Soft Trees, To Go...

Like most of you, I've fallen for Stephanie's soft trees, and needed to make a small army of them.  But with the holidays and Elliot's birthday approaching, I really didn't need to take on an arbitrary project.  Well, I decided to go ahead and make a few this past weekend and had a pleasant discovery.  After completing the first three steps and popping it down on a table to show my husband, the trees stood on their own.  Voila, no need for sewing on the bottom and stuffing, I just put some fill right inside and perched them on a shelf.  Now, I was free to make even more than I intended!  These are numbers 12, 13 and 14.  The first 11 are made out of polarfleece in various festive shades, but when I remembered this cream wool that I bought a few years ago that didn't felt quite right, I knew I had to make a few more.  The nice side benefit to these is that you can pack them flat for storage, or better yet, mail a few to a friend with instructions on making a winter wonderland-- maybe include some plastic deer, some fake snow, a little glitter?  Your recipient can stuff them with the tissue paper used to pad the box.

PS- I am in now way implying these are an improvement on Stephanie's wonderful trees.  As in everything she creates, her trees are beautiful (and huggable!).

One more thing-- This would only work with a fairly sturdy fabric.  I used Malden Mills fleece and felted wool for mine.

Comments

[Carmen]

If they stand up on their own, why bother stuffing them? Great job!

[Carmen]

If they stand up on their own, why bother stuffing them? They're awfully pretty.

[lisa]

so beautiful!!! i love the idea of no stuffing!

[Mama Urchin]

Very clever and very cute. I love the pinking shear detail at the bottom.

[Kate]

Might have to try the no stuffing thing. Love the felt you are using and love the idea of polar fleece.

[amy h]

Great variation on the trees! I like the pinked edge on the bottom. Cute, cute.

[christina]

i too love this modification. it makes sense for the lack of time i have right now. i do have three of hers but want to make more.....

[myra]

Great idea and I assume they will be fairly easy to store?

[myra]

Oops! I shouldn't read so quickly. Love the little snowflakes too. :)

[June]

Lovely, lovely trees and I think the fold 'em storage concept is wondrously clever and helpful.

[daria]

anything that streamlines holiday decorating is great by me! also, that "not quite right" felting gives them a fantastic texture.

[kirsten]

love it! brilliant idea - esp. for the storage aspect. i think i might make some of each...

[The Shopping Sherpa]

Brilliant!

[erin]

oooh - I might be able to squeeze some tree making in after all!

[Sheau]

These are absolutely beautiful. I like how you turn the soft material into sculpture. Neat!

[Gina]

Love them and the zip-zag on the bottom is a nice touch.

[Amy]

Lovely! I need to get crafting...

Oh, by the way, I am SO IN LOVE with your playroom!!

[molly]

ingenius! a wonderful variation on the theme. how are you feeling these days? thought of you today as I was coming home from my checkup....

[blair]

brilliantly beautiful!

[Liesl]

And I was just whining to myself that I can't make any trees because we don't have a place to store them. Obviously I'll be making some now. Thanks!

[jenny gordy]

I love the white--so cute! How did you make the snowflakes?

[tanaya]

You are my hero! Well, maybe my second ot third hero. I was putting off making my trees because of this very thing. And then last night, I whipped up 9 of them in no time. THanks for the shortcut!

[pam]

I agree, lovely. I too love the snowflakes and wonder how you made them.

[Lauri]

I discovered the same thing! I didn't want just one, of course, so I cut out 3 and decorated them. (Oh, and I used the cheap 5 for a dollar felt pieces because I wasn't sure how they would turn out and didn't want to use up the good felt.) Last night I sewed up the first one, which is really kind of heavy because it is decorated with ladybug buttons, and it is standing on it's own right now on my desk!

So, I was going to do like you did, and just put some stuffing or wading up some tissue paper and putting it inside to keep it filled out, and not sew on the bottom. Which is great, because anything that I don't have to hand stitch is going to look much better! lol!

[kathy]

I love your take on the trees. Looking at the calendar I think it might just be what the doctor ordered.

[Tiel S-K]

these are a great version of the original..well done.

[claire]

so beautiful , j'adore , c'est magnifique merci beaucoup de nous montrer de si belles choses

[moki]

Those are the most gorgeous simplest things I have ever seen!