Kid-Friendly Christmas Tree
The idea for felt Christmas trees has been all over Pinterest recently, but my absolute favorite has been this version from Johnny in a Dress. I love the simplicity of the triangle for the Christmas tree as well as the addition of felt presents at the bottom of the tree!
This kid-friendly Christmas tree is such a fun idea because it works just like those felt boards you had in Sunday school…the felt ornaments stick to the felt tree. Then, when you want to move them, just take it off and place it somewhere else!
When I saw that felt was on sale for $2.99 per yard at JoAnn’s last night, I knew we had to give this a try. I bought 1 yard of green felt (although I could have done 3/4 a yard) and I had the rest of the colors of felt on hand from other projects.
Update: Â I do not recommend using pushpins to secure the felt onto the wall as this could pose a hazard to young children. I would recommend using command strips/hooks instead.
I estimated about how high I wanted it to be a cut a straight line across my yard of felt. Then I folded the felt piece in half and used a straight-edge to trace the angled cut.
I then used push-pins to attach it to the wall (if you’re reading this, Prince Charming, the holes are REALLY tiny). :) Â Once again, please do not use push pins as I did. Use command strips/hooks instead.
And then I cut out circles, using a cup for my template.
I left some plain and on others I used a hot glue gun to add stripes or polka dots.
At first, I planned to have the tree in our kitchen. But then it looked a little too cluttered, so I decided to put it just around the corner.
The boys love getting to decorate and redecorate their very own Christmas Tree!
*New*: Â Christmas Tree Ball Sort for Toddlers
Be sure to check out this fun Christmas Tree for Toddlers too!
fantastic! Can’t wait to do this!
I LOVE it!!!!! and I ESPECIALLY love the part about the REALLY tiny holes!!!!!!!!!! ….I was just telling my husband the other day how I needed to nails in the wall to hold up some garland….and he was NOT ok with that! ;)
This is just what I needed for next week’s crafts at home! Thank yoU!
No chance of using tacks on our walls but I do have some felt boards in the basement that I never use…this it is time to repurpose them…Thanks for the idea!!
Any suggestions on other ways to hang it besides using push pins? My 13 month old would get them out for sure! And try to eat them…. ;)
But I’d love to have this up, so he has one tree in the house he can touch and play with, since the other once is behind the baby gate.
Im thinking about trying this and using Velcro for the ornaments
I visited many sites however the audio quality for audio songs current at this web page is actually fabulous.
Took me less than 5 minutes to make it for my son (since I have a crazy fabric stash, I had all the fabric necessary)! I also only made round balls which were very simple…no glue necessary. Anyway, my 15 month old has been having a good time with it. It occupied him for 15 minutes at first and he’s gone back to it a few times since then. One time, he introduced it to his dad. Thanks for sharing the idea!
I know what I’m doing soon! Thanks so much! I’ll give you props when I blog about it, following you now too. :)
I bet you could use the command strips meant for posters to stick these to the wall. Those things are genius:)
I did this but when I made the ornaments I used different names for Jesus, Son of God, the Almighty, I AM. It has been great to be able to discuss Jesus with her while she decorates her tree :)
What an AWESOME idea! Thanks so much for sharing! I might have to do that on ours (at least plan on doing it next year). :)
so ….the felt ornaments just “stick’ to the tree?? you don’t have to attach velcro or anything?
Yeah! We just did this the other day too. Felt sticks to felt, which is what makes this so simple :)
We did this but the felt was trying to sag, so I put cardboard behind it. Tacks were not long enough to hold with the extra layer, so I’m off to buy some Command strips today to get this thing up. Right now it’s leaning on the wall and my 2 toddlers (1 and 3 yrs old) are loving it!
i think this is an awesome idea…and i think i may do mine on a project board. with a “pocket” on it for storing the ornaments and use spray adheisive to attach the tree to the board. makes for easy storage. i have 5 grandchildren of which 4 are under the age of 2yrs so this will be perfect for little artist to play with
I LOVE this idea but since we are Jewish I’m going to try to make a huge felt Menorah and the kids can put the new flames on the monorah each night!! I can also do dreidels etc. Thanks for the inspiration.
Ellen
I did this with my 2 and 3 year old. My oldest is for sure a crafty kid, I let her glitter glue designs on her shapes. Both kids LOVED it!!
I love this idea! I was looking for some crafts that I could do with my 1 and 3 year old! I bet they will have so much fun!!:) thank you so much!
This is such a cute idea! For storing the ornaments, you could use one of the gifts at the bottom of the tree. ;) just a thought. We will definitely have to try this.
me encantan todas las ideas. Pero no las entiendo muy bien pues no están en español. PodrĂa encontrar todo esto en alguna página en Español?. Mil gracias.
Hi Janae! (great name. ;) )
I love this idea. I am so glad to have found your blog!
I love this idea. I am planning to use a felting tool instead of hot glue so it doesn’t add weight to the pieces.
Here is a link txo the tool:
http://www.kmart.com/felting-needle-tool/p-1990000000073872P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
I LOVE the part about the pin holes and Prince Charming…my PC is the SAME Way! THANK you for this WONDERFUL idea! I have a 23 month daughter that will LOVE this…but I bet the 5 year old son will love it too! Maybe I should make TWO!!
Loved this idea so much, that we made it on the weekend. I couldnt find our hot glue gun so just had plain pieces.
I used cookie cutters to make the shapes- heart, butterfly, circles and stars. We didnt want pins in the walls, so I stiched cardboard to the back edges and used blue tak to hold it onto the wall.
I think my 12 month old is still a little bit too young, but she has loved taking the pieces off and is trying to get them back on – all scrunched up.
Thanks for the idea.
https://www.facebook.com/katie.frazertheobald#!/photo.php?fbid=10151270639227159&set=a.319275562158.147546.522727158&type=1&theater
Command velcro strips will probably hold it up without leaving even tiny holes behind (for the Prince Charmings like mine who would flip out even though they are tiny.) Also my smaller (18 mo.) Prince Charming would find a way to pull out the tacks and nothing good can come out of that.
Great idea! Thanks Becky!
Will command strips tear the paint off the wall, though?
This idea sounds really good and I’d like to do this for my one year old but I have a problem with the felt. I just went to a store this week and looked at the felt and it didn’t stick at all. I might have mention that I’m from Switzerland but I thought that fabric should be the same! Is it any special kind of felt? Thank you for helping, I’d really love to do this!
Hmmm…that is interesting. I would assume all felt is the same as well! So sorry I can’t help you more!
You could put velcro dots on the back of the ornaments to help them stick to the felt. If you use the hook side it should stick
Such a good idea! Easy and cost effective too. Our first baby is just now 4 months old, but I am super excited for her to get a bit older so we can do fun things like this. But I try to remind myself not to wish time away as well! Thank you for the cute idea :)
Great idea and I’m going to do this, myself. However – PLEASE recommend something other than tacks or push pins if it will be used by toddlers or younger. Last year a local toddler found a push pin in a preschool room he attended. He swallowed it and did not survive. Perhaps some other fastener like Velcro or even small nails securely fastened. it’s super easy to patch the holes afterwards, if need be. And all felt is not created equal – you need to look for the felt that is thicker and has a little nap to it.
I love the idea. But i would warn anyone not to use push pins or tacks as we had a lady in our office the other day who’s son died from swallowing one. It caused internal bleeding and he died within 24 hours.
Oh my goodness! That is horrible! I will update the post!
I am going to put yellow and red Christmas balls on a tree and let my Kindergarten students work on addition and subtraction. I think they will love it!!! :)
What keeps the ornaments from falling off? Did I miss a step? Could you do this with fleece? I have a ton of left over fleece from a previous project…..
No, the felt ornament should stick to the felt on the tree (like a giant felt board). I don’t think fleece will work for this project.
What was the cost for this project? I something similar at Target for $10. I’m trying to decide if I want to try making it myself or just buy it from Target.
Probably under $5 for the felt, if you can find it on sale. Honestly, if you can find it at Target for $10 that would be worth it in my book. ;)
Hi there
Thank you for a clear and inspiring instruction! I also fancy the choice of flags! ;)
I wonder how the ornaments stick to the tree? I have polyester craft felt and it will not stick. How did you do it? Velcro? Tak?
Happy holidays,
Sara, Sweden
Hmmmm…no, the felt sticks to the felt (like a flannel board). That is strange!
How can I buy the Kid friendly Felt Christmas Tree already made
Very cute idea. I watch kids at my house and I am gonna do this for sure. The kids will live it.
I just finished my last night.. then found this! Dangit! http://www.amazon.com/Kiwi-Crate-Felt-Tree-Creativity/dp/B00P85NN0G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447866208&sr=8-1&keywords=felt+tree
But it was fun
Not sure if you know this but both links in this sentence are bad.
The idea for felt Christmas trees has been all over Pinterest recently, but my absolute favorite has been this version from Johnny in a Dress.
What a fun activity for kids (and adults)
Does the felt ornaments just stick to the felt Christmas tree by itself or do I have to add something sticky to the back of the ornaments?
Yep, it just sticks. Like a good ol’ fashioned flannel board from Sunday school back in the day. Felt on felt sticks all on its own. :)
Haha. At first I was puzzled as to why the Swedish and Norwegian flags were on your Christmas tree!
Haha!!! I didn’t even realize I made gifts to look like their flags! :)