The story of the Sad ... Scraggly ... Skinny Little Christmas Tree

First of all, I want to wish everyone a 

Blessed and Happy Christmas

Like everyone else ... I am way behind in getting ready for Christmas but I wanted you to see my sad ... scraggly ... skinny, little Christmas tree ... 

I know how busy you are and don't have or want to take time to read a long story of how the Grinch (Plumbers) stole my Christmas decorating time ... in short whole-house re-plumbing, wall repairs and re-decorating. (More on that later) ... but maybe you can quickly scroll through.

Picture overload ...

I just did not have time to dig out all the stuff to decorate our large Christmas tree, let alone time to pack everything away after Christmas.  

I told my daughter that no one pays attention to the tree anyway ... 

she said I DO !!! and sounded so disappointed, that I just had to do something. 

Bad knees would keep me off the ladder so I could not put up the nine foot tree 

that I have in the attic. 

... so off to the Thrift store to find a small tree ...

Well, I found this one on sale for $10.00 ...

  a little scrawny ... unstable on her feet ... missing a few limbs ... well, maybe a lot of limbs. 

So ... we attached the top to the middle section as best we could, actually put a screw in it ... pulled and tugged on the limbs to straighten ... took her in the house and started adding lights.

Bought two additional strings of lights. $7.00

    

 I had some limbs from another tree ... nothing like what was on her, but stuck them in the bare spots to give her some shape ...

 

 

I usually do a traditional tree with lots of antique ornaments ... so, not wanting to or having time to get out all the old ornaments, I decided to do a simple decoration without ornaments. 

 Our normal traditional tree.

 

I told my daughter I had bought a ugly little tree and did not know how in the world I would be able to decorated it. 

She replied ... you will make it look beautiful ... so I HAD to.

You have seen the before ... and here is the after ... 

all fattened up, taller and pretty.

I had bought ten, two for a dollar, gold glitter reindeer from Dollar Tree Store to make a garland.

Pretty ... yes !  $5.00  

I decided not to make the garland but use the deer on the tree ...

and painted them Dover white ... 

Years ago, I dismantled a pip-berry garland and had a lot of red berry picks that would help reshape her.  I was trying to make her fatter and ragged.

 

That is a rusty metal bow I used as a topper because there was not much up there to hold a star. 

I added the three white birds from the Dollar Tree Store and some bunches of berries I had on hand.

$3.00

I also bought two Magic Springs ... and since I like to put something on the coffee table for the grandsons to pick up and examine (play with) ... I decided these Magic Springs (slinky) might be fun.  Hey, they are in college, but they still like fun things.

(Last year, I put a lot of old metal toys on the coffee table and that was a lot of fun.) 

Well, actually these were toys they had played with when they were young. 

I was playing with the silver magic spring and stretched it out and it made a very interesting garland. 

See the curly white loops throughout the tree ... that is the Magic Springs with sparkle.  

Ten Reindeer were not enough ... so sent Mr. Z. to get ten more and one more silver slinky.

$5.00

Two silver Magic Springs (slinky) 

$2.00

She wears this pretty, white, vintage half-slip or petticoat for a skirt.

 
She wears and antique mercury glass tree topper for her crown. 
I left the rusty metal bow there. 

 At the base of the tree is my cute little snowman with his antique wagon full of yarn snowballs. 

I think he plans to make himself a snow-woman.

Snowman $15.00

I glued some white, lighted twigs I bought several years ago to a piece of picket fence from the yard.

So cute ... LOVE that bent carrot nose topped with snow.

 A Santa helper ... my antique bear sits atop a large wood carved horse that is behind the tree.

 I made a candle ring with a small slinky so I will challenge the Grandsons to see what Magic thing they can create with the large slinky.

2 small Magic springs slinky ... $1.00

(are you keeping track of the dollars spent?)

HAVE FUN ... Enjoy Christmas 

 

All the presents are MINE ... yes ... really!!! 

It's my birthday too.

Sorry, my tree looks a little blurry ... not much light in our living room.

Thanks for staying with me with this long post ... hope you enjoyed it and will let me know you visited.

$10.00... tree
$10.00... 20 deer
$3.00...  3 birds
$7.00...  lights
$15.00... snowman
$2.00...  slinky garland
$1.00...  2 small slinky  (one for candle holder)

Total:  $48.00   ... not bad !
What do you think?

God Bless ...

Audrey Z.

Linking to:

Frugal Crafty Home Monday Blog Hop 

 Jordan from Lily White. Designs

Amy From A Blossoming Life

Sara from Sneaky Spoons

Katie from The Casual Craftlete 

Funky Junk Interiors

                       Common Ground  Vintage Inspiration Friday

French Country Cottage   Feathered Nest Friday

The Romantic Home ... Show and Tell Friday
The Charm of Home ,,, Home Sweet Home #150

Knick of Time ... Tuesday