Here Come the Seasonal Decorations!

This was the first of a series of 4 articles I did last year for the WCK Jingle Bells Journal - as we head into the season of seasonal decorating again - I thought I'd take a minute to share it here too - It's a simple, affordable way to add to your stash of holiday decorations! 

Time for holiday decorations, and time for my creative muse to go into major overtime!  While shopping with a friend this past weekend, some of the decorations at the local mall inspired me to get creative at home.  For WCK's annual Jingle Bells Journal series I’ll be sharing a new version of these fun, simple, holiday trees each week to inspire your creativity!

Over the years, I have amassed quite a collection of old-fashioned Santa’s and ornaments with the darker tones of burgundy and evergreen being prominent.  I wanted to create some fun, whimsical trees for my mantle, but they needed to stay within the overall color scheme of my other decorations.  Out came my Graphic 4’s Christmas Past collection of papers and I got busy.  Three different sized cones were decorated to create this trio of trees.   (Hint….. these cones have a secret inside…… I’ll reveal the secret on December 10^th!)  Begin by selecting double sided paper and cutting it into 1 ½” squares.  How many squares will depend entirely upon how large your cone/finished tree will be. If you are purchasing paper I’d recommend getting a few sheets of each of your chosen patterns.  Gently roll one corner of each square outward/upward to reveal the pattern on the back side (I used a pencil to roll my corner).   Then simply begin at the bottom and hot glue them to your base, overlapping each layer above the one beneath slightly as shown.    If desired, spray finished tree with a clear sealant, give it a coat of Plaid Extreme Glitter for a little shimmer, or add additional charms and embellishments as desired. 

I found these fun, colorful whimsical trees created by fellow designer Lolly Chessie on her blog recently (www.LollyChops.com) Lolly created her trees using Brenda Pinnick’s Flower - Beauty Bloom Sizzix die and a combination of fun, colorful papers.  I just love Lolly’s version of these trees!