Handmade

Felt Advent Tree

1.5 yards Green Felt
Red ric rac
Assorted buttons- 25
12 inches of Yellow felt
Sewing Machine
Green, red, Yellow thread
Pillow stuffing
5 inches of green ribbon

Free hand draw your tree shape on the doubled over felt (like it comes on the bolt) so you are cutting both sides of the tree at once.
Cut with sharp scissors.
Using the scraps of green felt, cut out a rectangle about 5 inches across and 11 inches long.
Freehand draw a star on doubled over yellow felt. Cut with sharp scissors.
On back of tree, you will make a pocket to keep your advent surprise in. Take rectangle you cut earlier, center near bottom, fold bottom up to almost meet the top, leaving about 2 inches to make a flap that folds down. Sew up sides and bottom of your pocket to the tree. Hand sew a button on, make a slit in the closing flap and button it closed. (Was that confusing? Here's a picture to help...)

Pin both sides of tree together. Sew from bottom, up along one side, stop at the top. Lay a thin layer of stuffing in tree, spreading it out and getting it how you want it. Sew down other side of tree.
Pin ric rac on tree to resemble garland. Change thread to red (I am so lazy I usually say "screw it" and sew everything with one color...don't follow my example). Sew ric rac on. This will also help stuffing stay in place over the years.
Begin sewing buttons on by hand. Varying the size and color to resemble ornaments on a tree.
Pin your yello felt star sides together. Sew with yellow thread, may just be easier to sew by hand rahter than change thread again (see, I told you I was lazy).
Pin to top of tree, place a yellow button in center of star and sew onto tree.
Make a loop with ribbon, sew to back of tree.

I bought a set or two of miniature ornaments with gold thread loops to hang on the buttons. The kids add one each day, saving the button on the star for Christmas Day.

This tre packs well and was pretty easy for me. I made up the pattern, had very little sewing experience and two tiny kids at the time.

If you need any further instruction email me and I will be glad to help.

(Oh, by the way, my B has been sick for 1.5 weeks, she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Monday! Man, wtf? So, posts may be slow coming or unispired this week. I apologize.)