Lately I’ve gotten back into Pinterest (maybe it’s the DIY Christmas spirit in me) and saw a pin for natural, coastal Christmas decorations and thought I could easily make these for my patio or on top of my TV stand.  A trip to Michael’s later (with coupons from their mobile app) I was ready to go.

Burlap Coastal Christmas Trees

What you’ll need:

• 3 foam cones of different sizes
• Burlap (about 1-2 yards depending on cone size)
• 3 starfish, small to larger sizes
• Toothpicks
• Hot glue gun

Warning: I have a tendency to just “wing it” when attempting things (building a TV stand, setting up my iPhone and especially crafting) so I am sure there is a better, more measured and planned way to go about this than my “grab a glass of wine and go” method

I started by laying the burlap out, putting a foam cone on one edge and “estimating” how much burlap would be needed to cover it by rolling it over until it was covered (real scientific).  I cut the burlap (the shape of a trapezoid) and got ready to glue.

After making sure that the burlap would indeed cover all of the foam, I started by glueing the straight side of the cone to the burlap in a line.  In reality, I glued smaller 1-2″ segments, made sure it was drying and holding the burlap in place, then moved my way up.

Once that side is attached and dry, tightly wrap the burlap around the cone (it doesn’t matter if there’s excess at the top or bottom) and carefully glue that side to the cone. The hard part is keeping the burlap tight while you glue, so there aren’t any bumps in the fabric.

Cut any excess from the top and then fold and glue it until it looks good.  Try to fold the top back on the side where the burlap wraps around, so one side is smooth and one is distinctly a “back.”

For the starfish on top, I took a slightly different method than just glueing it to the top so I could easily, and safely, pack it up after the holidays.  Hot glue 1-2 toothpicks to the center on the back of a starfish.  Once it dries, just push the tooth picked starfish into the tree on the top!

Repeat those steps for the other 2 (or more) trees and voila — a coastal Christmas tree setting for ze casa!

Edits: If you want to use twine instead of burlap, buy a few packs from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, you’ll need more than you think.  Start at the bottom and hot glue an end to the foam.  Slowly wrap the twine around the foam, keeping it close together so you can’t see the foam between the twine.  For extra security, add some hot glue every few layers / rounds so it will stay in place.  When you get to the top, secure it with glue and cut the twine!