Jeweled Christmas Tree

I have always wanted a Christmas tree made of jewels like you see in your grandmas house, my grandma still puts hers up every Christmas. So finally, I made one of my very own-


I’ve had this frame forever- I got it at Hobby Lobby years ago when I began dreaming up this project. It was super on sale- I think I bought it for $9.99. You can’t tell from the backside in this picture but it’s thick and gaudy- the gaudier the better for this project. I cut a piece of masonite to fit inside the frame and built the tree on. The material had to be thick enough to support the weight of all the sparkly gems.


I used a sponge brush to cover the masonite with a thin coat of fabric glue, then pressed on the velvet fabric for the background. I lightly drew the outline of the tree onto the velvet with chalk, any lines left visible rub off easily in the end. I prearranged the jewels on an extra piece of velvet, in the exact shape I was after.


All of the pieces are glued on with a hot glue gun. I tried to use a little glue as possible so it wouldn’t be blobby and visible. I started with the edges and worked my way in, gluing the biggest jewels down first.


I have been collecting all the costume jewelry for years. This project can get very expensive if you’re not careful. I found a few lots on ebay, a few are family heirlooms and I’ve done lots of digging in local antique shops for cheap broken and mismatched earrings and brooches.


I wanted the tree to look as solid as possible so I filled in the little gaps with tiny jewels and pearls.


A kind blogger friend gave me this bee (it was a belt buckle) and the 2 tiny bees (cuff links?) that are hidden in the mix at the last Beehive Bazaar– Midge, you are so sweet and thoughtful; what a treat to have a few bees to put in the mix!


I can’t believe this tree is finally finished. I feel like I’ve really accomplished something. It’s going to be like the best Christmas present ever when I get to put my jeweled tree up this December.

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