“what kind of tree is that?” yes, gideon had to be won over. but it was free. hubby climbed to the very top of the catalpa tree for it. $40 for a christmas tree didn’t resonate with me this year. neither did getting down the christmas boxes (with the vintage ornaments that jehu was fond of eating last year).
so we just made them out of paper. and pine cones. although i’m afraid the boys weren’t as interested as i hoped they’d be. they just wanted to play with the rotary paper cutter and the exact-o knife.
but they do like raiding the paper cones after dinner for chocolate. i’m not sure this would be a good tradition to perpetuate. plus, the tree doesn’t stand a chance against mommy.
my favorite ornaments were the seed pods that came attached. i just slathered them in glitter glue. very fun. and the boys enjoyed hunting pine cones during their trips to the park.
and acorns. they actually look more like acorns when you just glitter the cap. but we found that out too late.
we also made a mile of circle punch garland. i got a punch at michael’s and laid it to all the christmas cards i had saved over the years. then the boys colored the stickers we used to attach the punch outs to thread. it turned out very neat.
the next best thing is that i don’t have to water the stupid thing. it doesn’t shed on my floor and the kids can’t brush against it because it’s too tall. last year we had tinsel smeared all over the house.
i might have a hard time setting the torch to it come new years. but my husband is kind of excited about the prospect. and actually, before i even got married, this was my christmas theory. make all your christmas ornaments with your kids and then have a new years bonfire. unfortunately, i hit a few providential yard sales later in life, and it couldn’t be helped.
i really like your tree. much better than our fake plastic one that the cat broke the branches on. i was prepared for the kids, but the cat?
gayla also has a very beautiful tree. the kids just stare at it in awe. and then go after the ornaments.
So cute!!
We had a stick tree last year too although not as cute as this one. Ours was tiny but I had fun hanging really old glass ornaments on it. At least till they started shattering when the dog jumped around.
I like it. A little sparse in comparison but interesting none-the-less. Beats our 12″ tree a friend gave/loaned us. We couldn’t fork over $40 for a tree especially with Corbin now crawling and about to walk (by himself). Plus we’re still finding pine needles fro our first tree four years ago.
We’ll let the grandparents decorate classic style and we’re reap the benefits. So Kudos for going this far. Oh, and the ornaments are good whatever kind of tree you have.
i’m feeling the sparseness as well. but that’s okay because we’re filling it up as we go. our next bit of craftiness is making felt beads in green and mustard yellow and maybe peppermint wreaths too.
jessica – i know. those old ornaments break when you look at them wrong.
I have twice taken out and fondled the two big popcorn tins we have full of antique ornaments in the garage. Luckily I came to my senses and put them back. We did get a real tree but only because it snowed here and nobody else was out, but we jimmied it up on a little table and wedged a couch in front of it so the crawler won’t pull it down. We think.
I can’t WAIT until they’re old enough to conscript into crafts. It looks lovely.
It sort of sounds like I was saying we stole the tree- I just meant it seemed adventurous to be out in what Portland considers apocalyptic weather… ahem.
i think we stole trees every year growing up. usually at least three until my mother was satisfied. i remember my dad and my sister hauled one home that they couldn’t even move. fortunately they fell it near enough to the truck that they were able roll it on. they got it home and my mother said, “what do you call that? charlie brown doesn’t live here. take it back.” but it’s not like you can glue it back on or anything, so that was that.
way to be adventurous.
this is grandma writing on little sisters name. i really meant to be sane this year and not steal a tree. even had the permit in hand. but when you find the christmas tree that will work you have to take it were you find it. this year it was on the side of the hwy in the dark. imagine. we did not have much time for looking and with blizzard conditions you do what you got to do. but i have never stolen a christmas tree from a cemetery. miranda and her sister sarah decided that they wanted a christmas tree for themselves when they were about 16 and 15 yrs old and asked if they could get one. i said sure and so they left the house with bowsaw in hand. and a little later they came home with a really nice tree. need i say more.
deny, deny, deny.
somewhere out there is the truth.
you aren’t referring to that big gaping hole in the tree line, are you?
yes i was referring to the tree line drive heading into the cemetery. you make me so happy i love you all mom