My Mum Makes Ceiling-High Christmas Trees Every Year Out Of Unexpected Objects
She makes them from scratch!
By Tamara Jayne — 17 Dec 2019, 07:13 PM
Every year since 2012, my mother has gone all out for Christmas, making ceiling-high Christmas trees from scratch – and they look really cool (I may be biased but she's my mother so yeah)
Her theme this year? 'Stained glass'. Here's a look at it:
The tree is made of glass paper – the kind used to make Chinese Mooncake Festival lanterns or wrapping hampers – and was layered to get a stained glass effect.
She reuses all kinds of materials, from denim jeans and sticks to scrap cloth.
In 2018, she made a 'shabby chic country-style tree' out of mainly bedsheet strips and other fabric given by friends and strangers.
And in 2017, it was a 'black and white tree' made from a wooden tripod structure hinged at the top so it could easily be folded to store away
The black cardboard was drilled with holes for fairy lights to poke through from under the tree so that it could sparkle at night! Pretty.
She went for a rustic vibe using leftover decor from a wedding in 2016
"I stacked up wooden frames my friend Madeline had hammered together and had used as table decor for a wedding earlier on. I wrapped the frames in strips of curtain lace and some of the matching ornaments were made," she explained.
In 2015, there was 'The Missing Tree'.
She had fractured her foot and it was put into a cast but that didn't stop the Christmas spirit.
Her favourite tree, however, was 'The Teepee Tree', which stole the show on her front porch in 2014
"The branches were scavenged in the neighbourhood and the recycled ornaments were hung inside the somewhat teepee structure with fishing line that glistened at night," she shared.
Rustic and simple.
And in 2013, she made one completely out of... Yep, you guessed it. Newspapers.
'The Newspaper Tree' was made from top to toe out of newspaper, pleated and stapled together.
And below is a mini version she made with the leftover materials:
But it all began in 2012 when she created this 9.5-foot Christmas tree out of 19 pairs of denim jeans and skirts!
"Colours around my house then were blues and browns, which is why I'd decided that year that denim would be a great fabric to use. I looked around and figured our ladder was the perfect support for under the tree," she explained.
"Social media can work magic... I just asked if anyone had torn and tattered denim jeans that they did not want anymore and managed to get 19 pairs!"
And the total cost of this tree was only RM100! It included wire mesh, three boxes of lights, gold decor, snow spray, and old jeans - which she had requested from friends or bought at bundle shops.
Once Christmas is over, she repurposes the materials as much as possible
The denim patches were used to make a miniature tree about four-feet high and was displayed at a Christmas handicraft demo with a group of women.
"The bedsheet strips were cut into shorter lengths to make Christmas garlands for the staircase," she added.
Apart from DIY-ing trees, she has also done other projects like Christmas wreaths made out of cut-up plastic bags, and ornaments with floral foam cubes wrapped in photocopied music sheets.
If you're looking for something custom-made with love, slide into my DMs. She will kill me for offering her services but she'll be interested to hear your idea!
