A Feather Tree

My lovely friend Alex gave us all a gold wire Christmas tree filled with Ferrero Rocher chocolates a few years ago, and once we ate all the chocolates, I kept the empty tree.

I thought I could probably do something with this tree one day.  The other week I was at The Cottage Garden Nursery in East Brisbane and I saw a tree that was made from a plant climbing frame with masses of white paper napkins stuffed through the wire mesh - very effective.

That was all the inspiration I needed.  I grabbed a piece of white marabou feather boa and wrapped it around the gold frame, trimming some of the feathers at the top.  Now I have a feather tree.

It's going to be difficult to decorate,  I was thinking I might just spray it with some glitter hairspray.  What would you do?

Lindt Chocolate Christmas Tree

This is a yummy Christmas tree post.

I'm not hosting Christmas this year so I have no pressure to create a sensational table setting.  I am hosting a casual lunch on Boxing Day (26th), so I thought I'd create a chocolate covered tree for the kids to enjoy.

To make the tree you will need:

A foam cone shape (mine was 400mm/95mm base from Lincraft)

burlap (hessian)

pva or fabric glue and a hot glue gun

Lindt chocolates in assorted designs

dressmaker pins

Lay the foam cone on the burlap and trace the edges as you roll it in a complete circle (this is the same technique as tracing a lampshade). 

Cut out the burlap and glue it to the foam.

Now play around with the chocolates to work out where you want to put them.

I thought a row of reindeers around the bottom might work?

I tried different methods to attach the chocolates to the tree but in the end I used a hot glue gun.  I refrigerated the chocolates before gluing them so they were firm.

I cut burlap bows and attached chocolate balls to the tree with dressmakers pins.

I continued to add chocolates until the tree was full. 

 I filled the gap around the bottom with a row of burlap bows.

I attached the reindeer to the top of the tree with a toothpick.

Now all I have to do is keep my husband and children away from the tree.  They kept eating the chocolates as I was trying to make the tree!

To see more Christmas decorating, please visit my new blog DIY Decorator

A Sample of Thankful Presents

It's the end of school and there are many thank you presents to be given.

Thank you to the school teachers who have taught and guided my children through the year.

Simply tied with Merry Christmas ribbon and a crystal star ornament.

Thank you to the tennis coach and the dance teacher who have ignited the passion in my children.

Classic red and cream adorned with a silver bell.

and thank you to my children's friends who have shown kindness, support and encouragement.

What child doesn't like a bucket full of sweets?



and to all my blogging friends - Thank you for your inspiration, kind words, and encouragement.  Merry Christmas to you.

What thank you presents do you buy at Christmas time?

Sharing at

Between Naps on the Porch

Tree's Up

Well the tree's up for another year.  This is a job that my daughter and I do together (it obviously doesn't appeal to the males in the house).  We have so much fun doing this together.

We start by putting on Christmas music, then assembling the tree.  Once the tree's up, we untangle the string of 600 lights, turn them on and wrap them round the tree.  In London, we bought a real tree and it smelled divine.  Here in Brisbane, a freshly cut tree wouldn't last long in the heat, so I bought the most real looking artificial tree I could find.

The big baubles are always the first decoration we put on the tree. 

Once they are on, we fill the gaps with all the little decorations.

When all the decorations are on, we put the star on top.

Finally we assemble the railway track that runs around the bottom of the tree.

We've had the train since the kids were little.  It plays annoyingly loud Christmas music but the kids love it.

Is your tree up yet?  Do you wait until 1st December, or sneak it up a little earlier?

Sharing at Thrifty Decor Chick - Christmas Tree Party

Making Christmas Tree Bows

Have you ever noticed that all the Christmas trees and garlands you see in shopping centres are nearly always just covered with a mass of bows and baubles?  It's a great way to 'fill' the space.  Over the years I have built up a good collection of decorations and ornaments but we have a big tree so there is still space to fill.  Time to make some bows.

To make the bows I used some wired ribbon in pale green and gold, some beading wire and some square diamante buckles.

I cut 2 pieces of ribbon and thread them through the buckle.

I thread a small piece of beading wire through the back of the buckle. To make the bow I formed a loop on each side, so they crossed over at the back.

Twist the beading wire tightly round the ribbon to hold the bow in place, then twist the ends of the wire around the branch to hold the bow on the tree.  Use the wire in the ribbon to shape the bow.

I made about 15 bows for my tree, and they just help to fill the tree.

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A Beach Cottage,  My Romantic Home.  French Country Cottage

Censational Girl - Christmas Craft

Facebook Frustration

OK - I know it is the season to be jolly but I'm having a little trouble with facebook.

Originally I wasn't going to have a facebook page - just my little blog, but a facebook page allows you to engage with all the blogs I follow with quick likes and comments (with no word verification - another pet hate), and I thought I could share some silly things that I wouldn't necessarily write a blog post about.

The lovely Kate from Lilies for Kate gave me some advice on how to set up a facebook page, which I've done, but whilst I've used facebook privately for years, I cannot figure out the whole public facebook.  I've tried to find blogs I follow and 'like' them, and I even managed to share a beautiful photo from Beachcomber on my fb page.

From Beachcomber

I've tried to link things and add a facebook like page to my right side bar, but facebook and blogger just don't want to talk today.

Anyway, enough venting!!!!  If you are on facebook, please let me know so I can find you.  Here is a link to my facebook page - I hope it works!!!!

Merry Christmas Burlap Bunting

I finally gave in and bought 2 metres of burlap from Spotlight the other day.  I know we really call it hessian here in Australia, but I do think burlap sounds better.  I have seen so many beautiful things made from burlap on pinterest and on blogs, so I have set myself a challenge to see what I can make out of 2 metres of burlap.

Number One - Make a Merry Christmas bunting banner.

White shabby bows and silver bells.

It is hard to see the bunting properly in this light, but when I stand in my kitchen and look across at this window, it really looks lovely. 

To make the bunting,I:

Cut out the triangles for the bunting (template from Madison magazine here)

Printed the letters for Merry Christmas in Mongolian Baiti 200 point on the printer

Used an exacto knife to cut out the letters to form a stencil

Stencilled the letters onto the burlap using black fabric paint.

Sewed the bunting together using white cotton bias binding

Tied the bunting onto a tree branch

Ripped strips of white cotton and tied it to the tree branch

Attached silver Christmas tree decorations that I found in Choice

and attached the whole banner to the timber blind pelmet using fishing wire.

Now, what else can I make from burlap?

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Between Naps on the Porch

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Home Stories A to Z

Faded Charm

Freckled Laundry