Recycled Sweater Scraps Into Cute Felt Christmas Tree
My husband doesn’t get it, what he considers rubbish I look at as a recycle challenge. I do get a kick of making crafts out of the scaps of other projects. This Christmas felt tree project is one of my more successful ones.
I collect all the families old wool sweaters and felt them for repurposing. Felting wool sweaters are just basically shrinking them in a hot wash so they would only fit a small child.
As there are no longer any toddlers in my house I keep these sweaters for crafting, no need to cry over spoilt wool anymore!
When it happens with one of my husband’s sweaters he gets suspicious now and thinks I do it accidentally on purpose (in some cases he might be right!)
Friends and family also hand me their old wool sweaters to repurpose. A couple of weeks ago I made a lovely soft recycled sweater blanket and then out of the scraps some gorgeous felt flowers for a wreath.
I still had a pile of sweater felt scraps and decided to make them into a cute felt Christmas tree. In fact, I made a few of these Christmas trees as they make a lovely festive decoration on the mantle.
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What you need to make a felt Christmas tree
- Felted Sweater Scraps – (you can of course use craft felt)
- Cardboard tube (toilet roll or kitchen paper tube)
- Fabric Mod Podge
- Hot glue gun
- Scissors
- Tape
- Twigs for the trunk
- Small Wood Slice
How to make a felt Christmas tree
- The first thing to do is to make a cardboard cone. Cut your tube lengthways and then roll it into a cone shape. Secure with tape and trim off excess cardboard so that the base is even.
- Next cut the felt scraps into zig-zag strips approximately 1″ wide.
- Then starting at the bottom of the cardboard cone. Glue a strip of cut felt around the bottom of the cone. Then glue another one above this overlapping slightly as you go. Continue until the whole of the cone is covered.
Finally, to make the trunk of the tree simple glue a twig to the center of the wood slice using a hot glue gun. Then glue the top of the twig to the inside of the cone.
It’s fun to make these trees in different shades of sweater felt. These are such fun to make, I’m working on having a whole forest of felt trees in different shades for my Christmas mantle.
Crafting with felt sweater scraps is a particular favourite of mine especially at Christmas, you should check out these other crafts. Or visit allfreechristmascrafts.com for more tabletop Christmas tree ideas.
Emily
17th December 2017 at 9:19 pmThese are absolutely darling! What a clever way to re-use old sweaters. Thank you for linking up with Merry Monday – I’ll be featuring your sweater trees at our upcoming party. Merry Christmas!
Claire Armstrong
17th December 2017 at 10:01 pmThank you so much, I look forward to seeing the feature.
Megan
4th December 2017 at 12:54 amWhat a fun upcycle for old wool sweaters! These are so rustic-ly beautiful! #MM
Claire Armstrong
4th December 2017 at 7:00 amThank you, I love to upcycle old sweaters I think I now have a sweater pillow for all seasons.
Jamie
30th November 2017 at 11:08 pmThose are so cute. What a great way to use up scraps, etc.! 🙂
Claire Armstrong
1st December 2017 at 7:14 amThank you, they are fun to make too.
Susan
30th November 2017 at 4:18 pmI am so charmed by these adorable felt Christmas trees. I love upcycling crafts and can’t wait to give this a try. Congrats, you’re featured at the This Is How We Roll Link Party.
Claire Armstrong
1st December 2017 at 7:13 amThank you so much for the feature.
Cecilia
27th November 2017 at 1:20 amSo adorable! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm–pinned!
Claire Armstrong
27th November 2017 at 7:12 amThank you 😊
Maisy
24th November 2017 at 7:30 amClaire, your felt trees look absolutely adorable, and I love that they are recycled – or upcycled?! I have featured you at the Friday Favorites linky party this week. Come check it out! https://be-alice.blogspot.com/2017/11/friday-favorites-week-400.html Hope you pop by and visit again this week 🙂
Claire Armstrong
24th November 2017 at 3:01 pmThank you so much and thanks for the feature.
Carrie @ Carrie's Home Cooking
22nd November 2017 at 1:55 amThank you so much for sharing on the Whisk It Wednesday Link Party. Make sure you stop by tomorrow and join us again! Hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Carrie @ Carrie’s Home Cooking
Claire Armstrong
22nd November 2017 at 6:28 amThank you and happy thanksgiving to you!
Libbie
22nd November 2017 at 1:34 amThese are adorable! Love the trees and plan to give them a try this weekend. Pinned!
Claire Armstrong
22nd November 2017 at 6:28 amThank you and have fun with them.
Lisa
21st November 2017 at 2:22 pmGot to love upcycling! These look great.
I especially love the more natural colours, rather than bright green like a lot of Christmas decorations.
Claire Armstrong
21st November 2017 at 7:44 pmThank you, I like all sorts of colours for Christmas but these seemed the most suitable felt scraps for this project.
Leanna
21st November 2017 at 6:47 amAll of these crafts are adorable, but your little trees are just fantastic. Beautiful craft, pinning.
Claire Armstrong
21st November 2017 at 7:42 pmThank you Leanna!
Lins @ Boo & Maddie
20th November 2017 at 9:15 pmWe’ve just come back from Estonia and felting is such a huge craft pasttime there, I saw so many items that reminded me of you! Thank you for linking up to #HomeEtc X
Claire Armstrong
20th November 2017 at 9:48 pmThank you, my son went to Estonia in the summer for a summer school and really enjoyed it.
Amber
20th November 2017 at 7:51 pmSuch cute trees I love them Claire
Claire Armstrong
20th November 2017 at 9:44 pmThank you, Amber.
Mia
20th November 2017 at 12:14 amWhat a great idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love these Christmas trees!!!!!!!!! Kisses, my friend.
Claire Armstrong
20th November 2017 at 6:47 amThank you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michelle Leslie
18th November 2017 at 5:55 amAdorable Claire, you always come up with the neatest ideas. I wonder, would it be wrong of me to tell my hubby that our thermostat in the washing machine is broken and that’s why his sweaters look so small 😉
Claire Armstrong
18th November 2017 at 8:04 amThank you Michelle. Accidents do happen with the washing machine 😉 And if he does complain you can always suggest he does the washing from now on and I’m sure that would keep him quiet. It would my husband!
Debrashoppeno5
17th November 2017 at 11:28 pmHow adorable. I would want a whole forest of these trees.
Claire Armstrong
18th November 2017 at 8:00 amThank you, they are so easy to make it wouldn’t take long to have a whole forest.
Susanne
15th November 2017 at 1:25 pmClaire, these are so cute!!! You are shrinking his sweaters on purpose, aren’t you, lol!! I love them!!
Claire Armstrong
15th November 2017 at 7:56 pmThanks, I might not be quite as careful with them as I should perhaps be.