Tree Trunk Tradition

Well if you're here in the Valley this morning it almost feels like Christmas time outside. We had a layer of frost on everything this morning down in our little nook, hopefully not on the little plants all covered up in the garden though. I'm sure done with this coldness. I'm done getting ready in it, having to drive to work in a beaten up truck (which takes 10 minutes to warm up), I'm done wearing coats, and having to plan to have layers to dress in after the gym. Done done done. But I suppose with it being so chilly its a good day for sharing this little DIY ornament that I finally got around too (5 months after I began, forgive me). I saw the idea out there somewhere in the world of DIYin'...at this point I couldn't begin to tell you where so sorry I don't have a source to give the credit to...

First off you need to have your self a real bonafided Christmas Tree come the Holiday Season, otherwise this isn't the craft for you. Although there is a mess involved, real trees are just perfect. There is nothing like the smell it will create in your home. Of course if you ask me, there is a traditional and meaning just behind going out, finding,drinking hot coco, and cutting down your Christmas Tree with your loved ones that just can't be missed over the Holiday Season. So you can count on me having real trees till the end of my days.

Well this was Chase and I's first Christmas in our new home, and we got us a tree...

 a big tree, for a little house

and after all the festivities and decorations and especially the pine needles were fallin', we took the tree down (well actually I did, by myself, missing a boyfriend who was in Colorado who coulda helped me) and cut off a sliver from the trunk for this craft. It is about an inch thick, and isn't perfectly round or flat, but that's how I liked it anyways. This is what I was gonna use to turn into an ornament for our tree next year, and than continue the tradition each year, with each new tree. I borrowed my sisters wood burning kit (great investment) and with a little hardware and ribbon it turned out just how I had hoped...and overall borrowing the wood burning needs, it probably cost me a total of $2 dollars to make.

Material Needed:

• Sliver of Tree Trunk (approx 1" thick)
• Wood Burner
• Christmasy Ribbon
• Eye Hook Screw (size depends on your ribbon)

Step One:

Slice off whatever size sliver from the tree trunk. We used (Chase used) a handsaw, but an electric saw of some sort would probably be much easier...and end in less frustration and foul language.

Step Two:

Using a wood burner, burn into the wood the year in which you had the tree (or what ever else you'd like of course) Be careful with the wood burner, its not as easy as it looks. If you hold it just a second to long in one place it will leave a deep burn mark, which will cause you to have to thinken all the other areas of the number/word your making (learned from experience)

*also never wood burn on a nice wood surface like me, thank the lord I didn't mess up the coffee table dad handmade us this Christmas, but looking at this picture now he'd probably kill me for wood burning so close to that beautiful thing.

 

Step Three:

Take an Eye Hook Screw and screw that into the top of the ornament (another reason having a thicker piece is good) I don't even remember the size I used, but you want it big enough to tie a ribbon through and to also attach a hook for hanging.

Step Four:

I mean if you count tying ribbons as work...Tie a ribbon of choice and that's it, your done. Not a very hard DIY and keeps a bit of Christmas cherished for the years to come.

Gets me in the Christmas mood a little...............a little

but still bring on that summer!