Thankful Thursday + Target Style Inspired DIY Holiday Trees

This month, I thought it would be fun to talk about what we are thankful for and I've been looking forward to writing this post ever since I committed it to my planner. Although, I am truly excited to write about why I am thankful and what for, I've had a really hard time writing this post because the topic is so close to my heart and is the product of working through hard moments that I experienced this year.

Today, I am incredibly grateful for opportunities and possibilities. This seems kind of unusual, right? Let me explain, if you have been following my blog this year and my sporadic posts, you know that working through Hugo's birth story was a little hard and then six weeks later I almost died mid-surgery and sustained injuries such as: perforated organs, internal bleeding, air built all around my chest cavity, and a slew of other side effects that continued for months. These events triggered post partum depression and other anxieties, fears that I didn't have before and life became about survival. I struggled, a lot, until rather recently. I spent so much of my time in pain, sick, angry, in shock, and lost in sadness which caused me to miss so many opportunities. Opportunities to hold and snuggle Hugo when I was in too much pain. Opportunities to get to know new moms when I couldn't see passed my own nose. Opportunities to strengthen friendships and other relationships that I had when I withdrew or pushed people away. Opportunities to share kindness, be helpful, loving, etc. I just didn't, or couldn't care.



Then in September, it was like a weight was beginning to lift and I started to feel better. I wasn't in pain or sick and I began to see things from a different perspective. I began to see opportunities and possibilities. Opportunities for growth, to rebuild, to share, to collaborate, to create, to be apart of life and from opportunities I began to see possibilities. Possibilities are intrinsic to hope and wonder for the future. I couldn't be more grateful for these two things because they are evidence of healing and hope. It's felt like such a long time coming and I am so thankful for movement forward.

Wow, that was really heavy for a DIY/sewing/lifestyle blog. Maybe I should abandon Thankful Thursday and just keep the DIY part. haha. I am so sorry if this post wasn't at all what you anticipated and if it was just too much. Anyways, onto the DIY portion of this post!

Target, oh Target. They always make me want to change my décor, dishes, bedroom, furniture, every stinkin season! Not this year, Target - I refuse! That doesn't mean that I don't yearn for that #Targetstyle in my living room every room. I was especially, intrigued by these little trees because they were so unusual looking and then I was shocked when I saw the price tag. Too much. Just too much. $16.99 for a small little tree? Nope, nope, nope.

So, of course, I made my own version inspired by these trees and it only cost me $5.49 to make 1 large and small tree. Not to mention that I still have plenty of materials to use for other decorating or projects later.

Materials:

Moss - I already had this but you can get moss at the dollar tree or at Joanns with a coupon.
Floral write - I already had this as well but you can also get it at the dollar tree
Small ornaments - $1
Wooden piece - $1.09 (after coupon @ Joanns)
Small cone - $1
Large cone: $2.40 (after coupon @ Joanns)


Here's you do it:

1.) Glue the wooden piece to the base of the tree.

2.) Start applying moss from the bottom of the tree to the top. Try to keep the moss as flat as possible.

3.) Attach the wire in the bottom and spiral up the tree and then down again. Hide the end of the wire on the bottom.

4.) Pop the tops of your ornaments and hot glue. Stagger them on the tree. If I had the proper cutting tools, I would have cut the ornaments in half, horizontally, so that the would have had a closer fit to the tree. Without cutting them, I feel as though it gives off the look that they are larger than they are in actuality.

Voila!