Repurposing Advent

Starting to pack up all of those Christmas decorations? Hold your horses, friends. I have an idea for you that may have you keeping one item out of the attic this year.

I’m turning my advent tree into a family tree. It’s an easy project – and cheap if you already have some of the necessary items.

I’ve never had an Advent tree, but have wanted one for the last year. I didn’t find one in time to start the tradition this year, but that’s okay. My patience paid off. I found the perfect one the day after Christmas – at 70% off!

That’s the “Wooden Wall Tree” from West Elm. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available online. You might find one in a store – closest one would be in Denver (sorry!).

If you don’t want to make the trek to Denver and don’t already have something similar to use – consider making one using this tutorial. For family tree purposes though, you should make your “branches” less uniform.

For now, I’m displaying my family’s mugs in frame ornaments.

I scored a bunch in the Christmas clearance section at Walmart (@ $1.75 each). I’m considering switching them over to something more creative that involves Mod Podge… but for now, the frames work.

I had to pick through the piles to find a bunch that match. I chose white – as it seemed like the least “Christmasy” option (other options were red or green). These are a little formal for me – but I’m hanging the tree in my dining room for now, so I think it’s okay.

There were not enough of the same ornaments, so I bought half circles and half squares. So, my husband’s side is square (ha! That came out wrong. Or did it? Hmm…) and my side is in circles. Our kiddos get one of each.

Honestly, the hardest part of this project was finding photos of everyone. I still don’t have images of any of my husband’s grandparents or my father’s parents. I’ll have to get some printed. It’s difficult to find prints you’re willing to cut in this age of digital images! If you’re a scrap-booker and already have prints ready to get cut apart, you probably won’t have this issue.

There it is… the Advent Tree repurposed for year-round use. Does this inspire anyone to do a similar project? If so, please share – and post an image to the Her View From Home Facebook page.

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Articles by Michelle Fortin

Michelle Fortin

Michelle Fortin and her husband, Jason blog about their DIY home improvement adventures on their site, Making Our Dream. That’s where you’ll also hear more about her life as a part-time SAHM to Kenton (born 5/2011) and baby #2 – due to arrive in October 2012. In addition to being a wife and mom, Michelle also teaches broadcast journalism at Arizona State University, is actively involved in her local MOPS group, dabbles in photography, and is a self-confessed social media addict. Currently, she lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she and Jason bought their first home in 2009. It was a foreclosure that’s needed quite a bit of work! If Michelle looks familiar, that may be because you remember her as Michelle Frey – when she anchored the weekend newscasts on NTV a few years ago. She also taught a few classes at UNK. The years she spent in central Nebraska produced some of the best memories and dearest friends a girl could ask for – which is why she’s thrilled to be a part of the Her View From Home team.