By now, almost all the stores I regularly frequent have their offerings of holiday decorations and toys ready for eager shoppers as Thanksgiving comes and goes. From furniture stores to grocery stores, I've noticed many of the decorations taking a cue from handmade creations or featuring independent artists. During a recent visit to Somerset Collection here in Troy, Michigan, I found that Crate & Barrel had a lot of DIY inspiration, from these limited edition, artist-created Christmas tree ornaments to these handcrafted, whimsical dreidels. It's beginning to look very DIY – and that's wonderful!
You can inspire some DIY decoration spirit in your children by creating a simple plush winter tree decoration that practices very simple sewing skills.
Materials
Blue flannel fabric
Embroidery floss
Embroidery needle
Cardstock
Permanent marker
Scissors
Polyfill stuffing
Glue gun and hot-glue sticks
Tree decorations: sequins, pom-poms, buttons, etc.
Instructions
1. Start out by having your child draw a pennant-like shape for the tree on a piece of cardstock. Big or small – the size is up to them.
2. Next, trace the tree pattern onto the blue flannel. Cut two tree pieces.
3. Sew around the sides of the tree using a running stitch.
4. Leave an opening at the bottom of the tree to add its stuffing.
5. Add the polyfill to tree through the opening in the bottom of the tree. Make it as full as you'd like. Use the eraser end of a pencil to help push the stuffing into the points of the tree.
6. Once the stuffing has been added, sew the opening shut, once again using a running stitch.
7. Complete the tree by having your child add the decorations of their choice!
