The holiday D.I.Y saga continues! Today, Sun-D.I.Y features D.I.Y mini Christmas trees. They are so cute, simple, very customizable, and inexpensive (depending on how many colors you intend to do).
I envisioned part of my boho holiday decor vibes to include many neutrals and non-traditional holiday colors. In addition to this, I also knew I wanted to have a ton of trees to create the woodland theme for my mantle decor, but I did not want the expense of that many trees (more specifically, my husband did not want the expense of that many trees LOL). That’s when my “can I make exactly what I’m envisioning for less money” mentality came into play again. After a few moments of thought (honestly, that’s how quickly it came it me), I decided I could make it for way less, and so these D.I.Y mini Christmas trees were born.
Everything about these D.I.Y mini Christmas trees is in your court: All the custom color options. All the size options. All the cost options. It’s all up to you!
Making Tree Frames for D.I.Y Mini Christmas Trees with Paper Towel Rolls
Sometimes before I make something, I Google it to see where I’m at on the idea train. There are definitely tons of tutorials out there for trees like these: most use foam cones – which cost a fortune. This is the most similar to what I had in mind still didn’t quite meet the price threshold mine does – but it’s the same principle.
My “minimal” price threshold depends on how you look at it. We are a paper towel household. It’s horrible and wasteful. I can honestly say, I have no idea how to stop using it. When something gets spilled on the ground (each second in the house), I use a paper towel – I find it unsanitary to use our dishcloth and our laundry pile is already never-ending. I suppose I could just have a designated “floor spills rag.” Anyway, the point is not about my non-eco-friendly tendencies. It is about all of the paper towel rolls I keep saving.
I typically tape them to the side of the island for Sloane to put her little whiffle balls through and have them land in bowl. With the excessive amounts I’ve saved up, I decided to make them into various sized cones for trees!
Picking Your D.I.Y Mini Christmas Tree Colors and Textures
The other fabulous part of these D.I.Y mini Christmas trees is the fact that the world is your oyster when it comes to what color and textures you want to see.
I mean, technically, the world is ALMOST your oyster, given it is also dependent on what yarn companies manufacture.
I selected two types of yarn, one was a traditional-looking but thick yarn in a cream color, and the other was a velvet yarn in a lighter brown color.
Two textures, two colors. I debated getting more but decided since I didn’t know whether these D.I.Y mini Christmas trees would work out for me or not, I decided to play it safe. And now that it did work out, I am digging only the two colors for now. But you, my darling readers, you can go with one, six, or fifty – that’s the beauty of these. Customize to you!
How to Make D.I.Y Mini Christmas Trees
Materials
*depends on how many and what size trees you want to make – this made 10 for me.
+ 6 paper towel rolls
+ scotch tape or stapler
+ scissors
+ thick yarn of your choosing (I think one roll would get you 10 – I had lots leftover from my two that I used here – antler color and here – cream color)
+ hot glue gun (plus glue)
Optional (to create more of a height variation):
+ skewers
+ wood rounds
Instructions
1. For the largest tree you can make, cut your paper towel core in a straight line down the cylinder. Roll the top end tightly together, so it forms the tip of a cone. Let the bottom roll naturally as you tightly roll the top; you may need to push out the bottom to keep it thicker and maintain that cone shape. Tape or staple key places together (the top, bottom, middle, and wherever else you feel reinforcement would be ideal). The bottom will not be flat – use your scissors to cut it flat. This takes some effort and finessing and to be honest some of mine are crooked but I’m down with it. The result you should see is pictured above.
2. For smaller trees, follow the same instructions as above, except cut the paper towel core in half (or to whatever size you want). Repeat the instructions above.
3. Heat your glue gun. Add your glue starting at the tip of the cone and quickly stick the end of your yarn to the top. Pro tip: if I had a little hole remaining at the top, I actually shoved the end of the yarn in there, then glued, then wrapped.
4. Once you have the start of your yarn going, keep adding glue and twisting your yarn around the paper towel core until you’ve reached the end. On some, I wasn’t satisfied with my tightness, so I went for a second layer. On some, I was thrilled, so I left it—just another option for you to play around with.
5. Once you’ve reached the end, cut off the yarn and glut it down. I try to do it as non-discretely as possible by putting the glue on the end of the yarn and sticking it where I want instead of sticking the yarn onto the paper towel core.
6. Repeat for all trees, and voila! You just D.I.Y’d your own mini Christmas trees!
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Comments
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Samantha
This made me laugh so loud. I truly wish my home was a gigantic snowglobe – it’s ALMOST there!! Tree is to come this weekend LOL
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Erin
Love, love, love how pretty these turned out!! & also that they are so customizable. I’m just picturing your house as one big Christmas themed snowglobe at this point and I am obsessed with it. ALL the holiday decor inspo!