Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Lighted Garland Christmas Tree for Small Spaces


 I wouldn't say I have a small apartment, but it's not the most spacious of places.  Especially when you consider the hoard of craft supplies I have shoved into every corner and cubby {ha, see what I did there?}.  When the time came to start considering a Christmas tree, I panicked a little bit.  I legitimately do not have the floor space to squeeze in a tree... anywhere.  Well, maybe smack dab in the middle of my living room, but that simply won't do.

While lamenting about my dilemma with my bestie {yes, I just used that word}, she made the most amazing suggestion ever.  Why not hang tree garland on the wall?

Even better, I have an awkward corner in my living room that would be perfect to make it 3D-ish!!

Over the past few years, I had acquired quite a few feet yards miles of lighted tree garland.  This was certainly a very useful and plausible idea.  However, I need to figure out the geometry and that was a bit of a challenge.  How do I hang it continuously and keep the tree shape?

Lucky for you, I've done all the hard thinking for you!

First, I drew out my diagram, figuring out the exact measurements so the garland didn't take over my entire living room.  Also... making sure I understood how to hang the hooks so they were in a helpful/useful position.
Command Hooks = Your Best Friend.  Seriously, one of the best inventions of the past 50 years.

Once I had my tree mapped out, it was time to start putting hooks on the walls.  This took a lot of sticking.... unsticking... adding some for extra support.  There's no perfect pattern.  Start with your general layout and then use common sense to figure out where you may need a little more strength.
 Then came time to hang the garland.  Unfortunately, I should have filmed this because it would be easier to demonstrate, but alas, I didn't.  So you get a funky diagram instead.

To make a continuous strand, start with green arrows at the top, in the middle, pointing down.

  1. Run your strand South, then West!
  2. Turn your garland and head Northeast.
  3. At the peak, turn your garland and then head Southeast.
  4. Sharp left to the West and you should have a triangle.  

At every juncture, give your garland a good bend.  Most garlands have a wire running through it for structure, so you'll need to boss it around a little to get the right shape.

Repeat the steps above.  Your tree will start to grow and spread out.

After all the garland was hung, I fluffed the branches and did some twisting to get a pointy tree shape.  Then it was time to decorate!

Not a bad solution, if you ask me.  Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!



1 comment:

  1. This is so smart! What a great use of space!

    ReplyDelete