Cone Christmas Tree Made From Recycled Cardboard

If any of you use Pinterest, you've probably seen the super adorable cone Christmas trees all over it. I saw some last year and thought they were neat, but after looking at the cardboard cones at Hobby Lobby and seeing that they're kind of expensive for this project, I decided that if I wanted to make a cone tree, I better figure out how to make my own cone to use. Luckily I had some practice making cones (I'll post the project later) for baby bear's first birthday party hats. Being an avid recycler and tree-hugger, I have a bunch of boxboard hanging around in "limbo," waiting to be taken to the recycling center. Bam. Free cone. Here's the scoop:

What you'll need:
- Cardboard (I used a cereal box and got a 12" tree, so bigger box if you want a larger tree, smaller box for a smaller tree)
- Yarn/twine/something in the string family
- Modpodge
- Scissors
- Elmer's glue
- Paper clip/Binder clip

How to:
1. Cut open your box so it lays completely flat.

2. Cut off all of the little tab edges so you have a clean rectangle.

3. Fold two of the corners toward each other, keeping the printed side of the box to the inside and roll the rectangle into a cone. 

4. Unless you're an origami genius, you probably have a tail on the bottom of your cone like I ended up with. Cut that tail off and cut around the base of the cone so that you have an even base. 

5. Using your binder clip or heavy duty paper clip, secure the cone. Spread some glue into the seam, covering the whole height of the cone, and let it dry. 

6. Spread some modpodge around the base of the cone and start wrapping your spring around, pressing it into the modpodge and making sure that the edges of the string are touching with each layer you add. Keep adding modpodge and string until the entire cone has been wrapped.

7. Cut the string from the ball/spool about 4" from where it ends on the cone to leave a tail. Put the tail through the little opening at the top.

8. You should see the tail inside of the cone, hanging like this.

9. Ta-da! Let the tree dry for a few hours and go peel the 8 extra layers of glue "skin" off of your fingers. 

I added a snowflake button to the top of mine to hide the lumpy top. Cone tree found a nice home next to my sticks in a vase with fake cranberries, our snowman candle from Holland House Candles and a snowman figurine my mom donated to the cause a few years ago. PS: whoever designed the dry bar in my house obviously was male because it's SO awkward and impossible to decorate nicely.

Tips for Sustainable Living - Recycling Made Easy

It's official - I've been bit by the spring cleaning bug. Between the baby being mobile and needing to rearrange to make our home safer for her and everyday living, I have a list that will probably take me a few weeks to get through. As I clean out, I try to make sure that I am recycling as much as possible, whether that means taking it to the recycling center or reusing it in my home for another purpose. I have a pretty simple, yet effective system in my home that makes it easy for the hubs, myself and even our guests to recycle.

Stage 1: Collection Containers
I found these simple recycling bags at Ikea a few years ago (still available, even online!) that snap together to form a 3-section unit or can be used independently. In order to make it easy for everyone to see that we recycle and know where to put said recyclables, I have placed one of these bags next to the garbage can in my kitchen. There is also one in our office and another in the laundry room that is specifically meant to hold plastic and paper shopping bags.

Here's the bag in my kitchen:

Office:

These bags work great for inside collection! Any container would work, just make sure to clearly designate it as the recycling container. Placing recycling next to frequently used trash cans will increase how much you recycle in your home. Places like the kitchen, office and garage are great candidates for a recycling center!

Stage 2: Outdoor Holding Container

In addition to indoor containers to collect recyclables, we also have a can outside that we put anything that held food in. I rinse the containers out very well so I have never found a bug in my recycling can. We use a regular trash can with a lid to hold our recyclables, since we have to take them ourselves to the local collection site. To make things even easier and greener, I use an old mesh laundry bag from college instead of a trash bag to line the can. When I head over to the recycling center, all I have to do is pull the bag out of the can and dump the items into the big bins. The bag is washable and is saving plastic from garbage bags!  

I actively try to recycle as much as possible. I'm proud to say that my household generates only one bag of trash per week. We also compost our produce scraps, cutting down the stink inside our trash can and allowing us to use only one trash bag per week. It was a pretty easy commitment to make and keep up with. Once you start, the recycling habit will come very easily! 

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better. It's not." 

- Dr. Seuss