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Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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O (mini) Christmas Tree

December 12, 2013 2 Comments

 

O (mini) Christmas Tree - Hands Occupied

I love the look of fresh Christmas trees, but this year I didn’t want to hassle with getting one from a lot and trying to transport it in the big city. Plus, our apartment doesn’t really have a good place for a full on tree. A Norfolk Island Pine offered us an AMAZING alternative. Not only can you get it in the mail (no bungees or car scratches to mess with) in a range of sizes from 14 to 44 inches, but they offer a natural Christmas tree option that doesn’t have to be thrown away after the holidays. It can be de-decorated and used as a general house plant. A no-guilt natural Christmas tree? Yep. This is what I wanted this year.

The decorations on a Norfolk Island Pine have to be lightweight to avoid bending the branches too much. You’ll also want to refrain from hanging your entire ornament collection on your NIP – it is, after all, a small tree. :) For our mini tannenbaum, I went with a classic approach, making a pom pom garland, using small christmas balls in just two colors, and topping it with a felt star (which, coincidentally, came with the tree and matched the rest of my decorations perfectly).

Glitter Pom Pom Garland How-to

Supplies

glitter pom poms
needle
thread

Directions

String your pom poms, alternating color and size, on some thread by sewing straight through their middles. I found it easiest to sew directly onto the spool of thread and wait until the end to cut the thread. The thread weighs down the far end of the garland as you sew (a good thing), and then you don’t have to mess with estimating how much thread you’ll need ahead of time.

O (mini) Christmas Tree - Hands Occupied

To tie off the ends of the garland, tie a knot just under the last pom pom, following these directions…

O (mini) Christmas Tree - Hands Occupied

The finished garland, particularly with the glitter pom poms, is super playful. Perfect for the tiny tree in two ways: it’s light, so the branches aren’t weighed down, and it adds a lot of great texture and color!

O (mini) Christmas Tree - Hands Occupied

Our Norfolk Island Pine Christmas Tree

When the tree comes in the mail, it comes in a special box with almost no mess. It also comes decorated with the felt star pictured as well as a few felt snowflakes, so if you really hate tree-trimming, this might be the solution for you.

O (mini) Christmas Tree - Hands Occupied

Since this is a real, potted tree, the basic care and keeping of a Norfolk Island Pine should be considered if you’re interested in one for your home.

Care of a Norfolk Island Pine

  • They grow best indoors in a sunny location and prefer to be near a window- but away from direct heat. Avoid direct intense sunlight.
  • Indoors they flourish in 50 percent humidity so consider running a humidifier or sit them in a tray of pebbles, watering the pebbles during winter months.
  • Keep the soil moist but don’t let it dry out or stand in water.
  • If you live where the temperature stays above 60 degrees,  your Norfolk Island Pine can be planted in the landscape.
  • As a houseplant, the Norfolk Island Pine naturally filters the air provides much needed moisture during the dry winter months.
  • If you have a pet or small child, please note that these trees are toxic if ingested.

O (mini) Christmas Tree - Hands Occupied

Speaking of pets, Storm decided to crash my photo shoot! She’s about the same size as the tree, so I snapped a few shots of her being cute. I decided she looks like she’s praying to Santa (she doesn’t understand the whole letter writing thing) for me to give up crafting in favor of petting her full time. Sadly for her, I don’t think that’ll be happening.

O (mini) Christmas Tree - Hands Occupied

And finally, here’s a full shot of our little tree, which we’re keeping up on an end table, out of the dogs’ reach, near a window. We’re also using small LED lights on this tree since they’re super lightweight and battery powered – no risk of tripping on a cord (they’re the same lights I used in my giant arrow sign, actually).

So what do you think of this little untraditional tree? How would you make it your own?

O (mini) Christmas Tree - Hands Occupied

The tree used in this post was provided by Garden Media Group and comes from Costa Farms. 

Filed Under: Christmas, Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, Home Decor, How-to Tagged With: christmas, christmas tree, crafts, decor, decorations, diy, gardening, garland diy, LED, norfolk island pine, o tannenbaum, pom pom garland

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Rachel | 52 Weeks Project

    December 13, 2013 at 1:13 pm

    Yay for mini trees! Also, STORM IS SO CUTE!

    Reply
  2. Jerilyn

    December 5, 2015 at 11:56 pm

    Really darling idea using the mini pom poms for a small tree!

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admitte Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admittedly insane) intarsia project. One day, this will be a seamed sweater, but today is not that day. 🧶 
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Have a good weekend, everyone! 
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Yarn: @universal_yarn’s Fibra Natura Cobblestone in Antarctica & Dragon’s Breath 
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#handsoccupied #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #wip #knitting
Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for e Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for easier continental style knitting. With this purling method, the working yarn says tensioned (held) at the back of your knitting at all times. For many knitters, always holding the yarn at the back helps with tension issues, as well as feeling a little more comfortable. 
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Have you ever encountered this style of purling before? If you’ve tried it, have you found it helps with your purl tension and knitting speed? I’m curious.
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For a written tutorial, visit handsoccupied-dot-com. For video, you guessed it, You2be. Both of these platforms allow for longer, more in-depth versions of this tutorial, including full transcripts, alt text & the ability to pause, slow down or speed up at will. (Like if you really want to learn this, I recommend using a platform that doesn’t keep your hands occupied. Thinking of putting this in all my captions these days tbh - shout out to you if you made it this far. 🙌🏻😂)
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#handsoccupied #learntoknit #continentalknitting #howtoknit #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #knit #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #knittinghack  #handknitting #handknit #norwegianpurling
Have you ever tried this style of purl? . All thi Have you ever tried this style of purl? 
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All this recent talk about throwing vs. continental style knitting made it clear many people struggle with purling in continental knitting. Turns out that Norway may have the answer! In Norwegian purling, the working yarn stays tensioned at the back at all times, helping with speed and tension. 🤯
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Head to the bl0g (🔗 in bi0) for a more in-depth look at how to work a Norwegian purl stitch, including a photo tutorial with animated GIF & a video tutorial. Wrapping your mind around how to work a stitch you’re familiar with in a totally new way can be confusing, so I tried to give a few options for clarity. 🤙🏻 Video is also on You2be. 
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#handsoccupied #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #norwegianpurling #continentalknitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitterofinstagram #knitters
It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or reintroduced myself, so here goes! I’m Heidi Gustad, a craft book author, pattern designer, and tutorial creator who specializes in yarn crafts. Lately, I’ve been focused on releasing quality knitting videos and related blog posts to help teach things like the difference between provisional cast ons and how to fix common knitting mistakes. Next week I’m shooting requested crochet and latch hook videos, so h👀kers, your time is coming! And if you ever have tutorial requests, please let me know. ☺️
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TLDR: I’m Heidi. I design & teach yarn crafts. You can find tutorials on my blog (est. 2010) & You2be. I also have several knitting & crochet patterns + a book about latch hook available. / All of these can be found on my website, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Contine Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Continental or English Style? Here’s a quick overview of the differences between the two most common knitting styles, including a side by side comparison. (A good one to save for future reference. 👍🏻) 
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There’s more on the differences between picking and throwing in my latest blog post & You 2ube video - the l1nk is where you’d think!
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