by Fran Casselman
Materials:
#10108 Douglas Fir Tree
#77584 Rustic Wash Pot
#11991 Golden Sparkle Cord
#1249 Weldbond or similar white glue
(A detail applicator is very helpful, or use a toothpick)
Small foam balls (vase filler from Dollar Tree)
Ultra-fine glitter in your choice of colors
Hot glue
Water-based clear sealer (thinner is better)
Hair spray (optional)
Tweezers
Long, ball-head pins (such as corsage pins)
Small containers for the sealer and glitter
(something like the caps from old glue sticks is ideal, but whatever you have is fine)
Note: Due to the way they are made, the #10108 trees shed quite a bit of their flocking. If you open their package carefully, you can collect the foliage and reapply it to any bare spots as you near the end of your project. Also, if you work over a plain sheet of paper that has been folded and opened out, it is easy to preserve what falls as you work.
Before you begin decorating, you may want to try using hair spray to reduce the shedding.
Plant the tree
Add some weight to the Rustic Wash Pot (pebbles or BBs glued inside around the bottom; keep the center clear). When that glue is dry, cut the tree trunk to the desired height and use hot glue to secure it into the pot.
Make the decorations
Balls: I had some already-glittered tiny foam balls from a disassembled full-size ornament, but there weren’t any in gold so I had to make them. Here’s what I did, so you can make your own in any color.
Prepare a small container for the sealer, as well as for each color of glitter and a “drying” dish. Stick a pin into a foam ball and dip the ball into the sealer. Shake off any drips, and dip it into the glitter. Tap off the excess and use tweezers or another pin to push the ball off and into the drying dish. Repeat. Let dry before use. (You can also leave it on the pin to dry if you have enough pins.)
Garland: Cut a short length (2" or so) of the Golden Sparkle Cord and unravel it into many glittery threads.
Decorate the tree
First, glue foliage to any bare spots on the tree. This is the last chance to do this easily. When that is set, apply glue to a branch tip and use tweezers to add a glittery thread. Choose the next appropriate branch tip and glue the other end, then add a new thread. Shorten the threads as needed where the tips are closer together. Don’t rush. This takes time and patience.
When the glue has set, add the balls. Use your fingers or a pin to hold them (tweezers can leave dents) and apply a bit of glue to the top. Stick the ball to the underside of a branch tip so that it looks as if it is hanging.
The star topper is from #72015 Christmas Tree Ornament Set. I also added a few lightweight plastic beads here and there.