HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS TREE
This is something I’m not too proud of talking about since I’ve never grew up having a real tree during Christmas time. You can tell the generation gap between parents and children during this time of year. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then consider yourself lucky and “normal”. But I remember our family having a Charlie Brown “plant” to represent a tree for the holidays. It was the same plant every year until it finally died. My brother and I would always dream about having a tree in our house but American traditions like a tree, stockings, lights, all those cool things we see on TV or at my friend’s house, never existed in ours.
One year even, my brother and I put a string of lights onto the front window of the house. It was actually a breaking point in our childhood, to attempt to celebrate Christmas in an American way. Sure, we had our New Edition Christmas album blasting. And we’d eat candy canes that came with Christmas cards. But never anything festive at home. I remember my Dad disapproved of the lights because it brought too much attention to the house. He was kinda right, only in the fact that it looked so cheesy and lame. But we did it anyways because we wanted to enjoy Christmas like every other family.
As I got older and moved away from home, I got to do my own things. Friends would invite me to cut down a Christmas tree with them for their house. Other friends would invite me to decorate their tree with them. I even tried to make it every year to Chinatown, so I could go caroling around the neighborhood with a church group. But one year finally while I was living in San Diego, my roommates and I got a tree for the house. The first time ever and it was an exciting moment. The smell of it said it all. Everyone knew what to do but me. Stringing popcorn, making ornaments, the little water thingy underneath. It was so joyous and so festive.
But there have been a few Christmas’s during the Navy days spent out to sea in the Persian Gulf or BFE and lemme tell you, it blows CHUNKS. Those were times when I wish they weren’t celebrations invented. No Thanksgivings, no Christmas, no birthdays. But one Christmas, a good buddy I worked with showed me how to make a Christmas tree out of clothes hangers. Ghetto, yes, creative, perhaps, but made us feel great while making it, definitely.
So here’s a step by step of how I made one in case you’re spending this Christmas without a real tree.
I had 6 bucks in my wallet, so this is what I’m working with.
1. Six metal hangers (can be 4 but will look more box like). Tape 2 together like so.
2. You have 3 pairs of hangers and you put them together and tape them up on the top and bottom parts where they meet. People always say pipe cleaners but I’m ballin on budget. I took a bunch of those twisty ties from the produce department at the market.
3. Now that the shape of it is made, hang a string of lights. I found some at the CVS store with a coupon. 100 bulb multi-color for 3 bucks. Not bad. String it around using some tape.
4. Then use some garland or whatever that looks cool. I found some gold 40′ garland at the 99cent store. Wrap that all around evenly. OHHHHHH! Looking good.
5. Finally, as a special touch, I found some fake snow spray at the 99 cent store too. SWEET! Sprayed it evenly and as needed on the tree. I had to wipe off the lights cuz I got sorta out of control.
And there you have it. It ain’t a Rockefeller tree but damn it feels good to not be left out.
Total spent=5 bucks. Had a dollar left so I got a 99cent Santa hat. BOOYAH!
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Tags: charlie brown, how to make a christmas tree
