house style: The Tree Of Course

Did you wonder what I was doing with all those images last week? Some of you thought I was making cards. Well, I was. Sort of.

I was making ornaments for my tall, skinny tree. And oh, is it skinny. At the bottom the tree is only 24 inches wide. But it fit my little spot.

First I printed off images compliments of The Graphics Fairy.

Then I dug into my bits and bobs. Which meant lace and trims and buttons and doo-dads and scrapbook paper and rubber stamps and beads.

I made the winged birds, for which I gave a tutorial last week.

Each step of the way I decided what I would do next. And that's how all this came about.

I decided to make some of the hangers with ribbon and use up some of my bigger beads. I threaded a big needle with my ribbon, and put both ends through the needle and through my beads and punched hole. And then I tied a knot above the bead.

If someone offered me an unlimited amount of money in which to buy ornaments for the Christmas trees, I'd say "no thank you." Because I really prefer the homemade version.

I like making things on the cheap. Things with memories that I thought up myself. To me that's what makes it special.

I started this tradition of making ornaments with my girls when they were still at home. We'd get out the craft supplies and start working on ornaments the day after Thanksgiving.

Those are such precious memories!

This is really a take-off from The Trellis Tree from last year. Taken a few steps further.

I had so much fun with this project.

I've been back at it today with a new project. And I'm still peeling the hot glue from my fingers. I'll be showing you that one. And maybe I'm about done. And then maybe I'm not. Who knows?

I do have a couple of other table top trees you haven't seen yet.

And here's a tip if you have sneaky little pets that like to play with the ornaments. I tie mine on instead of using the hangers. I use raffia and ribbon, etc.