DIY Twisty Christmas Tree

I have always been fascinated with The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss because of the whimsical houses and scenery. Christmas will be here before we know it. So lets get a head start on preparing our yearly decor with our own whimsical twist like something out of a book.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1Tall Narrow Cardboard Column Cement Form (can be purchased inexpensively at any home improvement store)
2 Garlands Of Faux Spruce/Pine With Extended Bendable Branches (can be purchased from any craft supply store)
2 Cans Of Spray Paint (choose a color thats closest to the color of your garland or darker)
1 Spray Can Of Primer
1 Sponge Brush
Fast Drying Flat Polyurethane (no shine)
Staple Gun
1Yard Stake
1 Round White Styrofoam Disk (1/2 inch thick and must be larger than the column opening)
Serrated Knife
Permanent Marker
Glue Gun
Glue Stick

Lay your styrofoam disk down on a flat surface. Now take your column and place it on top of the disk. You may need two hands for this step.Trace around the column with a permanent marker. Now take your serrated knife and slowly cut around on the outside line of the marker. It does not have to be perfect, we just want it to fit snugly. The disk prevents damage to the inside of the column.

Lay your disk on the column opening, with a rubber mallet gently tap in around the edges. Now take your staple gun and staple around the perimeter where the disk is.

It is important to coat your disk as well in this step. Take you cement form to a well ventilated area and give it a coat of primer. After letting that dry go in with your spray paint and give it two nice even coats, being sure to cover the entire surface and let dry. Next take your brush and polyurethane and give it two to three coats, letting them dry in between. This will assure a good seal blocker from the elements of mother nature. Let dry to manufacturers directions.

Now that painting and protecting are all completed its time to assemble our greens. Start by removing a couple of branches from the garland. Bend them into a natural looking tree top leaving a 1/2 inch of wire. Insert them into the top of the disk and hot glue. Next take one end of your garland, and starting at the top, staple it close to the tree top. Now start winding your garland around the form. Leaving an equal amount of space between each loop of . But...Not too much as you want this to look full. Where the first garland ends, start the second. Once you have applied the garland and came up with a satisfactory look, secure it by stapling it into the column.

Next take your rubber mallet and gently tap your stake into the ground. Your stake should almost come half way up your cement form. Lift your twisty tree on top of the stake. Now start fluffing out the branches of your garland in a natural looking way. Now you have a whimsical twisty tree.