The Quirky Monster Tree

So what do you do when your bored and want to procrastinate doing the things you need to do? Perhaps, if your like me you create a Monster Tree.  I know it's a bit lame but I purchased an itsy bisty potted pine tree for Christmas this year. Pretty much because it was a lot of work to set up an actual tree for only me to enjoy.  I also thought this went with being more "green" because I'm not participating in killing a tree but instead I'm supporting the growth of a tree....that's if I can keep it alive until spring when I can transplanted onto my parents land.  The problem became what would I do with it after Christmas- just leave it sitting around in my house. BORING! Then I thought I would decorate it for different holidays like Valentine's Day, Saint Patty's Day or by seasons (winter and spring).  Since I don't really support or recognize Valentine's Day (I choose to let everyone I love know any day of the year not just on a hallmark greeting card day) I opted out of that idea. And winter was out because I don't really like winter other than celebrating Christmas and New Year's.

Some how the idea of creating little monsters out of random objects popped into my brain one night and I woke up and ran with it.  I created 6 little monsters so far for the tree. Of course I realized by the end that they weren't really scary just more funny and quirky. Hey...monsters don't always have to be scary!  I originally wanted to use a baking clay but the challenge for this project was creating monsters that wouldn't be to heavy for the itsy bitsy tree to hold. I ended up using all found objects and materials that were around my house. In addition to the 6 monsters I created a monster for the top of the tree and garland.

I was trying to figure out what kind of garland I wanted when I remember my grandmother teaching my sister and I how to crochet when we were little and would sleep over at her house. I never was able to catch on about how to create additional rows after the first so I would just make one really long strand/row and I would bring it home announcing to my mom that it would be our garland for our Christmas tree that year.  For sentimental reasons (my grandmother is dying of cancer as I write this) I pulled out a crochet needle and some yarn and tried to remember if I could crochet. To my surprise I immediately could and went on to create my one strand/row of garland to add to my Monster Tree! Maybe someday I'll take a YouTube tutorial and finally figure out how to make more than one row.

So if anyone is bored and wants to create a monster and send it my way for my tree I'm more than happy to accept some quirky monsters...