By: Julie McGuffie

Nothing says Christmas like a Christmas tree! These whimsical trees are so easy to make using three sizes of a simple heart shape, layered over a wooden spool base.

Skill Level for this project: Beginner
Time to complete: 3 hours

You will need:
• Kunin® White Star Coordinates Felt, 9” x 12” – Pirate Green
• Kunin® White Dot Coordinates Felt, 9” x 12” – Red
• Kunin® Gold Dot Coordinates Felt, 9” x 12” – White
• Cricut® Maker™ with Rotary blade
• Pink fabric mat
• Jute
• Wood Spools (1 per tree)
• Glue gun & lo-temp glue sticks
• Bamboo skewers
• Plastic Straws
• 8” Paper plates

Instructions:

1. Cut* 4 hearts in each of the following sizes: 4” x 3.5” (large) and 3.5” x 3”(medium) and 2 small hearts, 3” x 2.5”. Make a set in each color of felt. *I cut the heart shapes for these projects with the Cricut Maker and rotary blade. You can also adjust the size of any heart pattern and cut shapes with scissors.

2. Cut an 8” circle from a paper plate. Fold each circle in half then cut along the fold. Curl each half circle into a cone shape, making sure there is a tight point at the top. Overlap the edges until the bottom of the cone is about 4” across. Secure with a staple or tape. Make the second cone narrower then the first. Cut a 4” circle from a second paper plate. Cut in half then create a small cone about 1” across the bottom. These sizes are approximate. You may need to adjust the sizes of the middle and top cone before covering with the hearts.

3. Starting with the large cone and 4 large hearts, glue the point of the first heart onto the cone about 1” from the top. Note: The bottom of the cone should not be visible below the bottom of the heart. Glue a second large heart on the opposite side of the cone then glue the third heart between the first and second hearts and the fourth heart on the opposite side. The outer edges of the 3rd and 4th hearts will overlap the other two. They can be left as is, or use a small amount of glue along the edge to flatten against the hearts underneath. Glue the 4 medium hearts to a second cone in the same manner.

4. Glue the edge of one small heart on top of the edge of another as shown below. Curl into a cone shape then glue together where the edges overlap. Place on top of the small, paper plate cone. Trim if needed.

5. Wrap jute around the center of a wooden spool. Secure the ends with glue. Stand the spool upright, then place the skewer in the hole. Place a straw over the skewer. Trim the straw to 4” above the top of the spool. This will act as a spacer. Place the cone of large hearts over the tip of the skewer. Add a 2” piece of straw on top of the skewer above the cone of large hearts then place the cone of medium hearts on top. If needed, adust the length of the straw spacer so the bottom of hearts overlaps the tops of the hearts below. Trim the skewer to about 1” above the top of the cone of medium hearts, then glue the smallest cone on top.

6. Make additional trees in red and green, or any color to match your décor. You can also change the look and style by adjusting the width of the cone, using only two layers, or even one. You can also add additional layers to make the tree taller, and/or change the sizes of the hearts to make them longer and narrower, or even wider. So much to do – so little time! Enjoy and have yourself a very festive Christmas!

You can now find an expanded color line of Kunin® Classic felt; Kunin® Premium felt and Corduroy non-wovens fabrics in cut by the yard at your local Walmart; please inquire as to what is available in your area.