How to Upcycle your Christmas Tree on the Cheap
I have been yapping for the last month about my Christmas tree. I was going…
Well enough of my bluster, I am done and am happy to show you how to upcycle your Christmas tree on the cheap!
And now for the back story. Last year I had decorated the tree with everything but the kitchen sink. It was nice and very sentimental but I realized many of those ornaments were in tatters. It was time for a change.
Time to become selective!
Time to turn over a new leaf… er, a new color!
And so I opted to remove as much red as possible, and do the Christmas tree in white, metallics and green. Because I am not someone who follows trends! Who’s with me on this one?
I also needed to do it on the cheap because who has money to throw away every year on new ornaments? And who decided that we needed to have a new look each year anyway?
I had seen an idea over at my friend Leanna’s blog, Of Faeries and Fauna Craft Co. where she had made a garland out of salt dough. Her ornaments came out beautiful. Sheer perfection I tell you! I was so enthused I decided to make my own…
The next task was the globes. I had these for years in shiny blue and pink colors. Did I mention that I would put everything but the kitchen sink on my tree? To rectify that situation, last year I had decoupaged them with paper in red and beige. Here is a picture of last year’s tree. I was very happy with the way the globes had turned out but this year I was going for a more toned down look. Less red.
I used thin and thick gold ribbons to go around the tree.
I am learning to downsize and work with less color. I don’t know if this is the right direction. Perhaps if the lighting was all white it would have looked better. Either way I had a budget to work with and those lights are in next year’s budget.
So what do you say? Did I pull it off, or was this metallic and white idea an epic fail? Don’t be shy. And tell me what you decided upon for your Christmas tree. I need fresh ideas for next year.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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They look great Mary. I love white and metallics in the tree. The white ornaments just pop out!
And the best part Zografia, they cost nothing! I’d rather spend my money on presents for the kids.
Oh yes you definitely pulled it off Mary. I can only see the barest hint of red and it matches the silver, white and golds you’ve baked, re-purposed or blown up 😉 Christmas decoration can be so horribly expensive and you’ve used what you had a flipped the tree into a new chalky cookie dimension.
I tried really hard Michelle. I think this may have been the hardest thing to do, hide the red at Christmastime.
Hello Mary,
your tree looks great! Now you can have a cup of tea, put some soft Christmas music on, put your feet on, relax and enjoy the Christmas Season!
Have a lovely day,
Marjan
P.S.: I like the copper biscuits 😉
P.S.2: Glad you didn’t put the kitchen sink on the tree!!!!
Yep, you pulled it off, Mary! And it looks great! It’s always fun to make your own ornaments! I need to take my own advice and make enough for my trees, but I’ve had my mostly purple ornaments for over 30 years and don’t want to go to the expense of replacing them. So I take comfort in making a few here and there each year. Hope you continue to enjoy getting ready for this holiday season!
Are your purple ornaments ball shaped? If you like a silver look, try using Krylon mirror spray paint on those purple ornaments to upcycle them. Or gold, silver, or copper paint would also work. Once painted, you can add sparkle with a simple pattern of glue lines dipped in glitter.
My daughter Liesel made salt clay ornaments also, but hers were not baked, just air dried. She cut hers with a circular cookie cutter, then pressed shells or leaves against the clay, making an imprint. After they dried she left some plain and gave others a thinned paint wash to emphasize the patterned areas.
White is my fav color, especially against a dark green tree, so yes, you pulled it off!
So, I’m of the opinion that all Christmas trees are beautiful, but what makes them really special is the individual touches each person/family puts on them. There could be no tree int the world that says ‘Mary created me’ more than this one. this tree epitomizes your crafty/recycle nature and is the perfect reflection of you. I actually like that the colors peek out from under their new coats of paint…reminding you of their history.
A very lovely tree Mary, thanks for sharing.
Hugs, Lynn
The tree is beautiful. I love what you did to change the look and it only took some paint and your skill.
It turned out great! I loved the way you saved the baked ornaments with paint! Good thinking…I might have just cried. The white painted globes have great texture. You are very creative – I love to see what you will come up with next.
You know me and my buddy “white”, Mary! So no need to say more! Love your tree and how you did sneak in some reds and copper tones, it looks really beautiful and I agree with Lynn, it’s so you and I really like you! Have a wonderful Christmas time and enjoy sitting next to the tree in front of that cozy fire, I wish I could join you!
Hurrah for paint to save your ornaments from the trash can.
Mary, I like the ornaments…the ones with texture and the ones your stove “ruined,” but aren’t ruined at all. For a first attempt, looks like they came out looking nice. You did good with recycling your tree. From your title, I thought you were going to give us early advice on how to recycle the whole tree, or something. LOL.
Mary, I love your salt dough ornaments!! I’ve always wanted to make some of those. I like how they got puffy and no worries about the color, that’s what paint is for right!? I remember the keys on your roasted Christmas tree, such a fantastic touch! We have a different tradition when it comes to our ornaments. Our tree is full of lots of different color and it suits our family, just like your tree suits you and yours. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to decorate a Christmas tree, whatever you think looks pretty and however you want to make it special for you and your family . 🙂 I love your Christmas tree, it’s soooo beautiful!!!
Oh, my! I was literally laughing out loud when I saw the ornaments after they came out of the oven! I can totally relate to such diy fails but you turned ashes into beauty! I am with you on the trends, ect. I love to look at them but when all is said and done I still want to see my old favorites that invoke happy memories of places and people. Maybe I need two trees! Thanks for sharing. It all looks wonderful and Christmas cozy!
First of all Mary, I love your determination to make the burned salt dough ornaments work – very clever! I also love how you repurposed the wedding favors into pretty little wreaths. Your more neutral colored tree is very nice and that says a lot coming from the girl who loves red and has it splattered all over her tree!
Your Christmas tree is gorgeous, Mary! And great save on those salt dough ornaments. It’s amazing what a difference a little paint can make! There is definitely no reason to spend a ton of money on something from the store when you can easily make it at home!
Very good Mary! Christmas tree is beautiful! I support the idea that not buy new decorations every year! That makes no sense!! 😉
You are so crafty Mary and did a nice job with this!
Congrats on the little star ornaments. I especially enjoyed the gold metallic ones. Thank you once more for the reference Mary, so glad we met.
It turned out really beautiful Mary, you did a great job!
A beautiful tree and great tips, well worth stopping by, Mary 🙂
Amalia
xo
Mary, you are so clever when it comes to reimagining new uses for things! Your tree came out great!
I think your tree looks gorgeous Mary and I love the white. We haven’t put our tree up yet, normally it has a very Victorian look to it decorated in red and gold – not sure how it’ll turn out this year yet 🙂
You never fail to amaze me, Mary; even salvaging your burnt ornaments! I love your beautiful tree, as there is never an ugly Christmas tree. Our tree stays pretty much the same every year with just a few tweaks here and there. We have too many ornaments that hold tons of memories. Merry Christmas, my friend!
Mary I love your tree this year! Even more that you used your imagination and crafty self to give it a new look…I liked last years too. I get bored with the same ornaments each year too and hate spending money for a 1 year event. The salt dough ornaments look great in white and metallic too:) Happy Holidays!
You are DIY whiz all year, Mary, and your magic is merrily evident here, in your beautifully rustic 2016 Christmas tree!
We got some of the white stuff today, and I thought of you. I love walking in it when it’s not too cold out, but watching snowflakes flutter and fall from our 6th floor condo is cozy, too!
Happy weekend!
Poppy
Mary, I think your tree is beautiful! I’m also amazed at how you turned those burnt salt dough ornaments into something beautiful anyway. I’m afraid I’m the type that just might have wept and wailed over their overdone state and when finished with the wailing, would have mixed up a new batch of dough and started over. Duh! Paint them instead. How clever are you?
So glad I’ve found your blog this morning. I’m a new follower (from Canada) for sure!
Today I’m about to get my Christmas decor on the go. I work full-time aa a teacher of a class of lovely ‘special’ education kids, have been sick and running to specialists appointments after school, and trying to plough through end of term curriculum that must be taught. I say all that because it takes away all the joy we experienced when we were kids going to school just before the Christmas Break. Today its all about curriculum and testing, with no time built in for veering off the curriculum track.
To make matters worse, I’ll be going off for surgery at the beginning of February so I need ALL curriculum covered, all report cards written, all of the next terms IEPs updated and tge next term’s expectations completed for ‘my kids’ before the end of January. With December and January being short months due to the long ‘Winter Holidays’, it leaves little time for fun activities for the kids or getting all that stuff done.
Our Christmas Holidays are now referred to as ‘Winter Holidays’ in the part of Canada I live in, to be more inclusive of the many other cultures living here. *sigh* At least I can still put my Nativity on display at home.
So although I still feel like a lump of ‘stuff’ that has been kicked to the curb for garbage day, I’m going to get this place turned into a virtual Christmas wonderland today and by the end of tomorrow, my students will have some smiles on their faces too. We’re going to make some salt dough ornaments and have a blast painting them up and hanging them from garlands strung on our desks. I’ve got tons of craft paints here at home and tge dough is a cinch to mix up.
And…if Mother Nature cooperates, we’ll have some snow by tomorrow, too! Whoo hoo! (I unfortunately now live in what is referred to as Canada’s banana belt. 😁 Snow is a fifty-fifty proposition at Christmas.)
Jan I am so glad you reached out to me. I am sorry for taking so long to reply but it has been a very hectic two months. I hope that you were able to give your class room the special Christmas that they deserve and made them feel unique, on this most unique of holidays. Hope you had wonderful holidays and I am looking forward to hearing from you again.
We are still very much at the bung everything on stage of tree decorating in our house but I’m loving your toned down classy tree too.
I especially like that you haven’t rushed out and bought all new and great save on the burnt salt dough ornaments, you’d never know what a near miss that was!
I love your tree Mary and I love the story about the salt dough ornaments( we have all been there !! when a recipe burns ). Your ornaments turned out great though.
I understand the feel of wanting a change when it comes to Christmas Tree decorations. I got tired of mine after a few years, so each year I would stalk the after Christmas sales for decorations I could use on next years tree. I now have 3 completely different color schemes that I change every year. It keeps things fresh and exciting. I think your tree is more on trend than you realize I have been seeing metallic with white accents all over this holiday. Great choice
I really loved everything and especially the decoupage texture on the balls! Your tree is full of magic!
Mary you made me laugh with your burnt ornaments, been there quite a few times and not only to use them as ornaments. What a great idea to paint them, and I really like the old ornaments white. No need to spend any money on new ones.
I love the way it turned out. I am a huge fan of the white mixed in with the green and metallic. Our decorations are white, black, silver and cobalt blue. I mix them up each year, but the base stays the same. I have added a bit of burlap, I am so infatuated with burlap! LOL
The baked ornaments are really cool, no one will ever know that they turned out black! It took a bit more work, but love the copper and white.
And the texture on your globes? So cool! And I love the photo of them drying by the fire. How fun!
Oh my..this reminds me so much of our first Christmases when we first married. We hadn’t been married long and hubby went in the military, Air Force. We were stationed in Japan and on an airman’s pay, who could afford ornaments, a tree and presents, food, etc. I had no ornaments of my own yet so of course I made my own, tree topper and all. Each year after that I continued to make all my own ornaments. It was the highlight of Christmas for us, alone with no family to share with. After 43 years I still make a lot of my own and still enjoy doing so. I love your deco/ painted balls and your wonderfully burnt dough….ah the memories!
Shirley it is comments like yours that make me happy to have a blog and to be able to connect with all you like minded people. I understand more than anyone the joy of creating your own things no matter how imperfect they are. There is a story in each one of those hand crafted pieces. And that is what makes them so special. Thank you so much for your comment.
A great outcome. Upcycling is very good for our environment. Your tree looks lovely. Since you asked, we are going blue, white and natural this Christmas. Been planning since August. Yes, we will do a bit of handmade. I’m running out of time, it’s December 2018 already!
Cath
Cath you better get moving. I am pretty much finished and enjoying the fruits of my labor. I think your tree will look lovely I hope you post it on the blog so we can see it.