3 Winks Design
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Printables
  • From Cover to Reel
    • Contests >
      • Writing Challenge
    • Show Notes
  • Where I Party
    • Places Featured
  • Archives

DIY Plaid Trees and What Puts Me in the Christmas Spirit

12/20/2019

3 Comments

 
This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Picture
     When I was a young mother, I would work so hard to do everything during the holidays to help my family feel the true meaning of Christmas.  I wanted them to know why we celebrated and I also wanted them to feel the magic of the season.  We watched every Christmas special, we drove around and looked at lights, we did acts of service for others, we sang carols, we read about the birth of the Savior, we went and saw Santa, we put up the tree and decorated it, we got gifts for each other and had fun secrets.  I baked and made candy and decorated the house like crazy.  I loved it! My kids loved it!  But, now that my children are all adults, it has been quite a transition to not being the one that everyone looks to to make Christmas special.  I have grandchildren and their families have their own traditions that they are creating and plus other grandparents to be involved with.  This year, I had decide to take a look at what really puts me in the Christmas Spirit and to concentrate on those things. Here is what I have realized about myself:
  • I love the lights on the tree and sitting and looking at it.  Not only that, I love when my family sits there with me and we sing carols together.  I have blogged about that before.  It is one of my favorite traditions.  It makes me happy when I hear that my children have incorporated this tradition in their own homes.
  • ​I don't need to bake or cook as much, but today as I made our family's favorite fudge recipe to share, I realized that I was feeling the spirit of Christmas in my heart.  You can't beat some of those old favorite recipes and the memories that they bring. 
  • I love to have little children around and talk to them about the Savior.  I love to look at the Nativity scenes all around and have them show me Baby Jesus and the other figures.  I did that today with my granddaughter and I was amazed at this almost 2 year old and how she could point out Jesus and Mary and Joseph without any problem.  
  • I love finding a special gift for someone and knowing that they will love it! 
  • I really enjoy taking treats to friends and family and giving to those in need. 
  • And finally, I realized this year that if I don't craft or hand make at least one gift or decorative item each Christmas that something is missing from my holiday.  I need to put myself into something and do more than just make a purchase. (Even though I do plenty of that!) 
    It took me a while to come up with what I could make this year.  But, as you know, I have been loving the buffalo plaid decor this year and I actually had purchased a Christmas Tree from Walmart for my table.  I decided that I needed more of them and wouldn't it be great to use a cinnamon stick as the trunk and a wood slice as the base.  I thought how great to give a little tree with my plates of goodies!  So, I whipped some up and here is how I did it: 
Picture
Supplies:
Coordinating plaid flannel fabric
Cinnamon sticks
Fiber fill
Wood slices
Sewing Machine
Thread


* I used the tree that I already had as a guide to make a pattern.  But, I also made smaller ones and then cut out two pieces for each tree.  Then, with right sides together, stitch around each tree, leaving the bottom open a few inches in the center. 
​* Trim the seams and points of the branches and then flip the tree right-side out. 
* Stuff Fiber fill into the corners at the top of the tree.  Wrap a cinnamon stick with fiber fill around the top portion and push it up through the opening at the bottom.  Then, fill around it with more fiber fill, especially shoving it into the corners.  
* When it is nicely stuffed, stitch the bottom closed with a whip stitich across and going around the trunk.  
Tip:  When choosing a cinnamon stick, try to get one with a nice round end so that it will fit neatly in a whole the size you have a drill bit for.
* Drill a hole through your wood slice and glue the cinnamon stick in it for your tree to stand.   
Picture
I love these! I had a bunch all done in no time! Thanks to my husband and his drill!
Picture
How Merry!  
What gets you into the Christmas Spirit?  I would love to hear from you! 
​
For more great ideas for DIY gifts, check out this post, a Zero Waste Gift Guide! 
3 Comments
April J Harris link
12/24/2019 09:52:54 am

Baking puts me in the Christmas spirit too, especially when I make family recipes from years gone by. Love your sweet little trees, Helen! I've just shared this post on the Hearth and Soul Facebook page. Merry Christmas!

Reply
Dee | GrammysGrid.com link
11/6/2023 12:17:11 pm

Those look nice, I like them. Thanks so much for linking up at #IMadeItMondayLinkParty 31. Pinned.

Reply
Dee | GrammysGrid.com link
11/12/2023 11:38:21 pm

CONGRATS Helen! Your post is FEATURED at #IMadeItMondayLinkParty 32.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs!  (copyrighted)
    Subscribe to Our Email!
    Picture

    Author

    Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to fifteen!  I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born.  Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out!  Read more about us here!
        

    Picture
    Click this link and visit 3WinksDesignShop on Etsy. Find our Hot Cocoa Bomb Idea Book, our For the Love of PIe e-book and more of our creations!

    Picture
    Shop Mood Fabrics




    RSS Feed

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Printables
  • From Cover to Reel
    • Contests >
      • Writing Challenge
    • Show Notes
  • Where I Party
    • Places Featured
  • Archives