DIY lovers are making Christmas trees out of books.
As Christmas approaches, the age-old debate emerges; Are you a real or fake tree person? Team “Real Tree” claims traditions and authenticity, while Team “Fake Tree” argues ease of application and longevity. While these two camps build their cases, another group has come forward — the DIYers.
They’re spending their craft time building trees from readily available household items. This time, they’re grabbing the attention of readers everywhere by crafting beautiful Christmas trees from their book collections.
What You’ll Need
As many or as few books as you can spare. The idea behind this time and money saver is that you work with what you’ve got. Scour your shelves and bedrooms for all the bindings you can find around your home.
Building Your Book Tree
1. Choose a Location
Depending on the scale of your tree, you’ll need to choose the right space. For smaller trees, a tabletop or open book shelf will be plenty of room. For larger projects, make room in a corner or window space like you would any other tree. You’ll want the space to be open when you begin the project.
2. Sort Your Books
Once you’ve gathered all the books you need, you’ll want to group them. Sort them by size and thickness as closely as you can. These groups will serve as the tiers to your tree, so you want them to be even.
3. Pile On In Circles
Starting with the largest books, arrange them in a circle. You can leave the middle hollow or fill it up for additional stability. Starting with hardback books can also help strengthen your tree’s foundation. Once you’ve created your base, start with the next largest book group and move on to the next layer, making it slightly smaller than the last. You’ll repeat these steps until you’ve got the cone-shaped structure for your book tree.
4. Decorate and Enjoy!
Now for the fun part — decorating! Add string lights along your book tree to give it the twinkling tree effect. You can also balance ornaments and baubles along the edges of the book, careful to make sure they’re sturdy. For extra flare, add a tree-topper!
Curl up to your new creation with your favorite book (but don’t pull it from the pile!) You can enjoy a family reading together or relax on your own time under the light of your tree.
For Smaller Spaces
If you’re limited in space, you can arrange your books against a wall for a similar visual. Instead of a circular tree, you’ll stack the books vertically and lean them.
Taper in your levels as instructed above to create a tapered-triangle effect. You’ll still have plenty of room to decorate and enjoy. Like so!
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Migz
Carley Bishop
Carley is an editorial lifestyle writer and aspiring novelist. She is based in North Carolina where she resides with her husband and their puppy, Daisy, and is a proud graduate of University of South Carolina. Carley is a lifelong bookworm who enjoys reading everything from the classics to modern romances. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys traveling, getting outside and trying new recipes at home.
