DIY Christmas trees have a certain je nai sais quoi, which often pulls your attention and holds it for eternity in a fast-paced world. Whether it is a small pinecone tabletop tree or an 18-foot crocheted tree with granny squares, the beauty of crafting keeps your eye on the craft and lets you peer into the soul of its maker. But never have we seen any DIY Christmas tree made from multi-media textiles that takes our breath away.
Made by Vanessa Barragão, a Portuguese textile artist based in the Algarve, this 10-foot-tall DIY yarn Christmas tree brings together latch hook, crochet, and other fiber manipulations onto a burlap-covered wire frame in conical shape. Barragão got her inspiration from textile industry waste, which she decided to turn into a new artwork for the holiday season. The process began with her creating a mockup of the tree design, testing the yarn colors and textures she had.
Then came the burlap-covered metal frame. Barragão created a two-part frame, making it easier to put together. Once the frame was in place, she began etching her design onto the burlap. Pre-drawing the patterns and shapes made it easier for her to crochet and latch hook the fibers onto the frame.
Her offcut materials included yarns of various lengths, girths, and, most importantly, various colors. She created hollow, bulbous parts to add dimension to the yarn tree. The tufting, the crocheting, and the hand-stitching various elements onto the frame took quite a lot of time. The result? A stunning amalgamation of reds, whites, and greens, creating a breathtaking piece of art.
While the process may look easy on the outside, the hard work can be seen through each knit, each stitch, and latch hook work. As you take in this stunning tree, you are faced with not only beauty, but the textile waste reality as well. This 10-foot-tall yarn Christmas tree makes you think about the implications of every single thing we consume, the clothes we wear, and so easily discard in the name of fast fashion.
But more than that, this DIY Christmas yarn tree inspires us to do better and find treasure in trash. So put this in your files and folders as an inspiration for next year’s DIY trees. This DIY yarn Christmas tree is currently displayed at @belmondreidspalace on the beautiful island of Madeira, Portugal. If you are nearby, take it in all its glory.
