Thankful Tree, Phase 1

Phase 1 of the Thankful Tree is complete. Here's the story....

First, I saw this picture on Pinterest.

I LOVED this idea, but the execution of it proved problematic. You see, I have one very sad and small and scraggly Japanese maple in my yard which can't afford to lose any branches, and no other (legal) source of free branches.

Whatever is an arborially-challenged crafter to do?!?

I went shopping, of course. I looked at Hobby Lobby but found no branches I liked. So I put on my thinking cap and remembered the black metal "tree" I bought for Christmas last year. I had hung my miniature book ornaments from it for the holidays. Problem solved. Good for me!

Of course (again), I was already at Hobby Lobby when this thought struck, so as I wandered around the Christmas tree display to make sure nothing even more perfect jumped off the shelf and into my cart (these things do happen, don't they?), I found a second black metal "tree" thingie, which (I'm not making this up) was 40% off.  It was destiny.

Why have just one Thankful Tree when you can have TWO Thankful Trees and put them nice and symmetrical on your fireplace mantle?

So I bought the second tree thingie and took it home and dove into some magazines for inspiration. Now, if you surf around the interwebs or read craft magazines, you've seen the pleated paper medallions people are making. I've seen them on cards and asked myself, "Why would you put something so big and bulky and thick on a card?" In my best redneck voice, I answer myself, "It shore is purdy, but it don't make no see-unse."

Then I saw one used as a Christmas tree decoration in a magazine and shouted, "That DO make see-unse."

Y'all 'uns didn't know I have redneck kin, didya?

So I made one. From scratch. Without a tutorial and from badly written magazine instructions that suggested using a glue gun...a device I only use when I know emergency services are readily available to whisk me to the nearest burn unit.

The close-up shows the details of this pretty idea. I used some speckled art paper cut into 2" x 22" strips, one for each medallion. One thing I figured out BEFORE I made the mistake (I sooo want credit for that) is to score first but do not fold, and THEN use the edge punch on the paper. I suspect scoring after punching a lacy border might result in tears. That's tears, as in rips and also as in those big fat blobs of water that leak from your eyes when you are sad.

Instead of a glue gun, I used glue dots, wodged into placed where I wanted them with a craft knife. I didn't cut myself in the process, and for me it was definitely safer than using a glue gun, but I suggest you use whatever adhesive works best and is safest for you.

If you want a tutorial for making these, just google accordion fold paper medallions. Once you understand the basics, you can vary the dimensions and embellish to your heart's content.

The leaf ornaments are simply two shades of red (cherry cobbler and rose red) in two different sizes of a maple leaf punch, connected with a dimensional that serves double duty holding the loop of twine for hanging it.

This is just the first phase of my Thankful Trees project. More to come as soon as I have it available.

What do you think so far?