Xmas Decoration Tutorial - Beribboned Trees

I am a sucker for handmade tree decorations, they don't have to be fancy, clever or time consuming, just simple suits me fine, and they don't come much more simple or quick than these. I've been trying this year to use up whatever I can of my scraps and my stash of, well everything. I'm sure I've mentioned it before but I collect even the smallest pieces of ribbon from anywhere I see them, handles from falling apart Paper and Card Bags, from the shoulders of new clothes etc etc, so I have a ton of too small to be useful pieces of ribbon in every colourway imaginable. I kept them in a shoe box just waiting for some idea to make them useful again, until now.

What you will need for this Tutorial:

Sheet of Green Felt or other non fraying fabric

Scraps of Brown Felt or other non fraying fabric

Old Cereal Box

Hot Glue Gun or a decent white glue

Scissors

A roll of 1/4 inch Ribbon

Scraps of assorted Lace/Ribbon/Trim of all sorts

Sturdy Needle

Chop stick/Toothpick/Skewer (will save you from burning your fingers if using Hot Glue gun)

1. Start out by cutting a template for your Trees from your old Cereal box, mine were roughly 3 inches high by 2 inches wide you could do them all free hand but as you'll need two triangles for each decoration you want them to match. Cut an even number of these from your Green felt, if you want 6 decorations cut 12 etc etc.

2. Now for the fun part, take out your ribbon scraps and decorate your trees, in one colour, multicoloured, however takes your fancy. Glue them down and leave a bit either side to wrap around the felt piece.

3. When all ribbons are stuck down, flip over the piece and glue down the ends of the ribbon. Using the toothpick/Chopstick/Skewer push down each ribbon end until they are secure.

Here you see the messy back part and the front looking all tidy with loose ends tucked away.

 

4. Next up cut a piece of Brown felt for the tree trunk roughly 1/2 inch by 4 inches, add glue along the back and fold it in half lengthways.

 

5. Stick the tree trunk to the messy side of your Tree piece and cut another card triangle just a hair smaller than your felt piece. If you made a template at the beginning use this to trace around then cut it smaller, trace the new smaller piece for other decorations, you need one for each tree. Take an undecorated triangle of Green felt and stick your smaller card triangle on to it, there should be a gap around it.

6. Glue both pieces together, making sure you seal up the edges (glue then press together) to stop the card showing. Next up Marvel at your creative skills then take a ribbon, thread your sturdy needle and pierce the top of the Tree (making sure you are poking the needle through the card), pull the ribbon all the way through and tie in a double knot. Knot the ends furthest way from the tree together to then hang your tree decs.

Done.

Other Ideas:
Make these as cute Gift Toppers, with Ink just stamp the persons name across one of the ribbons.
Then add a Card stand to the back and they could be Place cards.
pr leave as is but attach to the front of a card (using foam adhesive tape) for a reusable Xmas memento.

Hope you enjoy making these, I just kept going until I ran out of all my Green Felt leftover piecess.