Retro Tinsel Trees For a Doll's Christmas

Right, I trimmed my retro Christmas trees with old Mardi Gras beads. Right, The silver tree is trimmed in purple,
pink and silver Mardi Gras beads and the gold tree is trimmed in red, green and gold beads. These beads add a
professional looking, decorative touch to finish off this DIY Christmas project for Barbie's house.

       Adding both sparkle and glamour to your doll's surroundings for the holiday season doesn't need to cost much. You can create these retro metallic Christmas trees from cast off supplies that you can find in your home.

       I purchased the silver and gold stems from a dollar store and made my cone forms from a recycled cereal box!

       Finish them off by upcycling Mardi Gras bead necklaces and the caps from the empty spray paint cans.

 Supply List:

• silver and gold metallic chenille stems (one full bag each)
• large discarded, clean cereal box
• masking tape
• silver and gold metallic spray paint
• hot glue and hot glue gun (recommended use for adults only)
• plastic Mardi Gras beads

Step-by-Step Directions:

1. Cut triangles from the cardboard cereal box. I cut one triangle lengthwise and the other across the width of my box in order to shape two different tree sizes.
2. Roll these shapes into cone shapes and tape them firmly into place with the masking tape
3. Draw around the bottom of each cone to transfer an accurate shaped circle onto the remaining cardboard scraps.
4. Cut out a bottom circle for each cone from these measurements and glue them to the bases of your cardboard tree shapes.
5. Spray paint each cone with silver or gold paint.
6. Snip of the very tips of your cone shapes at the top so that you can insert a chenille, metallic stem into the whole before twisting it round the cone shape.
7. As you twist the stems around the cones you will need to twist new stems to each end in order to create a continuous wrap. 
8. Push the stems gently up the cones as you proceed so that there will be a nice thick layer of metallic branches around your retro Christmas trees.
9. When you get to the base of each tree and all the surfaces have been covered, hot glue the final twists so that the wrap stays firmly in place.
10. I hot-glued the caps of my silver and gold spray paint cans to the bottoms of each little retro tree to create metallic finished tree stand.
11. Now cut the plastic Mardi Gras chains open and proceed to hot glue these around the retro trees as you twist them round each form.

Right, Cut triangles from the cardboard cereal box. I cut one triangle lengthwise and the other across the width of my box in order to shape two different tree sizes. Center, Here is what your cones should look like. Right, Spray paint each cone with silver or gold paint.

Left, I hot-glued the caps of my silver and gold spray paint cans to the bottoms of each little retro tree to create metallic finished tree stand. Center, Snip of the very tips of your cone shapes at the top so that you can insert a chenille, metallic stem into the whole before twisting it round the cone shape. If you get tired of twisting the stems and need to take a break, you can tape a piece of masking tape to the stem and cone to hold your place.