It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here thanks to Mr. Bublé. After I bought his CD the other day (love it!), we’ve been listening to the sounds of Christmas, which put me in the mood to make things feel like Christmas. Yes it’s early, but I make no apologies. I’d like to blame Michael but really it’s my eagerness to get the decorating done early. Just a little bit every day and I’ll have time to enjoy December!
I had an idea the other day for a craft project that I wasn’t sure would work, but in the end turned out so cute I had to share. It’s an ornament tree made from dowel rods and marabou feather boas. How fun is this?
To recreate your own, here’s what you’ll need. One wood bun foot; one ¾” x 36” dowel rod and six ¼” x 36” dowel rods from a home improvement store; white paint (or primer); saw to trim ¾” dowel rod; sharp clippers for ¼” dowel rods; power screwdriver with ¼” drill bit; hot glue gun; 12-15 feet of marabou feather boas from a craft store. Optional supplies: craft glue, glitter, and tree topper.
The first and most challenging step is to decide where to drill your holes for your dowel rods. After much experimentation, I determined a simple crisscross pattern worked best. Forgive my disproportionate diagram, but kinda like this:
Here’s the basic how to!
1) Paint bun foot base (and dowel rods if you want) and allow to dry. I used white spray primer. Determine placement of dowel rods and drill through ¾” trunk dowel rod with ¼” drill bit like the above diagram. Trim your 36” trunk dowel rod to desired height (mine is 24”). 2) Once you drill your holes, screw the painted bun foot base into ¾” dowel rod. Use hot glue to further stabilize dowel rod to base.
3) Saw or clip ¼” dowel rods to desired length and insert into ¾” dowel rod. Optional: use craft glue and glitter to cover rough edge top of bun foot. 4) Tie and wrap marabou feather boa around dowel rods to form ornament tree. Tuck ends of boa under wrapped sections.
At the end of the season, you can unwrap the feather boas, remove the branch dowel rods and store it for next season.
For a final detail, I hot glued a little white bird on top too. Sweetness!
Those are just a couple of faux presents wrapped in leftover paper and my old ornament wreath. I couldn’t resist a seasonal vignette but it didn’t last.
Because every girl needs something feathery in her life, my seven year old announced the tree would be hers and promptly carried it off to her room where (according to her) it shall live there, but with her ornaments instead. I’m just glad it found a loving home.
Happy Ho Ho Ho (a little early)
xo,
.
.
Love the idea…but it’s barely November. Ya’ll early birds are wearing me out!! :P
I agree with Tiffany! Super cute but I can’t bring myself to start with the Christmas decor just yet. :)
I LOVE the tree! I feel like decorating for Christmas too!
I love it!!!!!! No way I could talk her out of it???? ha!
That is so creative! Thanks for sharing the how-to!
That is so cute! I am trying to get motivated to decorate for x-mas early so I can enjoy it longer. I just saw the Michael Buble x-mas album commercial, totally getting it! Great idea to get me motivated early. I love me some Michael Buble! ;)
Very cute, Kate!! I LOVE Buble, but I’ve put off getting his Christmas cd till closer to the end of the month. I just can’t bring myself to do Christmas before Thanksgiving, it’s my favorite holiday! However, getting some inspiration for DIY Christmas crafts is great. Thanks for sharing. =)
~ Catie
Hi. My name is Tracie. And I love decorating for Christmas before thanksgiving. :) love the tree!!! Genius I say genius! I am all set up too except for the dining room because we host thanksgiving :) ps Michael on the pandora. Joy!!!
I’ve been busy geting Christmasified round these parts too! Good for you to share this on your blog. Have you noticed this odd backlash out there for early decorating? Well, I have, and frankly I don’t want to hear it from the bah humbugers. I say go for it, if you want, or wait, if that’s what you’d prefer.
PS if you enjoy Michael’s album, you may also like Dianna Krall’s jazzy Christmas album-it’s great!
Michael Buble is one of my favourites, as well … love that he’s my hometown boy … all we Vancouverites take pride in claiming him as our own!
This tree is just too cute and I can’t wait to get all the bits and bobs together and start creating. I know exactly where I’m going to put it … now, what to do with the cats … ??? :)
Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving and a blessed Christmas,
Nancy
Gorgeous and I’m glad for no apologies! Thanks for sharing early. The colors are so pretty!
You gotta love a girl who knows what she wants! ;) The white “snowbird” on top is perfect! Thanks to you and your (!) Michael Bublé, I bought his Christmas CD on iTunes the other day. I’m saving it for Black Friday, when I will surely need some relief and cheer after two days away with 40+ members of T’s extended family. They. are. boisterous.
Love the tree and whole vignette! It’s too funny that your daughter wanted it all to herself! The second one you make should be even easier to create :)
How creative!
Mr. Goodwill Hunting
How creative! Love it :)
That’s a super cute idea. I think I might make this for our christmas party at work :)
Xo
LOVE this! Once again Kate dear you’ve hit it out of the park. So creative. You may have to change your blog to “Move over Martha”.
and please tell me you’ll be the one teaching the photography class at Haven- b/c I am loving all your shots lately.
Haha! I love that your daughter claimed it to “live” in her room. That’s so cute :)
I love it, Kate! The bronze and gold ornaments are so pretty with the white. Another amazing project! Good for you for starting some holiday decorating. I have promised myself to start early this year so that I can enjoy it longer.
That is so cute and I know my five year old daughter would nab it in a heartbeat! She takes all my birds off my big tree and I find them on hers! Oh well… makes great memories!
your tree is perfectly sensational! you have it dressed wonderfly- now I am inspired to start decorating
and I love michael!
Karen
Love this! It is never too early for holiday cheer!
I felt I was on top it b/c I finished my Thanksgiving tablescape. Damn you DIY overacheivers :) However, it looks adorable! It would be perfect to display name tags at a holiday party!
Not only do I love the feather tree…I love the colors you are using. I have to admit that I really love anything that isn’t red and green (although some years I go with that). This year will be interesting for me. I just realized today that with the new puppy a tree and presents won’t work. She is chewing on everything that is within her reach. I think I’ll have to be very creative!
I’m so happy to find someone with the same outlook on Christmas decor this year. The past two years I rushed and scrambled and didn’t get to enjoy the season or my home all dolled up. I’ve been planning out my ideas for a couple of weeks and plan to start this weekend. Thank you for owning it and helping me do the same.
BTW – this project is adorable! I would never have known it was DIY if you hadn’t told me.
So chic for Christmas – love!
Beautiful!
I like your tree delicate simplicity that lets the ornamentation shine.
As for Christmas decoration in November, it’s way too early for me! Halloween costumes are still on the kids’ bedroom floors. I traditionally follow Advent, I feel it makes it more special and meaningful. But thanks for sharing, it will give us time to gather the necessary material to embellish our homes come December.
Beautiful! and I love how simple it is to make- well, you make it look simple… :)
Love, love, love this! I am so making this tree this weekend with my daughter!
You have some awesome ideas – that look totally do-able! :)
Wow, the magic never stops with you! This looks like a DIY goose feather tree. I think I might try it. I wonder if I can find green feathers. Ann
Gorgeous Kate…I don’t blame your daughter for stealing it away…I hope you make another one to replace it as it looks so pretty the way you decorated it..Thanks for sharing!!
hahaha I’ve been dusting off my stuff and checking out all the stores…. I like the holiday season lasting allll month + long :)
I love the color scheme you used here. It’s an earthy glittery look; which I think is a great combination.
In Love!!
Cute tree. And low and behold a bun foot! I am looking for bun feet for a chair, where did you get yours?
I LOVE THIS!!! My friends and I will be getting together and making a few. I shared this link on my blog because my friend had just purchased me a feather boa tree for Halloween. (My blog is not any where near as amazing, btw, or even read :P) Anyways, so glad you shared this and I found it!! YAY!
butterflyimpressions.wordpress.com
oh wow! I HAVE to make this (and I am Christmas Bah humbug person, I can hardly take all the drama about it but anyway, I am trying to change my evil ways)……where do I get these marabou feather boas? Michael’s doesn’t have them.
Hey Trinity, i found mine at Michaels, did you look by all the foam and wood crafty stuff? That’s where I found mine!!
Kate
Ah!!! My neighbor got some at Michaels, I looked in the ribbon and garland sections. See, I am doing so well at ungrinching, I got my neighbor involved!!Thanks so much.
Love this! I featured it on my blog!
http://jenellsrevenge.blogspot.com/2011/11/diy-tutorial-link-white-feather-tree.html