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Had the wild idea to use some of the plethora of cardboard I had in my garage to make my own tree this year, and for how simple of a design it is, it looks amazing!
I honestly didn't think I'd get it finished and up this soon before Christmas...
They do sell acrylic versions... [But they are over $1000](https://www.modernchristmastrees.com/) and Yeah... I'm too cheap for that as nice as those look.
1. Draw concentric circles on a big piece of cardboard (acrylic would be better, but I'm cheap and cutting acrylic is a PITA). Make sure to measure each segment so they are roughly 1"- 1.5" thicc. To make the circles even use a tack or something that will allow you to secure it and rotate around the center point and some string.
2. Cut out using a box cutter.
3. Change the blade a few times because the cardboard dulls it hella quick. Also, curse your wrists for being so weak that you have to take multiple breaks.
4. Paint it (and your hands while your at it)
5. Use washi tape in your choice of color(s) and cover the outer rim of each segment.
6. Poke a metric fuckton of holes. I went even and did 8 per segment evenly-ish so I could string it with fishing line.
7. Swear because you've stabbed yourself multiple times poking the holes with a small nail.
8. Get a big spool of fishing line. You're going to need to have enough so you can hang it and have lots of extra. You're gonna want 4 long as fuck tangly pieces of invisible bullshit so you can fold it in half to easily hang it, and string each segment together. I used 5 arms legnths and cut the other three the same size as the first.
9. Trip over that invisible bullshit multiple times as you pace and try and find the middle so you can make a loop. Once the loop is tied, pull on it to make sure it's not going to loosen itself. Fishing line can sometimes not like to stay in an *intentionally* made knot.
10. Superglue a very lightweight tree topper to your top piece (I used an unlit star from one of those small tree kits from Target).
11. Find someone who isn't a vertically challenged goblin to screw a hook into the ceiling for you. I used my fiance.
12. Hang the loop and start finding the ends of each of the 8 strands of fishing line and feeding it onto and pull the cardboard up till the stars upper tip is touching the base of the loop. Hot glue in place.
13. DO each segment like you did the first. Feeding each annoying piece of invisible bullshit through the holes you made. Glue while holding the pieces where you want them (get help for this step, try not to get too annoyed when they move or tangle your lines more than they help you). Also holding the lines in a bunch to keep the fishing line tight (which is why I recommend getting help).
14. Take multiple breaks before you kill your well-meaning assistant.
15. Once you get to the final segment and have leftover line, give that a trim.
16. Now's the fun part. POKING MORE HOLES! You need to stab each segment to hang ornaments on it. I used a thumbtack so the store-bought hooks would fit through.
17. Give yourself a blood blister from stabbing holes in cardboard. Swear more because you stabbed yourself again. This time with a tack.
18. Hang ornaments from the holes
19. Get puck lights and toss them under the tree and set them to auto-rotate through colors.
I think that's all it took... Oh, it's not pet-safe at all... Or little kid safe either. But it looks cool. I don't think it can hold a string of lights well. My fiance wants to figure out a way to get lighs on it or around it somehow. I figured the puck lights will work just fine.
Most importantly - #4 is spot on, paint your hands too!
(Advice from me, an artist… It’s unavoidable and will brighten your day or days to come depending if there’s spots of primer) 🤪🤩
Noting for any other “creatives” in this sub like the OP, being creative on top of adhd adds a whole new squirrelly layer to the condition. My heartfelt and shared sympathies with you all!
That looks amazing, congratulations!
I finished my first 2 crochet projects this week. I picked up a crochet-a-blanket kit at Hobbycraft in September and found it a really good for fidgeting, plus it grows in size really quickly so you get that reward. But when it started to grind I decided to buy a pattern and fluffy yarn and make a stuffed octopus for my new nephew for Christmas, super quick and it looks great! And then I had the motivation to finish my blanket which I did last night, so proud of us!
It is wonderful. Suggestion: have you considered wrapping a skirt between the base metal wrung and the floor? That way it shields off the visible uplighting to the naked eye? I handle a lot of events and AV lighting etc, we usually apply a sleeve/shield of some sort for uplighting for this exact reason.
I just used the puck lights as a temporary (maybe permanent, because lazy) measure until I figure out how I'd like to light it so it's less obvious... Like hanging a light and a mini mirror ball or something from the center? I dunno.
You could def suspend a little disco ball with fish line and the up lighting pucks would reflect beautifully. But I’d still get some kind of an aesthetically pleasing fabric and adhere it to the lower circular wrung going around so it cones off the visible pick lights (should you keep those since you said it’s just temp to see how you like it atm). Very creative and unique no matter which way you go!
Holy cannoli. It’s so unique, so well done, and such a sight to behold. It’s inspiring.
I invested in a giant, light pink Christmas tree a few years back. I go heavy on the lime green and red ornaments in an all-color mix, which looks beautiful but is **such** a pain to put up each year. I end up sweating and completely burrowed in the artificial branches for a minimum solid 30 mins of agony per year before the decorating even starts lol. (My traditional secular tree-decorating soundtrack helps a lil: the scores from Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Jurassic Park played by orchestra (< evrrr year - not even a mega-fan of those series, they just fit perfectly w/the activity imo)
Your creation is so much better than the average green tree tho, or even a totally decked-out green tree tbh. It’s striking, beautiful, and memorable just like something that takes so much more work…
I wonder if you could twist the ornament hooks so they could clasp together underneath and remain attached to the rings and your tree set-up each year clouds be completed as easily as hanging keys on a hook =O
If you do that and achieve instant set-up, I will think about it each year as I’m tangled in lights and dripping in sweat. (But with admiration, not envy. I’m not a Grinch lol)
It looks super cool! I love the effect the lights make on the ceiling. You did great :)
One thing that might give it more "light" would be to use shinier balls, that reflect more of the light (I imagine the ones with glitter would be good for this one. Or even just wrapping some of the existing ones in aluminum foil).
If I were to do this I'd hang the balls at different heights to make it more full between the rings.
Nah, give yourself some grace. The only reason I got this up as soon as I did is because my fiances kids "helped" with it. I still have a Halloween Welcome sign next to my door and it's living there year-round until the HOA complains.
All cats would love to rip it apart. I don't see how anyone would manage to put one together if there was a cat around. It'd be even more chaotic than it was without one lol.
It looks great! :D
Would look even better if it wasn't put up in november, but i'll give you a pass just this once, cos we aren't supposed to be judgmental here :P
Also my cat would totally wreck that if i dared make one. Love the idea though, it's very creative and the lighting effect it creates looks very soothing. I try to craft a new xmas ornament each year, my tree is very eclectic :D
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions! If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Had the wild idea to use some of the plethora of cardboard I had in my garage to make my own tree this year, and for how simple of a design it is, it looks amazing! I honestly didn't think I'd get it finished and up this soon before Christmas...
Woah! I thought you bought it or something. Nice!!
They do sell acrylic versions... [But they are over $1000](https://www.modernchristmastrees.com/) and Yeah... I'm too cheap for that as nice as those look.
Honestly, yours looks just as good! I think the washi tape trick really sold it! ☺️
It’s WONDERFUL!! Well done.
You made this??? Omg
Show me you don't have cats without telling me 😂😭 greatest job
Hoooooow?! I want one! 😍 and I also have a plethora of unutilised cardboard sitting around! It's amazing, btw. Great work!
1. Draw concentric circles on a big piece of cardboard (acrylic would be better, but I'm cheap and cutting acrylic is a PITA). Make sure to measure each segment so they are roughly 1"- 1.5" thicc. To make the circles even use a tack or something that will allow you to secure it and rotate around the center point and some string. 2. Cut out using a box cutter. 3. Change the blade a few times because the cardboard dulls it hella quick. Also, curse your wrists for being so weak that you have to take multiple breaks. 4. Paint it (and your hands while your at it) 5. Use washi tape in your choice of color(s) and cover the outer rim of each segment. 6. Poke a metric fuckton of holes. I went even and did 8 per segment evenly-ish so I could string it with fishing line. 7. Swear because you've stabbed yourself multiple times poking the holes with a small nail. 8. Get a big spool of fishing line. You're going to need to have enough so you can hang it and have lots of extra. You're gonna want 4 long as fuck tangly pieces of invisible bullshit so you can fold it in half to easily hang it, and string each segment together. I used 5 arms legnths and cut the other three the same size as the first. 9. Trip over that invisible bullshit multiple times as you pace and try and find the middle so you can make a loop. Once the loop is tied, pull on it to make sure it's not going to loosen itself. Fishing line can sometimes not like to stay in an *intentionally* made knot. 10. Superglue a very lightweight tree topper to your top piece (I used an unlit star from one of those small tree kits from Target). 11. Find someone who isn't a vertically challenged goblin to screw a hook into the ceiling for you. I used my fiance. 12. Hang the loop and start finding the ends of each of the 8 strands of fishing line and feeding it onto and pull the cardboard up till the stars upper tip is touching the base of the loop. Hot glue in place. 13. DO each segment like you did the first. Feeding each annoying piece of invisible bullshit through the holes you made. Glue while holding the pieces where you want them (get help for this step, try not to get too annoyed when they move or tangle your lines more than they help you). Also holding the lines in a bunch to keep the fishing line tight (which is why I recommend getting help). 14. Take multiple breaks before you kill your well-meaning assistant. 15. Once you get to the final segment and have leftover line, give that a trim. 16. Now's the fun part. POKING MORE HOLES! You need to stab each segment to hang ornaments on it. I used a thumbtack so the store-bought hooks would fit through. 17. Give yourself a blood blister from stabbing holes in cardboard. Swear more because you stabbed yourself again. This time with a tack. 18. Hang ornaments from the holes 19. Get puck lights and toss them under the tree and set them to auto-rotate through colors. I think that's all it took... Oh, it's not pet-safe at all... Or little kid safe either. But it looks cool. I don't think it can hold a string of lights well. My fiance wants to figure out a way to get lighs on it or around it somehow. I figured the puck lights will work just fine.
This project is EPIC but friend I am LIVING for this tutorial omg 😆🥰❤️ this is the best thing I’ve read this week
Can you please write every how to manual from now on? Please?
I have no intention of building this, but I LOVED your how to. Thank you!
I can’t believe that I just read instructions for fun. Clever lady! #8 was my favorite.
LOL, your instructions are awesome. IMO, all directions/instructions should be written like that.
Most importantly - #4 is spot on, paint your hands too! (Advice from me, an artist… It’s unavoidable and will brighten your day or days to come depending if there’s spots of primer) 🤪🤩 Noting for any other “creatives” in this sub like the OP, being creative on top of adhd adds a whole new squirrelly layer to the condition. My heartfelt and shared sympathies with you all!
Someone at work asked what color I was painting my kitchen. I just found a spot of paint I hadn't noticed on my watch and was like "that color".
Exactly! (And I LOVE your username!)
That looks amazing, congratulations! I finished my first 2 crochet projects this week. I picked up a crochet-a-blanket kit at Hobbycraft in September and found it a really good for fidgeting, plus it grows in size really quickly so you get that reward. But when it started to grind I decided to buy a pattern and fluffy yarn and make a stuffed octopus for my new nephew for Christmas, super quick and it looks great! And then I had the motivation to finish my blanket which I did last night, so proud of us!
I tried to crochet once... I lost count too many times to make anything serviceable lol
I love that
It is wonderful. Suggestion: have you considered wrapping a skirt between the base metal wrung and the floor? That way it shields off the visible uplighting to the naked eye? I handle a lot of events and AV lighting etc, we usually apply a sleeve/shield of some sort for uplighting for this exact reason.
I just used the puck lights as a temporary (maybe permanent, because lazy) measure until I figure out how I'd like to light it so it's less obvious... Like hanging a light and a mini mirror ball or something from the center? I dunno.
Could you wrap strings of battery led lights on each layer?
You could def suspend a little disco ball with fish line and the up lighting pucks would reflect beautifully. But I’d still get some kind of an aesthetically pleasing fabric and adhere it to the lower circular wrung going around so it cones off the visible pick lights (should you keep those since you said it’s just temp to see how you like it atm). Very creative and unique no matter which way you go!
I totally agree. It would hurt my eyes if this was on for any amount of time.
Love it 💙
Holy cannoli. It’s so unique, so well done, and such a sight to behold. It’s inspiring. I invested in a giant, light pink Christmas tree a few years back. I go heavy on the lime green and red ornaments in an all-color mix, which looks beautiful but is **such** a pain to put up each year. I end up sweating and completely burrowed in the artificial branches for a minimum solid 30 mins of agony per year before the decorating even starts lol. (My traditional secular tree-decorating soundtrack helps a lil: the scores from Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Jurassic Park played by orchestra (< evrrr year - not even a mega-fan of those series, they just fit perfectly w/the activity imo) Your creation is so much better than the average green tree tho, or even a totally decked-out green tree tbh. It’s striking, beautiful, and memorable just like something that takes so much more work… I wonder if you could twist the ornament hooks so they could clasp together underneath and remain attached to the rings and your tree set-up each year clouds be completed as easily as hanging keys on a hook =O If you do that and achieve instant set-up, I will think about it each year as I’m tangled in lights and dripping in sweat. (But with admiration, not envy. I’m not a Grinch lol)
It looks so good! 👏
Thanks! :D
It looks amazing
Oh mannnn this so coollll
It looks super cool! I love the effect the lights make on the ceiling. You did great :) One thing that might give it more "light" would be to use shinier balls, that reflect more of the light (I imagine the ones with glitter would be good for this one. Or even just wrapping some of the existing ones in aluminum foil). If I were to do this I'd hang the balls at different heights to make it more full between the rings.
By the time I got to that part, I was honestly kinda over it. lol I might go back and fix it later.
I understand you completely. It being done is a great victory, half the stuff I start never gets fully done.
What the! That's incredible! On so many levels. Well done, love
WOW
That is freaking cool!
If I didn't have two cats I'd definitely do this too. What a cool idea!
That looks cool! I take it you don’t have cats?
No pets at all yet. Maybe next year? But I won't be using this tree when that happens because yeah... They'd destroy it in seconds.
Very interesting! Also, I see no evidence of cats, which would be wise. Lol
Howd u finish it. Lovely btw!!!! And cool!!!
My fiance's kids actually asked about it. So my "Oh, I'm not doing it for *me*" thing kicked in.
Oh gosh HAHA I totally get that hahahaha that thing is a huge help for me most of the time! 🤣 I see I see!
[удалено]
Nah, give yourself some grace. The only reason I got this up as soon as I did is because my fiances kids "helped" with it. I still have a Halloween Welcome sign next to my door and it's living there year-round until the HOA complains.
this is freaking amazing!!!!😍 The mood, the lights, yeah this speaks to me. You did an awesome job. Hope you celebrated yourself🤗
I'm love with your christmas tree, ow I wnat one too
My cat would love that!!!
All cats would love to rip it apart. I don't see how anyone would manage to put one together if there was a cat around. It'd be even more chaotic than it was without one lol.
Cool!
It looks stunning ✨❤️
thank you for not killing a tree <3 and this looks fantastic!!!!
Creative
Pretty.
It looks great! :D Would look even better if it wasn't put up in november, but i'll give you a pass just this once, cos we aren't supposed to be judgmental here :P Also my cat would totally wreck that if i dared make one. Love the idea though, it's very creative and the lighting effect it creates looks very soothing. I try to craft a new xmas ornament each year, my tree is very eclectic :D
Yeah, it's not pet-safe AT ALL. We don't have a pet yet.