Christmas Countdown 2 : Christmas Tree#24- Last Minute

Advent Blog Day 24 - Last Minute.
I have a friend who always says " If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done!" Today's post is for the 'last minuters' and the busy - some great ideas with spectacular results, all using materials you can find easily around the home and assemble quickly with minimum equipment....

Go for a quick walk and find some branches or collect some bits of wood from your garden or shed.... just a single branch with a few shop bought decorations or some acrylic paint can create some magical effects.

Branch with lights

Bits of wood decorated with paint

Wood, string and a few ornaments

Most people I know have balls of wool, yarn or string in a stash at home , just stack them up and there's a Christmas tree like no other in your neighbourhood. In fact, you only need one ball of string or yarn to make a small table top tree.

Woollen yarn - ready for knitting

Balls of wool

Tutorial - Table top tree with one ball of yarn

For paper lovers - forget using the paper doilies for Christmas fare and don't throw out those magazines and newspapers...

Paper doilies in a window

Magazine pages and newspapers

Or look amongst your office supplies for those sticky notes , or for a really personal Christmas tree , use some family photos with lights to impress your relatives.

Sticky notes ( post it notes)

Family photos

Party balloons could be the answer to your last minute festive tree or just suspend from the ceiling some of those baubles you have in your Christmas decorations box.

Balloons and more balloons

Suspended Christmas baubles

Chalkboard tree

One of my favourite last minute Christmas trees does involve a little bit of effort - this chalkboard tree could be decorated with stickers or handmade paper ornaments to make it truly festive and sparkly. This chalkboard 'diy" tree does mean, however, painting a wall with chalkboard (blackboard) paint first, unless of course you already have a wall like this .

I like this idea because not only can you create your own Christmas tree, but you can create a whole scene, regardless of the weather outside.

Chalkboard Christmas Scene

Oh and I wish I hadn't sent off my coffee mug stand to the charity shop last week....

Wooden coffee mug stand - I used to have one just like this!

I am a little sad writing this today, as tomorrow is the last of the Advent blog for another year.... there are so many more crazy, bizarre,unusual, beautiful and exotic Christmas trees to share but we have run out of days. Hope you have enjoyed this little exploration of Christmas tree ideas ... I have. Please join me for one last post tomorrow.

Too Precious to Waste

Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons More than a year ago, a decision was made. The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2] A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

May I Present Mrs Chalumeau...

Finally Mrs Chalumeau takes a bow …She is a Pearly Queen … 695 buttons on the doll and 10 on the journal.(I think – could be more). I would like to thank Paula from Antiques and Collectables here in Hamilton, Newcastle and Raku Buttons ETSY seller for supplying me with about 500 of the vintage mother of pearl buttons, and the rest I had in my stash. I think they look great on my pearly queen, but I am truly tired of sewing on buttons. It made me think however, how many buttons must be on the elaborate clothes of the real pearly Kings and Queens! I drew my inspiration from the lovely lady pictured here, and the following description from Wikipedia. ... A Pearly King ( feminine form Pearly Queen) is a person dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons. These costumes were treasured heirlooms, hand made and sometimes representing much of a family's wealth. .... This doll is all cloth – a little different from most of my other dolls which generally h

"Temari Or Not Temari?" Tutorial

Background Information: Temari (literally translated “hand ball”) is a Japanese folk craft that is alleged to have originated in China and was introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago. Traditionally, the balls were constructed from wrapped kimono fabric remnants and silk threads. They were made by mothers and grandmothers for children to play with. Nowadays, decorative embroidered temari represent a highly valued and cherished gift symbolizing friendship and loyalty. Recently I've wondered if your don't use traditional techniques whether you should call what you create "temari". That is an ongoing debate but today I share what I do to make a "non-traditional temari".... 1.I start with a polystrene ball ( traditionally the balls were wound silk scraps or other organic materials) and begin to wrap with approx 4 ply wool, turning the ball as I wrap. 2. I then wrap another layer of wool in a similar fashion , this time a 3 or 2

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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