Retro Folded Paper Tabletop Christmas Tree
"Take all those catalogs you receive in the mail and put them to good use. Make 3 folds on each page, spray paint, then decorate! Makes great trees for those in a nursing home or with limited space."
Estimated CostUnder $10
Time to CompleteIn an evening
Primary TechniquePainting
Project or Page Size12 inches x 12 inches
Type of Paper UsedNewspaper
SeasonChristmas
Materials List
- 3 magazines or catalogs of the same height
- Glue or Mod Podge
- Spray Paint
- Glitter
- Macaroni or other small decorations
This was fun for 3 of the 4 generations of our family to do together and since we used what we had in the house, it cost us nothing. No scissors or other sharp items were used making it very kid friendly!
Instructions
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Begin with the first page of the magazine or catalog.
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Pick up the top right corner of the page and fold it straight down the binding.
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Then pick up where the magazine page folds on the far right of the page and also fold it down the binding.
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There will be a "tail" at the bottom of the magazine - fold that up to where it is even with the bottom of the magazine.
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Keep folding through the entire magazine.
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Fold 2 more magazines the same way.
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Stand them up and put a rubber band around top to hold them together.
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Spray paint them whatever color you want. After the first coat dries, take away the rubber band - the three magazines will stick together and stand up easily.
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If you want glitter on it, then when you give it the last coat - while it's still wet, sprinkle glitter all around.
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Spray Paint uncooked Star Wars macaroni and dip in Mod Podge or glue and stick onto painted tree.
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frazierhlhs
Dec 16, 2017
You can use beads instead of the macaroni. You can also glue on metallic rickrack or cord for garland. Multiple items can be used to decorate your tree and give each one a unique look. We made these as kids and I am a senior citizen now.
Cheryl Y
Oct 31, 2016
I remember doing this as a kid! I love this Retro Folded Paper Tabletop Christmas Tree craft. I couldn't remember how to do the bottom part, but with this it comes back to me. I can see my Grand kids making these cute trees and I'll paint them and the next day they can decorate them. What a great way to recycle old magazines. Thank you so much for this free craft project from the past.
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