'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' Inspired Holiday Yard Art

Christmas decorations can be wild and fantastic. They can take the spectator to a world filled with childhood dreams where imagination rules every thought. One of the most amazing, fanciful Christmas movies I have ever seen is "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Dr. Seuss' fantastic world of Whoville is bright, fun, and beautiful. You can bring Whoville to your own front yard with a little bit of work and imagination.

Whoville Inspired Christmas Tree Yard Art

Materials:
Whoville tree image
Opaque projector, optional
1/4-inch plywood
Pencil
Two sawhorses
Jigsaw
Sandpaper, medium weight
Hinge bracket
1/4 - inch screws
2x4-inch board
Green acrylic paint
Light pink acrylic paint
Wide paintbrush
White Christmas tree lights
Staple gun
Staples
Large lighted Christmas Star

Locate an image depicting a Whoville Christmas tree. There are many images available online. I chose a tree that has a round base. It swirls from the bottom of the tree and extends upwards into a slight point.

Sketch a Whoville styled evergreen tree onto a ¼-inch plywood, or trace it onto the plywood if you are using an opaque projector. The plywood can be anywhere between four and six feet tall, depending on your preference.

Lay the plywood across two sawhorses. Using a jigsaw, cut the tree pattern out from the plywood. Move the plywood as necessary to keep the saw from striking the sawhorses.

Carefully sand the edges of the plywood. This will remove any burs from your tree.

Sketch a two-inch band that extends from the bottom left corner upwards to the right side of the tree. Draw another two-inch band from the right side of the tree to the left side. Make sure that it is above the bottom band.
The garland band should extend from the bottom left of the tree to the very top of the tree.

Paint the Christmas tree green, except the area which represents the garland. Paint the garland area light pink.
Allow the Christmas tree to completely dry before proceeding.

Add white Christmas lights to the Whoville inspired tree. Lay a string of lights across the garland painted area. Start at the top of the tree and work down wards. To make the tree extra bright, add several strings of light across the garland area. Staple the lights onto the plywood tree. Make sure that the staples go across the light wires and not through the wires. If any wires are pierced, do not use that light string. Don't forget to add a large lighted Christmas star to the top of your tree.

Place a 2x2 support board against the back of your tree. The exact height of the support brace will vary depending on the size of your tree. Mark the area where the top of the base touches the tree cut out. Screw one side of the hinge bracket into the back of the tree. Attach the 2x2 board to the other side of the bracket. The tree should stand freely with this support.

If desired, make several Whoville inspired Christmas trees to decorate your yard.