Download the pattern for the ornaments and the star here!
There's a picture that's been circulating around Facebook for a few weeks of a felt Christmas tree, and I've had a lot of friends share it with me since I clearly love everything felt :) I decided to make a pattern and write a tutorial for this since it's an easy, no-sew craft! The picture being shared on Facebook originally came from this post by Rachel over at Sol and Rachel do a Blog, so make sure you check out that post to see more pictures of her adorable tree!
I wanted to make this for Rhys last year, but he was way too young and out of control to enjoy it then. He would have had more fun tearing the tree down than decorating it, but I think he'll really enjoy it this year! If you have a spirited toddler like mine, they will definitely be able to pull this off the wall if they want to, so keep that in mind before you pull your hair out having to re-attach this to the wall a dozen times :) Otherwise, this is an easy and affordable project and doesn't require any sewing!
First, here are some basic FAQs for this project if you don't need the full tutorial. Otherwise, use the pattern linked above to cut out the ornaments and bulbs, then follow the steps in the tutorial below to make the tree!
Where do you buy such a large piece of felt?
-Most craft stores sell basic colors of felt in a 36x36 inch square. Check for it hanging in a bag near the felt sheets. You can also buy green felt by the yard from fabric stores or Walmart!
How do the ornaments stick to the tree?
-Easy answer...felt sticks to felt! Actually, I would say that felt 'clings' to felt but you get the idea. Felt is made from compressed fibers so the fuzzy and fibrous texture allows it to stick to itself as long as the pieces aren't too heavy.
How do you attach the tree to the wall?
-I used velcro command strips and painters tape to attach my tree to the wall. It works well and won't damage the wall or the tree, but Rhys could pull it off if he really wanted to.
I wanted to make this for Rhys last year, but he was way too young and out of control to enjoy it then. He would have had more fun tearing the tree down than decorating it, but I think he'll really enjoy it this year! If you have a spirited toddler like mine, they will definitely be able to pull this off the wall if they want to, so keep that in mind before you pull your hair out having to re-attach this to the wall a dozen times :) Otherwise, this is an easy and affordable project and doesn't require any sewing!
First, here are some basic FAQs for this project if you don't need the full tutorial. Otherwise, use the pattern linked above to cut out the ornaments and bulbs, then follow the steps in the tutorial below to make the tree!
Where do you buy such a large piece of felt?
-Most craft stores sell basic colors of felt in a 36x36 inch square. Check for it hanging in a bag near the felt sheets. You can also buy green felt by the yard from fabric stores or Walmart!
How do the ornaments stick to the tree?
-Easy answer...felt sticks to felt! Actually, I would say that felt 'clings' to felt but you get the idea. Felt is made from compressed fibers so the fuzzy and fibrous texture allows it to stick to itself as long as the pieces aren't too heavy.
How do you attach the tree to the wall?
-I used velcro command strips and painters tape to attach my tree to the wall. It works well and won't damage the wall or the tree, but Rhys could pull it off if he really wanted to.
This tutorial makes a tree that is 33 inches tall and 33 inches wide at the base.
Supplies
-Large sheet of green felt (sold in a 36x36 inch square at most craft stores, or on a bolt in fabric stores)
-9x12 sheets of felt in assorted colors for the ornaments, bulbs and star (2 sheets per color)
-3 sheets of 9x12 inch felt for the presents
-Hot glue
-Scissors
-Chalk or marking pen
-Velcro command strips and painters tape
-Ric rac or ribbon (optional)
1. Start by folding a large piece of green felt in half lengthwise. I used a piece of felt that was roughly 36 inches wide and 40 inches long. Use the chalk or pen to draw half of a tree shape against the folded edge of the felt. Cut away the excess felt and open it to lay the tree out flat.
2. If you want to add ric rac or ribbon as decorative garland, add it to the tree now by gluing and pressing a few inches at a time.
3. For the presents, cut two 9x9 inch squares and one 9x10 inch square in different colors. Keep the extra felt from those sheets and cut the excess into 1 inch strips to use as ribbon on the other presents.
4. Glue 1 inch strips of felt across each gift and cut additional strips to make the bows.
5. To make the bows, take a 1x7 inch strip of felt and shape it into a figure eight. Glue the ends to each other to keep it in shape, then wrap a small piece of coordinating felt around the center and glue it in the back. Lastly, take a small strip of felt and fold it in half. Glue the folded end of the strip to the back of the bow and glue the entire bow to the present.
6. Cut 3 squares out of your leftover green felt to fit slightly smaller than the presents. Arrange them on the back of each present box, and glue 3 sides of each green piece to the back of each present, leaving the top edge of the presents open to form a pocket.
7. Cut out your ornament circles (I made 10) and all of the bulb pieces (I made 15). Glue the white tips onto the top of each light bulb. You can decorate the ornaments by gluing more felt shapes (stripes, dots, etc) onto them or drawing on them with puffy paint, but if you make them too heavy they won't stick to the tree.
8. Turn the tree and presents over, and attach velcro command strips to the back of them (sticky side to the felt). I used velcro strips and painters tape to attach the tree to my wall. I attached the matching velcro strips to the strips on the tree and then removed the backing on one piece at a time while I placed the tree on the wall. I used painters tape (doubled over) to attach the tips of the tree branches to the wall.
The presents act as pockets to store the ornaments - cute and functional!
There you have it! That seems like a lot of pictures and steps, but it's a really easy project once you get started :) I hope I explained everything well, but leave me a comment if you have any questions!
Hi Courtney, thank you for this great blog post! It was clear instruction wise which is helpful for someone like me who loves to be creative but needs some guidance to get going :) Thanks to you our tree is beautiful and fun to decorate!
ReplyDelete