Sharing A Little Handmade Christmas

It is now November 24. Exactly one month from today it will be Christmas Eve. Growing up, we always opened our gifts on Christmas Eve so as not to "compete" with what Santa would bring that night. Let's face it--evening is when the Christmas tree is at it's most beautiful, the gifts have the most sparkle, and a fire in the fireplace is at its finest. Today though, I want to offer up my Christmas present to any and all who would like it.

This project is quick and simple; inexpensive and yet quite impressive. When my daughter's paternal grandparents were alive and living in a nursing home, she made one of these trees each and every year for her grandparents. Everyone loved it! And since they were so easy to make, it made no sense to pack the tree up for next year--Kendra could just make another one, and she did! Instead, we told her grandparents to give it to whoever they would like to have it. I hope everyone who tries this project will enjoy it, and I hope too, that you will make at least one to donate to someone who otherwise might not have a tree.

Clothes Hanger Christmas Tree

Materials Needed:

6 wire clothes hangers (make sure all are the same size)

1 string of 35-50 lights

1 50-60 ft. package of fluffy Christmas garland (the fuller it is, the less you need)

Masking tape

Optional: cat-helpers to inspect and guarantee quality

STEP ONE:

Take two clothes hangers, hooks facing each other, and place one end from each hanger together to form a triangle. Tape the top of the triangle with masking tape.

Tape each hook to the side of each hanger to secure the triangle shape. Make 3.

STEP TWO:
To make the frame-work, start with 2 triangles. Insert one inside the other, then place the third one inside the first two. Space the sides so that they are approximately all the same distance apart. Secure the top of the tree, and inside the base with masking tape. (Feline helper optional)

STEP THREE:
Add the lights by taking the end light and taping it in an upright position to the top of the tree. Wrap the remainder of the string of lights around the tree, spacing them as evenly as possible. Tape lights in place to the frame of the tree as you go. If necessary, twist the string of lights so that all the lights are facing out. (Cat-helpers not recommended for this step)

STEP FOUR:
Starting at the top of the tree, take one end of the garland and tuck it securely inside the tree. It is not necessary to tape it in place. Start wrapping the garland around the tree, making sure that the lights continue to be facing out. Tuck the bottom end of the garland into the previous rounds to end.

Finishing:
Plug in your tree and enjoy! To store, unwrap the garland from the tree to prevent it from getting smashed on one side during storage. Or better yet, donate the tree to a local nursing home and make a new tree next year.

I sincerely hope each of you who read this post will make one of these trees and will thoroughly enjoy it. I'd love to hear about your trees!

c 2001 Linda McMurry