How to Make a Love Tree (Like My Mom)

My Mom loves to think outside the box when it comes to our Monthly Craft Challenge  so when she recieved her 'Papercraft' ticket for February's Challenge, she dismissed the obvious choices like a greeting card or scrapbook page and went for something a little 'out there' . . .
This is her Love Tree. It's decorative and handy for displaying small photos and lightweight keepsakes. Plus, it would be a great craft project to with kids to use up all the scrap card and tissue paper!

So here's my Mom's instructions on how to make your own Love Tree. . .
You will need:
Corrugated card
Patterned paper bags
White tissue paper
Thin wire
A cocktail stick
Scraps of coloured tissue paper (including red and green)
Craft glue
Scissors
Sellotape
A box lid (My Mom used a round one from a Charbonnel &Walker truffles box but a square one would be fine)
1. For your tree's trunk, roll a piece of corrugated card into a tube shape and secure with tape then wrap with (and glue) patterned paper bag.

2. Cut thin strips of corrugated card to make your branches. Place a piece of wire alongside each strip and wrap white tissue paper around them for the full length- You should have a little wire left at the base end of the branches

 3. Cut strips of different coloured tissue paper and carefully tie them into a bow and attach towards the end of each branch

4. Cut out seven cardboard hearts, each a little smaller than the previous one. Repeat this so you have two of each size, then cover all fourteen with red tissue paper. Alternatively, if you have thick red card just cut the red hearts straight from that. Layer up the hearts and glue in place

 5. Glue the two 3d heart panels back to back with a cocktail stick between them - so it looks a bit like a heart lollipop. Hold the base of the branches together with the 'heart lollipop 'stick'' in the middle and firmly wrap the surplus wires (from the branches) around to hold them all together.Wrap some strips of the paper bag around it for extra security. Poke the bound branches into the top of the trunk

6. Cover your box lid with green tissue paper then cut a whole the size of your trunk in the centre. Place the base on a second piece of tissue paper and draw up to form ruffles on the top, gluing into place on the side and top. Push trunk into the hole and snip the ruffles with scissors to make the grass.

 7. Finish with a band of red around the base and mini hearts at the ends of the branches

Didn't she do well?! You can clip photographs, messages and all kinds of things onto your tree but make sure whatever you do attach is fairly light. I just put whatever I could find on (including that rather embarrassing picture from about 15 years ago that is only there due to it's practical size) but it would make a lovely gift for Mother's Day adorned with photos of family and messages to your Mom!