I haven’t put up a Christmas tree in several years, not since MooKitty came to live with me. She is worth more to me than a tree, and I don’t want her to get hurt. I don’t know if at this age (18) she would try to climb the tree or knock it over, but I didn’t want to find out. I got rid of the single scratching post because she would scale it and perch at the top. She started having trouble making it to the top, and I thought it wasn’t safe. (Don’t worry; she still has scratching posts attached to her condo.)
Then I saw a post on the CraftyHope blog about making button tree ornaments. That gave me the idea to make all non-breakable ornaments (well, less breakable) and put up a tree this year. Since I won’t be with family, I’d like a little extra cheer! I also saw an article in Martha Stewart Living magazine about using crystals as ornaments. I realized I have a lot of plastic beads that will be perfect.
The two greyish drops are from a hair tie. I got it because the crystals looked so cute, but it proved too heavy for my fine hair and slipped out. I cut it apart and probably have at least 20 of the “crystals” for ornaments. The rest of these beads are some form of plastic I have collected over the years.
The ornament above with the polka dots is from a Soft Flex icicle ornament tutorial. Those are SO FUN to make. I actually made a bunch before that one. I feel like I perfected my technique with the one above. Here are the rest. The ones on the video are actually prettier – very winter and holiday looking beads and more in a graduated shape. I just used what I had, but I think they will look pretty on the tree.
Plus, I saw Andrea of ZenithJade Creations mention that she was going to give away hand-painted wooden ornaments (with glitter!) with shop orders for a limited time. I asked if I could buy some of the ornaments, and she very nicely complied. They are so cute!
I would have posted a picture of the finished tree, but I don’t think I will get it up until next week or maybe even the following weekend. I still have a fair amount of ornaments to make. It will be fun, though, and cheerful to have a tree. I have some felt ball garland I’ll see if I can use.
The vintage glass of the ornaments and garland I have used in years past is so thin it is lighter than when I am using now, so I have to be mindful of that. But if Moo does knock over the tree, there is less chance of misery because there won’t be a lot of broken glass around. If all goes well, we can just enjoy the lights and the pretty colors of our tree.
Bead Love 
I didn’t realize that Mookitty was a senior kitty! We have had seniors through the years and our house became a kitty assisted living home!😻. One year the cats knocked down our Christmas tree and broke a bunch of our ornaments. Since then Walter secures the tree to the wall with fish line. Your ornaments are so cute and perfect for a cat friendly home!😻
Yes, having a smaller tree with difficult to break ornaments is a good idea. You could also add in painted Styrofoam or plastic balls, greeting cards or prints and other paper cutouts.
Oh, I hope you enjoy your tree to the fullest. I’m still not sure if we’re getting one this year or not, but it does bring a little extra joy to the season. Thanks for your mention of my button ornaments. And, I’m so glad it inspired you to create some ornaments that suit you. I’m looking forward to seeing your tree when you get it up! Merry Christmas!!