Tutorial: Ribbon Tree Ornament

This was the first ornament I made for MegaCrafty's Crafty Christmas Tree Challenge.  It's kinda weird having to figure out (down to the penny) how much something cost to make and in all honesty, it's a good eye opener!!

I based this ornament off of the Tabletop Ribbon Tree tutorial over at Uncommon.  If you want to make ribbon trees that are any bigger than my little ornament, you'll definitely want to check out Tricia's tutorial!!

Okay, I'm not going to make you wait any longer!! Let's get started!!

Step 1: GATHER SUPPLIES

- Cardstock

- Printed template (From DomestiFluff's Halloween tutorial "How to Make Mini Book Page Trees"

- 3/8" Ribbon (wired is preferred, but as long as it will crease if folded then it it'll work)

- Hot glue gun & glue sticks (I used tacky glue and I don't recommend it for this project.)

- 1/2 Sheet of tissue paper

- Acrylic paints & small paint brush

- Wooden skewer

- Tiny wooden "terracotta pot"

- 2 Small wooden stars

- 6"-8" Piece of thin hemp or jute cord

- Large-eye needle

- 2 Clothespins

Step 2: MAKE & PAINT CONE

I just want to say "Thank you" to Kristen at DomestiFluff for posting the template for these little trees!! With a tiny adjustment, it worked great for this project!!

Make the Cone

Fold your cardstock in half and crease the fold. (Note: I fold the cardstock for a stronger tree.)

Place one of the straight edges of your template along the fold.

Trace & cut out the pattern. (Note: I added about 1/2"-3/4" to my semicircle.)

Roll the cone so that the edges overlap and glue in place.

Paint the Cone

Choose a color that either matches your ribbon or is the same color.

Paint a the entire cone, including inside.

Step 3: CUT & ADD RIBBON STRIPS

Cut Ribbon Strips

Cut 1" to 1.5" strips of ribbon. (Note: I only needed about 55-60 strips total.)

First Row

Start adding the strips around the bottom of the cone as shown above.  Allow about 1/4" or more to hang over the edge and overlap the top corner over the previous strip. (Note: Make sure they are going straight up and down and are not angled at all.  If one isn't straight, they'll all be crooked!)

Other Rows

Move up to the next row and add strips around the cone.  Allow 3/8" or more to hang over the previous row.

Continue adding rows until you reach the very top.

Add Cord & Cover Top

Tie a knot into one end of the cord.

Thread cord onto large-eye needle.

Push needle up and through the tiny hole in the top of the cone and then up and through the very center of one strip of ribbon.

Place glue around the top of the cone.

Fold ribbon and pinch over the top of the cone as in the picture above.

Fold Tips

Fold up 1/4" of every strip of ribbon as shown above.

STEP 4: ADD STAR  

If you don't have wood stars, I'm sure a couple stars cut out of cardboard or even grey-board (cereal box cardboard) would work too!!

Paint

Paint the front and edges of both wooden stars in gold or yellow.

Glue

Fold the cord so the end is touching the tip of the cone.

Glue the stars back-to-back over the tip of the cone, folded section of ribbon, and cord.

Use clothespins if your glue doesn't dry almost instantly. (Note: Since I used tacky glue, I had to leave the clothespins on for about an hour!)

 STEP 5: PREP TRUNK & BASE

Again, if you don't have the wooden pot, just cut a similar shape from cardboard or grey-board.

Prep & Paint Pieces

Temporarily put the skewer inside the cone to see how much you need to cut off.

Cut (or break) your skewer so it's the right length.

Temporarily put the skewer inside the hole in the bottom of the pot and trim off any that sticks out.

Paint the skewer dark brown.

Paint the outside and inside of the pot.

Glue Together

Add a generous amount of glue around the tip of the skewer and inside the pot.

Push the skewer into the hole in the bottom of the pot, making sure the skewer is straight.

Hold in place until dry.

 STEP 6: ADD TRUNK TO CONE

If you don't have any tissue or just want to use something cheaper, I'm sure a paper towel would work just as well!

Prep the "Trunk"

Point the tip of the skewer towards the middle of the tissue paper.

Wad the paper around the skewer in the rough shape of a cone.

Temporarily pull the skewer out of the wad of tissue.

Add a lot of glue to the top 2" of the skewer.

Reinsert the glue-covered skewer into the cone.

Tightly squeeze the tissue around the skewer to make sure it holds.

Add the "Trunk"

Add a thick layer of glue all over the upper 2" of the inside of the cone.

Using a significant amount of pressure, push the tissue wad into the tip of the cone.

 FINISHED!!

The total cost of the supplies for this project is well under $1 and that included the wooden star and pot!!  If you were to use cardboard cut-outs rather than wooden pieces, it could  be as low as 25-30 cents per ornament!!

TOTAL SPENT = $1.00

Items made: 2 paper flower ornaments and 1 Ribbon Tree Ornament

COMING TOMORROW...

Paper & Lace Snowflake Ornament Tutorial

Despite the pricey appearance of this ornament, it's actually pretty inexpensive to make!!

Thanks for reading!!  Until next time...