Tree Trunk Ornament

Easiest Pinterest Project Yet! (If you don't count cutting down the tree.)

We decided to cut down our own tree from the National Forest this year. It seemed like a very "Colorado" thing to do. With our $10 permit in hand and good friends at our side, we headed into the forest to find the perfect tree.

It took a while. My husband was darting through the forest and every time we thought we found one, we would see another one off in the distance. Finally, we found it way up on a hill. Our first tree as a family of three. Husband cut it down, while I held little H, supervised, and photographed the whole ordeal.

I love a good fat tree. This tree is not fat - but it is cute. I'm not going to lie - it's a little sparse in the middle - but it's trunk was straight and it was the perfect height.



So to make the ornament.
1) Cut piece off trunk & drill hole (in my case - have husband do this!)
2) Let Dry (ours was all sappy)
3) Use a Sharpie to write on it (The front of mine is pictured and the back says "Pike National Forest)
4) Modge Podge to Seal
5) Use a chopstick to force the ribbon through the hole and hang from tree. Ta Da! Simple.

Happy Holiday Crafting!

Christmas Banner Garland

This is another project I really thought about purchasing from Etsy. I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. I wanted something bright to match the rest of my house decor   A trip to Hobby Lobby and a 50% off Coupon inspired me to take a crack at it. I figured if mine didn't turn out I could always just buy one.

Here is what I ended up using.
Banner Pieces (Something like this or cut your own) Modge Podge 
Foam Brush
Ribbon
Scrabpook Paper ( I used sheets that were already small. similar to this)
Scissors
Single Hole Punch
Stick on Letters

This project is very simple, although it will take you a full day since the Modge Podge takes a while to dry.

First I glued the scrap book pages to the banner using the Modge Podge. I found it was easier to glue them on as whole sheets and trim once the glue had dried. I also noticed that my banner pieces were curling slightly. Before I trimmed them, but after they were dry, I stacked them under a large book and that seemed to solve the problem.

After each one is trimmed you will need to re-punch the holes through the paper.

Next apply the stick on letters. Now using a foam brush (a regular brush will leave stroke marks) apply a thin layer of Modge Podge over the entire banner and allow to dry. This will protect the paper and make your banner look nice and shiny.

Finally, run the ribbon through the holes and hang. Mine were light enough to hang with just a piece of scrap paper.


I think I may use this same technique to make a birthday banner.... one all my holiday projects are complete.

Happy Crafting.