piece of plywood painted with chalk paint and attach ornaments to the “branches”. Style Me Pretty
6. Post-It notes could be replaced with squares of pretty paper or old Christmas cards. Livingetc
7. Zigzag Christmas lights in the shape of a tree .rework not waste.
8. Cut out circles of felt and use straight pins to attach them to a Styrofoam cone. Bliss Bloom Blog
9. Pearl beads nestled inside loops of grosgrain ribbon (Kanzashi). Designs in Bloom (Etsy)
10. The People`s Tree. Festivetree
11. Create a Christmas tree by attaching pieces of wood together. MarzaShop (Etsy)
12. Cut wood dowels into various lengths, paint them white, and stack them together. Pinterest
13. If you’re handy with a jigsaw, cut out a tree shape out a piece of plywood, paint it white, and attach rope lighting onto the back to make your own backlit tree. Habitat.
14. Hammer together pieces of wood and drape some lights over it. Basic Label*Sweden
Small versions of a big Christmas tree can go on a table, a window sill, or in a safe corner on the floor.
15. Weekday Carnival 16. Better Homes & Gardens 17. The Essence of the Good Life 18. Habitually Chic
19. Welke
A Christmas tree can be anything you want – these are just a few examples of Christmas trees that aren’t really trees.
20. Birch branches, pinecones, balls, and ribbon dressed up with white lights. Simple & pretty! Inspirations of Old
21. Glam brooch tree – a pretty piece of Christmas art. Pinterest
22. A simple branch with a few little ornaments tucked inside a glass dome. La Maisonn d’Anna G.
Are you putting up an unusual or creative tree this year?
Happy weekend!
I have No 7 this year in our small NYC apt!! It's taped onto the balcony door, and I love it. Ours is with less lights though.
ReplyDeleteMaya, that's the one I'm leaning towards trying :-)
DeleteKelly
When in the past I have had either small children or small puppies or both I have put the Xmas tree and presents in a play pen. Practical, yes but not for anyone wanting the Home Beautiful look !!
ReplyDeleteThis year I am in love with small trees. It seems that they give you so much more opportunity for creativity and flexibility. I am working on a blog post or two featuring some I'm crafting.
ReplyDeleteI learned from a friend who is a floral designer at Michaels that their customers are done buying crafting supplies two weeks after Christmas, presumably because then customers move on to gifting, cooking, decorating, partying, traveling, whatever. So, crafting supplies are deeply discounted by this time.
Of course, I love making my little trees from scraps, remnants, cheap stuff and recycled goods. Like driftwood, cardboard, or pasta!
Thanks for the lovely photos, and the humor.
Should have said "two weeks after THANKSGIVING."
ReplyDeleteKelly
ReplyDeleteThans for the lovely Photos. And the good humor!!!is work make the tree...
Happy weekend!!!
Kelly,
ReplyDeleteVery creative post and a great way for those with less to still enjoy the holiday spirit. Downsizing decor does not mean lack it means digging deeper to create it.
Bette
fabulous ideas! Love this post.
ReplyDeleteTerrific post Kelly! Think my favourite is the lighted zig-zag tree on the wall. To be honest, no unusual or creative tree as I'm hoping to keep my Xmas decorating to a minimum this year. No large tree and only use of decorative table-top ones ..... if that .... bah humbug!
ReplyDelete-Brenda-
Scroll down for foonote:
Actually not entertaining this year and in the midst of priming all walls for painting and there are boxes everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!! Second thought, maybe I could stack the boxes to look like a tree. What do you think????????
I say go for it! You could start a whole new Christmas tree trend :-) I like the zigzag light tree the best too. Trying to think of a way to create the same look without doing anything permanent....
DeleteKelly
Thanks for all the ideas Kelly! I think I'll have to try that little felt tree myself. Good luck figuring out which tree is most puppy proofed : /
ReplyDeleteThose are awesome ideas! I really like the tree made of lights on the wall. And mini trees are always a great alternative, plus you get more than one ;)
ReplyDeleteWow- those are a lot of ideas! Can't wait to see which ones you use. I'm sure it'll look great, whatever you try.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I drew a Christmas tree on a door painted in chalk paint. It was one of those years where a tree just wasnt going to happen but I still wanted a few decorations. I'm afraid this year might be another one of those years! Lol.
Have fun with those adorable pups. So much better than a big ol' tree, don't ya think?
I'm thinking of combining a few ideas - we'll see how that works out!
DeleteI think drawing a tree on a chalk paint door is a great idea! It would be fun to change up the picture on the door for each special occasion throughout the year :-)
The puppies are definitely more fun than a tree - although I at least managed to get one tree up in a puppy-proof room :-)
Kelly
Love the one with the twinkle lights on the wall! Great ideas - I haven't even gotten my real tree up yet - agh! I am featuring your amazing Tina Fey desk on my blog today Kelly here: http://www.settingforfour.com/2012/12/features-its-party-time-11-18-2012-and.html
ReplyDeleteHope you can share your creativity at this week's party!
What a great round up, Kelly! I love the starfish creation. Very clever!
ReplyDeleteArtificial Christmas trees are very popular and good choice if you don't want to maintain a real Christmas tree. They can be used for many years and are quite durable. You don't have to worry about the decoration and looks of the tree. You can maintain it very easily and decorate it the way you want. In this way you don't have to buy a tree every year which also works very well on your budget especially in the festive time. Visit Artificial Christmas Trees website for more details.
ReplyDelete