Little Felt Trees

O Tannenbaum, ('Oh Christmas Tree'), is a traditional German Christmas carol.

If you want to add a fun touch to your decorations for the holiday, why not have a go at making your own little felt trees. All you need to get started is some thick felt, together with a few basic items such as buttons and fabric scraps. In no time you'll have lots of trees to 'spread hope and gladness far and wide'.

Approximate Time: 45 minutes

Supplies:

• thick felt (alternatively: felt an old jumper by washing it on a hot wash in the machine. The result is a very dense material that will not fray.)
• scraps of printed cotton
• a sewing needle
• pins
• a pair of scissors
• a fabric pen or pencil
• embroidery yarns
• buttons, beads, etc.

Instructions:

1. To make a cone shape out of felt, firstly tie a piece of string or bias tape to a pen/pencil. Then pin the other end of the tape to the corner of a piece of felt. Draw an arc from one side of the felt to the other, to make a quarter circle. Cut out along the arc line. Fold the felt into a cone shape and stitch a small seam to secure the straight edges. Turn the finished cone to the right side.

2. Cut some circles in different sizes out of printed cotton. Pin and sew the circles to your felt cone. A blanket stitch is shown in the photograph, but use any type of embroidery stitch you feel looks good. If you prefer not to sew, why not glue buttons, beads, and other embellishments to the felt, instead.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above to make more trees. Try making your trees in a variety of different sizes and colours.

4. Arrange your trees to decorate your home. You can even use a group of trees as a centerpiece for a dining table during the festive season.

Crafty Tips:

• Make your own felt. Use a paper-mache cone as a form for your tree; cover it with cling film, wrap wool tops around the cone and felt with soap and water in the usual way. Let dry.

• Stitch or glue a fabric tab to the base of your tree on either side. Turn your tree upside down and hang it from the tabs. Your tree now becomes a cone decoration that you can fill with sweets or small toys!

By Anne from The United Kingdom