The following post is from Janel of Life with Lucie and Ella.:
Christmastime in Williamsburg, Virginia, is a wonderful thing! I feel so blessed that my family and I get to celebrate the holidays here. It’s a town full of special traditions and beautiful decorations. Each year, The Williamsburg Inn, a hotel in Colonial Williamsburg, invites guests to write messages on small tags and hang them on the inn’s Christmas tree. The messages can be anything from an expression of thankfulness or a wish for the future. Filling out a tree tag gives the guests a chance to reflect on what is important to them during Christmastime.
When I learned of this tradition, I fell in love with it. What a great way to create ornaments that are full of meaning! By using felt to create the pockets that hold the tags, you can reuse these pockets year after year. Just cut some new tags out of cardstock each year. If you wish, you can use the tags as keepsakes. You could incorporate them into a scrapbook or just store them away with your ornaments to reread next year.
Supplies:
- 9 x 12 sheets of felt in assorted colors
- scissors
- embroidery thread & needle OR hot glue gun & glue sticks
- cardstock
- tree tag template (if desired)
Directions:
Cut your felt sheets into strips that are 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. You should be able to get 6 strips out of each piece of felt.
Fold the felt in half to make a pocket that is 3 inches long by 3 inches wide. Close up the sides to form a pocket:
- Sewing Option: If you want a hand-sewn look, use colored embroidery thread and stitch up along one side of the pocket. Once at the top of the pocket, leave a couple of inches of thread there for the hanger, and then stitch down the other side. Tie off the thread and tuck the knot inside the pocket.
- Glue Option: Use hot glue and seal the right and left sides of the pocket. Take a length of embroidery thread (or ribbon if you prefer) and glue one end inside each top corner of the pocket to create your hanger.
Embellish the pocket if you wish. Add a simple bow, or create an additional decoration like a flower to glue on the outside.
Use the cardstock to cut out cards that measure 3 inches by 2.5 inches. If you wish, you can use this template to print out cards with a border and the year on them. Trim along the cutting guides.
Tuck a tag into each pocket. Have your family and guests fill out a tag with a special Christmas message. It can be something they are thankful for or a wish for the new year. Hang the tags in their pockets on your tree. Enjoy!
Related Projects:
- DIY Fast Felt Purse (use one of these purses to store the tree tags that you want to save as keepsakes)
- Favorite Things Ornaments
- Photo Block Ornaments
- DIY Fleece Scarf with Pockets
- We “Wisk” you a Merry Christmas Tag
Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions, and more every day from now through Christmas!
| Janel is a stay-at-home mom of two and a law school wife. Raised in a budget-conscious and do-it-yourself-minded family, she loves seeing something in a store or magazine and making her own version at home for less money. Janel blogs about motherhood, crafts, and recipes at Life with Lucie and Ella. | |
