It’s hard to believe but Dollar Tree poster board comes 5 pieces for $1.00!  Years ago I would pay around $6.00 a piece for paper mache cones.  Since I figured how to use Dollar Tree poster board my cost per tree base is 20 cents.

Cone trees are a nice for making Christmas vignettes on a mantle or table.  They are really fun to decorate and I make at least 6 trees every year for Sunrose Gallery here in Seaside.

Have you ever made a “dunce hat”?

I tuck in a cone shaped piece of  Styrofoam while I roll the poster board into the “dunce hat” shape.  Have cut tape sections close at hand and tape down the edges.

I cut the poster board bottom in a rough cut the first time so I can “see where I am going”.  After removing the excess poster board cut close to the bottom of the Styrofoam.

When I am decorating the poster board cone I leave the Styrofoam in the cone but remove it after decorating.  All the hot glue I have used adds stability and the cone feels sturdy and stable.

Decorate them with shells

I had fun applying hot glue and gold and copper foil when the glue was dry.  Mardi Gras beads and buttons are good low cost decorations.  The middle tree has a paper clay border.  I “smooshed” on wet paper clay and used my metal alphabet stamps to say “Spending Christmas by the Sea” I let it dry 2 days before I applying some turquoise paint stain to make the words POP.

I needed to use up these red felt reindeer so I glittered the tree and stacked them up!

 

I have painted them with black chalk paint and decorated them with white paint pens.

The cones are very easy to cover with sheet music.  Easy, fun and inexpensive.  The Dollar Tree Poster Board cone tree is definitely my kind of bargain!