I don’t really do Christmas cards anymore. Instead I’ve made a little gift at a similar price to a card but with way more love, care and cute.
String Christmas trees.
I was looking at my craft box carrier bag (sorry) and thinking what I can make. Last year I made some friends heart shaped decorations using red and green checked tea towels, bright ribbon and some pound shop jingle bells. I had started a bit of a tradition, the lovely ladies I meet for coffee (almost) every week would be expecting something cute.
Not in a grabby “where’s my gift” way but I suspect they’d be secretly disappointed if they got a card and a chocolate bar.
So using buttons, a cardboard delivery box, string and a hell of a lot of PVA glue I made trees.
Here’s how….
Step by step....
1 – Get a bit of strong card and chop it in to a rectangle. Snip the corners as shown in my drawing to give you a basic tree shape.
2 – Tie a knot in the end of your string to give you a hanging loop and a “tail” to stick down under the main design. This should mean your decoration won’t fall apart and unravel.
3 – Utterly smother the card in craft glue (I recommend PVA) but leave the tree trunk bit free from glue until you get there so it is easier to handle. Stick the tail down the front of the tree and start winding.
4 – This drawing shows you how the string should look. Keep the lines tight and as straight as you can. When you finish snip the string and tuck it under the last row.
Allow to dry out. (This wasn’t worth a drawing, because it is not fun.)
5 – Glue on some buttons using a stronger glue. (The stuff in metal tubes.)
Wait some more…..
What I used and some treeeeeees.
Then just give them away as gifts, hang them on your proper Crimbo tree or hang them from the fireplace with drawing pins.
Add individuality by varying tree shapes, tall ones, wide ones, with branches or without. You can also get coloured craft sting so this idea is very adaptable.
Go play!
This looks such a fun activity for those with kids and the grown up crafty peeps out there! I cherish the decorations my son made when he was little.
What a lovely idea! I have had my first DIY fail, I have been looking for some gift tags for the gifts I am making for Christmas (yes, making.. still haven’t started making them and I am away this weekend!!) I wanted some really strong card, been looking everywhere for it, considered buying some but just can’t bring myself to part with the cash for plain card. Then I realised I had exactly what I was hunting for at home, and I had put it on the fire the previous evening! oops!
Honestly you sound like me.
What really lovely decorations. My niece made something similar to send to everyone and it is just so sweet and quite special too x
These are so pretty! What a lovely last minute make, I want to come over and craft! x
That’s such a lovely idea, and I’m sure they were much appreciated 🙂
These are really cute and look great. I love authentic home made decorations.
Great idea….I’m always too late with my cards but I love the idea of getting more organised and making these, a lovely idea.
To me the idea of giving a card in person is so pointless. Its not going to be a surprise is it. If “Bob” handed me a card it would just say “to julie *some printed wintery greeting* from bob” – straight to the recycling. 😉
I really like this idea. I’ve never seen anything like it and it;s something that I think my kids would enjoy doing too.
These look like a lovely idea – something to be treasured and got out every year
I must admit they do look extremely cute!
I will make some next year for sure.
I don’t do xmas cards but I love this idea, super cute! x
I loved my tree thank you. I hung it on the tree and have put it away for next year. Such a thoughtful idea.