{Tutorial } How to make a glittered felt christmas tree

Here is another tutorial for making a lovely Christmas Tree.  This tutorial is quite simple and should be easy enough for small children to participate in making these trees.  Why not make a bunch of them in various Christmas colors and arrange them on the dinner table as your center piece this year.  Give every child one to have for their own after dinner is over.

This tutorial is from Lorajean's Magazine and I hope you will visit her site and browse her other tutorials.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am so excited to share with you the EASY instructions on how to make this felt glittered tree. I really am super happy with the way they turned out.

Here is what you need:

• Felt  (I used white)
• Scissors
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Craft glue
• Clear glitter
• Styrofoam cone  (or any cone shaped thing)

Note: I didn't use a Styrofoam cone I used a cone shaped wire tree from Dollar Tree last year, but I think they aren't there any more. You can find foam cones at Dollar Tree or any craft store.

 cut 4 large strips (2 in wide)

cut 4 medium strips (1 1/2 in wide)

cut 2 small strips (1 in wide)

______________________________________

Step Two

Cut deep scallops into each strip

___________________________________

Step three

Glue along scalloped edge of each strip and glitter generously.

 ______________________________________
Step four
Hot glue each strip onto the cone starting with the large strips at the bottom and ending with the smallest at the top.

 _______________________________________________
Step five
Cut a half flower shape (for tip of tree)

____________________________________________

 

The Official Crepe Paper Christmas Tree Tutorial........

Here is a wonderful tutorial on making crepe paper Christmas trees that I thought you would enjoy.  I found this originally on AllFreeHolidayCrafts, but that link forwards you to Creative Chaos.  So be sure to visit both sites and try out some of their other craft ideas.

If you make one of these trees, I know that I would love to see it and I know that Creative Chaos would also love to get a look.

__________________________________________________________________________________



Woo Hoo....After a back breaking day at Paper Tales (which consisted of eating pumpkin bread, talking with some lovely ladies who read my blog, solving a glitter crisis, eating more pumpkin bread, ringing up crafty customers, inadvertently letting someone know that the special crinkle ribbon that's all the rage at the Tim Holtz 12 days of Tags blog is simply seambinding, eating more pumpkin bread and then finally waving goodbye to everyone), I arrived home to two boys and a Papa who had been waiting anxiously for my arrival so we could all watch Toy Story 3 together.   Once my eyes were dry from the ending of the movie, I got right to work on my Snowflake Box kits for tomorrow's class in between five loads of laundry.  Why am I telling you this?  Because I want everyone to see that I am totally committed to keeping my promise to bring you the tutorial.......even though I really want to sit on the couch and watch a movie......

But I must show you how to do this so you can become just as obsessed as I am.  Then I won't feel so lonely in my little world of crepe paper and glitter.   First, though, I have to tell you how it all happened.  Cindy Gilstrap, a wonderful crafter/artist, had made a crepe paper Christmas tree for the Joli Paquet blog that you can see here.   I instantly fell in love with it.  However, because I have the patience of a gnat, I decided to use my sewn ruffled crepe instead.   And the rest is history......


Now, I did a google search to see if these had ever been done before and didn't find anything.  Has anyone ever seen anything like this before?   Let me know if you do!

Now, here are a couple things you need to know about this project.   Number one....once you start making these trees, you will find yourself unable to stop. Seriously. Ruffled crepe paper will never be the same to you.  You will find yourself looking for reasons why you need just one more crepe paper tree in your life.

Number two....expect to be pulling hot glue strings from your tree, your table, your body and your children for at least the next two months.
Ok....I think we're ready!
First gather your supplies.....
1. Crepe paper......I have no idea how much because I neglected to measure beforehand so let's just say a roll
2. Hot glue gun (this is what I used) or a heavy gel glue like fabri-tac or 3 in 1
3. Piece of paper to make into a cone or paper mache cone
4. Peppermint Bark candy bar (you will get hungry)

I took a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper and rolled it into a cone.  I then glued the end at the top to secure.......


Glue the sides......

Cut the bottom of the cone to from the base.  Once you cut it set it on the table to see if it's even and stands straight......



I sew my crepe paper on my sewing machine using a basting stitch and tight tension.  It ruffles up just right.  On my old machine, I had to pull the one end of the thread to ruffle it.  That works also.

Start at the bottom with your first section skirting the bottom of the table.   Glue into place......

Continue around the base until you meet up in the back.....


Take it a bit above the last bottom skirt and continue around the cone.....

I worked in sections using pieces that were about two feet long.   When you get to the end, just match end to end and glue....



 Time for a break.....grab your chocolate......

 Ok, back to work!    We're almost done.......


Ta Da!  You did it!  For the very top I use a small section of the ruffled crepe paper and cut it a bit shorter than the other layers and then glue into place........


I hope you enjoyed it!   Put a bunch of glitter on and you are good to go.  I would LOVE to see any of the ones you make.  Please send pictures!!  Ok....I'm off to bed.....I've got a class to teach tomorrow!

Related articles

• Make a Christmas Addition Tree (education.com)
• How-To: Crepe Paper Carrots (craftzine.com)
• Craft a Pine Cone Centerpiece! (education.com)
• Daffodil Crepe Paper Flowers (countryandvictoriantimes.com)

Tuesday Tutorial -- Scandinavian Reindeer

 This is a wonderful Christmas Craft that you could begin making now to help get you in the Christmas spirit.  This is a textile craft and I think every child on your list would love to have their very own reindeer to cuddle while they wait for Santa to arrive, don't you?  Who knows, you could make a few just for yourself to cuddle too.

This craft can be found here along with many, many other wonderful crafts.  Please visit the site and try some of them out.  Let me know what you make and how it turns out, won't you?

_________________________________________________________________________________ 
Adults and children alike will be unable to resist the charm of this soft toy—you just want to pick it up and squeeze it! The embroidered decoration is a simple back stitch. You can change the size of the toy by enlarging or reducing the size of the templates, but do not make it too small as the antlers will be difficult to turn out.

 

Taken from Scandinavian Needlecraft by Clare Youngs, photography by Carolyn Barber and illustration by Kate Simunek, published by CICO Books. Text copyright Clare Youngs. Images copyright CICO Books.

• 

  Enlarge the reindeer templates by 200 percent, transfer onto the boiled wool fabric, and cut out.
  
  

• 

  Using dressmaker’s carbon paper, transfer the embroidery pattern onto the white felt semicircles. Embroider the motif in back stitch and French knots, alternating between pink and orange as shown in the photo, below, and using three strands of floss (cotton). For the reindeer’s eyes, work three orange French knots close together, using all six strands of floss (cotton).
  
  

• 

  With right sides together, pin one felt semicircle to each body piece, easing the fabric around the curve. Baste (tack) and machine stitch.
  
  

  • 

• • 

    With right sides together, pin and machine stitch one hoof section to the bottom of each inner leg piece.
    
    

  • 

    

    With right sides together, pin and machine stitch one hoof section to the bottom of each leg on the two body pieces.
    
    

  • 

    

    With right sides together, pin and machine stitch the inner legs to the two body pieces along the side and bottom edges.
    
    

    • 

      

      With right sides together, pin the underbelly to the two body pieces, taking care at each end to finish the stitching in a point. Baste (tack) and machine stitch, leaving a gap in the seam at the top of one of the front legs to turn the reindeer right side out.
      
      

    • 

      

      Starting where the inner legs join the body, pin and machine stitch the front and back together. Match up the line of stitching and carry on around, taking particular care on the curves of the antlers.
      
      

    • 

      Starting with the antlers, turn the reindeer right side out. Use the handle of a long, thin paintbrush to help ease the tips of the antlers out. Stuff the toy, using the paintbrush handle to get the stuffing right up to the ends of the antlers and taking care to keep the stuffing firm at the top of the legs.
      
      

    • 

    Turn under the raw edges at the gap in the front leg seam and slipstitch the gap closed.