Make a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

This instructable shows how to find the true meaning of Christmas.  It's not about fancy aluminum Christmas trees, real estate, a blue ribbon for the best decorated dog house, or cash in 10s and 20s.  It's about hope, and who has more hope than anyone else?

Charlie Brown

Who hopes to someday kick that football, who hopes to someday woo that little red headed girl, and who hopes that all his anxieties are a figment of his imagination despite wasting all those nickels and dimes on "Psychiatric Help".

This instructable is not about a sad little tree.  It's about a tree which still has some hope.

 

 

Step 1 Materials

Materials:

-A cedar/pine branch (real or fake)
-Pruners (or metal clippers if using fake)
-Piece of wood
-Red ball ornament and ornament hook
-Electric drill
-Drill bits
-Dried beans (or pebbles)
-Wood glue (if necessary)

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[MomLovesElectro]

this is awesome, it's even better because I have everything available in my house/outside right now to make this! I think adding the lil blankie would be cute too. (I bet my sister has a lil blue blanket since she has a baby boy) I think I might make one as a centerpiece for our Ugly Christmas Sweater party. I wonder how many people will figure out the reference. THANK YOU for this.

[MissDaisy]

LOL... this is amazing.

Last year, I actually bought the Charlie Brown tree that was selling at Home Hardware and paid 20.00 (CND)... hehehe. And wouldn't you know it, when it got dismantled after Xmas, my husband dropped the one and only ball... LOLOLO.

I won't feel bad this year if he drops another because now, with your brilliant instructable, I'll be able to get "him" to make me another tree :))

Thanks for sharing.

[sunshiine]

This is sooo cute! I will make it this year! Thanks for sharing.

[AZNdude]

This is really cool!
I made my own and put up an instructable.
Didn't realize that someone already posted one.
mine's here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Charlie-Browns-Christmas-Tree/

[woody558]

Living in central texas, I have so many annoying cedar trees behind my house. Thanks for the i'ble!!!!!!!

 

[AngryRedhead]

Glad to be of help!

 

[Tunesrlife]

Very quirky, very cute :)
Do you have a spacific area set aside for photography, or did you shop the perfectly white backgrounds in?

[AngryRedhead]

Ha!  Thanks.  No, my "studio" is movable, and I don't do a lot of photoshop/gimp work.

 

[Termyte]

...not to mention that
a) no insects eat the cedar tree
b) cedar pollen wreaks havoc on our allergies
c) living in the Texas hill Country, they DO grow like weeds.
and
d) if Ms Redhead need to relieve some of her anger, she's more than welcome to come over and take her aggression out on all of the cedar trees on my property. :)

Thanks for the contribution, AngryRedhead!

[AngryRedhead]

Ha!  I'm still battling the cedars on my own tiny 1/2 acre.

And glad you like it!

 

[Jayefuu]

Nice pics as ever. So what's the story behind this? :D

[static]

 Check wikipedia, and youtube.

[Kiteman]

How do you not know about Charlie Brown's Christmas tree??

[MomLovesElectro]

Is the ornament originally blue? or is it red? I thought it was red....

[Kiteman]

It's red in my memory, but not on the internet - maybe he gets a new bauble every year?

[MomLovesElectro]

it's red in my memory too, hmmmm......I think I'll go with red when I make this.

[bassclarinet23]

I can remember watching this every year (in my memory)! It never gets old.

[static]

 The only network I can get over the air is CBS, and it's been at least 2 years since it aired.

[bassclarinet23]

Yes, where I live it's only on ABC, I think.

[Solderguy]

I live in Oregon and it's on ABC. But you can probably watch it at Hulu.com

[bassclarinet23]

Probably.

[theatre_tech_guru]

i just ran sound for this play at a church today its a classic

[bassclarinet23]

Yeah. It's amazing how popular it still is after how long it's been on. It's more than twice my age, and still going strong.

[Yerboogieman]

Even people out of the country know. ;-)

[StuNutt]

Yes - If he was a Brit, he'd be drawing his Old-Age State Pension  ;)

[Jayefuu]

I was never a big fan of snoopy. I remember it when I was growing up but I think I was too young when it was really really popular.

Perhaps you should retell the story for those of us who aren't lucky enough to know already :D

[AngryRedhead]

A Charlie Brown Christmas was produced in the 1960s well before I was born.  There's a simple pleasant joy to it, and it's still relevant.  ABC is amazingly showing most of it on their website.  There are a couple clips edited out, but you'll understand a Charlie Brown Christmas tree from what they show.  Watch for the magic.

 

[StuNutt]

"Due to international rights agreements, we only offer this video to viewers located within the United States and its territories"

:(     :(

Unhappy of UK

[AngryRedhead]

Woooooow.  That's not spreading the yuletide cheer, now is it?

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

 

[hammer9876]

Or the easier access version on youtube

[StuNutt]

Yes,  thanks - I found the YouTube  :)  :)

[vv07f]

Nice.  Here's mine with a gold ornament and different stand.  I don't have a red ornament yet, should look better. 

[vv07f]

whoops!

[AngryRedhead]

Awwwww, it's precious!

That's one hardcore stand.

 

[AngryRedhead]

I don't see a link or an image.  : (

 

[red-king]

 wouldn't using a artificial branch defeat the purpose?

[AngryRedhead]

I like to leave options open.  There's a reason why I used a real tree branch as opposed to a fake, but there are quite a few forlorn artificial trees destined for the landfill which should be appreciated in their own special way.

 

[red-king]

 I suppose.

[hishealer]

I can't believe it!  I just bought one of these at a bookstore, and it doesn't look half as good... I had to bend it over myself!

[AngryRedhead]

Yipes!