12/12/07

Paper Trees

Here's a seriously quick and easy little something you can give away or make a bunch for your house. Make a trio with large, medium, and small trees! Use crazy colors, earth tones, or whatever matches your decor.

The more I get involved in projects, the more I dislike paint, glue, and mess. These trees are about as and mess-free as it gets - just paper and pins!

For this size of tree, here's what you'll need:

Styrofoam Cone: 3 7/8 x 8 7/8 (medium size)
Paper: 3 1/2" x 1" strips, approximately 15 for the base, 14 for the next row, and so on.
Push pins
Bow

NOTE: If you're doing a trio, the large tree strips need to be 4" x 1", the medium tree 3 1/2" x 1" and the small tree 3" x 1" (go up or down 1/2 inch)

Start your base row up high enough for the paper to sit on the table without getting bent.








I arranged my loops over/under like this. Do it how you like, but this makes the tree look symetrical and fluffy.







Here's the bottom row finished










Start the next row just far enough above to where you don't see any of the bottom row pins.
Do this all the way around!



When you get to the top, it's good to pin everything down like this or you'll have corners poking out.


And to finish it all off, pin a bow right on top.









No glue, no mess! Just cute!






If you want to see a gallery of these, as well as other varieties, go here to Splitcoast Stampers.



8 comments:

missliss5/Melissa said...

Those are so stinking cute! You know why I couldn't visualize it when you were explaining it to me? I didn't realize there wasn an inside base of styrofoam. I kept imagining just papers and pins and I couldn't figure out how it would stay together! HAHA! They are super duper cute.

DeGooyer Family said...

These are just the cutest things ever!!!

Unknown said...

I think these are cute too, I looked at some of the other pictures and I like your folded under version better than that curly paper ones!

Tonya said...

Thanks for sharing this cute idea! I can't wait to try one!

nikki/WhiMSy love said...

GREAT idea!! My mother & I were trying to figure out what to do for centerpieces for our Christmas dinner table. Now I know!! Thanks!! I've added you to my list of favorite blogs--love it!

Abby said...

Thanks, all! I wish I could take credit, but I can't. This was just someone else's idea I'm sharing and you're right - it's SO much fun. My 5-year-old daughter made her own the other day since I had tons of paper left over and she had a blast!

Dover Fam said...

Thank you so much for the great instructions on how to make these darling trees. I made three of them for our Super Saturday in October. The sisters all thought they were so cute. I put a link to you on my blog for your wonderful directions. Thank you!!!!
www.mandeeandbrandy.blogspot.com

Emily said...

Way cute! I wonder if they would work well and last longer with fabric also?