A yarn wrapped tree

I made a yarn wrapped tree for my little girl . . .

My inspiration was this sad little plant . . .

You see, my daughter loves playing with her little creatures in the “trees” . . . or my house plants.  The plant above used to have leaves believe it or not, but they were handpicked to reveal the branches of the tree for better creature climbing.  So I decided I could try to duplicate this kind of branchy tree wonderland

I started with a dry branch from a backyard tree.  I used floral tape to strengthen any thinner branches.  I applied glue bit by bit and wrapped with yarn bit by bit. . .

Then I hand cut little green leaves from felt and hot glued them in places that didn’t look so tidy, like the tips of branches . . .

For the little nest I used that same drop cloth that I’ve used for a few other projects.  I cut a circle, sewed a swirl-like top stitch around the middle.  Then I just stuffed around the stitching and sewed it closed. . .

I used the lid from a small papier-mache box for the little swing.  I painted it with fabric glue and adhered the fabric. . .

For the cherries I used red mini pom poms and green pipe cleaners.

To “plant” the tree I used a $3 thrift store planter and trimmed a piece of styrofoam to fit snuggly inside.    I used hot glue to adhere it inside the planter.  I also carved a little hole for the tree trunk.  I used felt for the grass but made sure to shimmy it up the tree trunk before I glued the tree into the hole.  I hot glued the felt grass into place . . .

And that was all.  I worked on it here and there throughout the week.  The wrapping of the yard was the most time-consuming.  But it’s pretty mindless work.  You could definitely space out while you do it, or watch your favorite Bravo show at the same time.

The absolute best part about these projects is surprising my daughter with them . . .

I hope this yarn wrapped tree gives some relief for a while to the poor ol’ house plant.  However I have a feeling that it will be making its way back into the rotation again.

Until Next Monday!

Jennifer