DIY Felt Christmas Tree with Snowman Advent Calendar, 37.5 x 27.5 in, 33 Ornaments

Description

This is the wall tree you put up when a real one is not practical: a small flat, a nursery, a shared room, a house with a determined toddler or a cat with opinions. The tree is a single piece of green felt, 37.5 inches tall and 27.5 inches wide, which is why the supplier calls it a 3 foot tree. It hangs from a hook or a nail with the string supplied.

The ornaments

Thirty three felt cutouts come with it, and they attach to the tree by their own texture rather than by hooks: a star, snowflakes, a wreath, candy canes, baubles, stockings, a Santa head, a lollipop, a bell, a glove, a reindeer, a Santa hat, holly, a red flower, a snowman, sweets, gifts and a Santa nose. They lift off and go back on hundreds of times, which is the whole appeal. A two year old can decorate this tree, undecorate it and decorate it again before lunch, and nothing breaks.

The string light, which the supplier text forgets to mention

A 5 metre string light is in the box. Our supplier’s written packing list does not say so; its own comparison artwork does, and so does the photography, which shows the tree lit. We have gone with the artwork. One caveat comes straight from the supplier’s own note: the battery box that comes with the light is not consistent, and it may take either two AA or three AAA batteries. You will not know which until it arrives, and batteries are not included, so buy a set of each or wait and look.

The countdown

A second felt piece is included: a snowman shaped countdown, 14 by 9 inches, reading Days until Christmas across the hat with the numbers 1 to 24 printed around the face. The carrot nose is the pointer and you move it one number each day. It is a dial rather than a set of pockets, so nothing goes inside it and there is nothing to fill. If you were expecting a pocket calendar to stuff with sweets, this is not that, and we would rather you knew now.

Practical notes

Felt creases in the package and will show fold lines when it arrives. Hang it for a day or two and they drop out; a cool iron under a cloth will speed it up. The tree has no weight to it, so a couple of adhesive hooks will hold it, and there is nothing to tip over. It folds into a drawer for storage rather than needing a loft box.

Ordering in time

Because it includes a countdown, it is worth having in the house before December 1 rather than before December 25. Handling is 1 to 3 business days and transit is 5 to 9 business days, so order in the third week of November if you want the countdown from day one. For the tree alone, our Christmas last order date of Monday December 7 applies.