Life-Size Sticky Tree

December is here and that means it's time for all things Christmas to begin in our house! One of the things I love doing each year is creating a tree specifically intended for play--a place where busy little hands are more than welcome and precious ornaments falling to the floor is a non-issue. In past years, we've had lovely kid-friendly felt trees, and this year we went with a new concept: a sticky tree! How do you create a sticky tree you ask? With contact paper of course! If you've not used contact paper for crafts and play activities before, you must. Its sticky surface eliminates the need for glue or tape and creates a unique experience that is fun for kids of all ages. Plus, its inexpensive and widely available at dollar and hardware stores as a drawer liner.

You Will Need:

• foam craft sheets (we used sparkly ones)
• clear contact paper
• green tinsel garland
• brown construction paper
• painter's tape
• scotch tape
• scissors

Instructions:

1. Cut out a large contact paper triangle and tack the non-sticky side onto the wall using scotch tape rolls.
2. Use the brown construction paper to create a trunk and tack it up onto the wall using scotch tape rolls also.
3. Gently remove the protective covering from the contact paper triangle to reveal its sticky surface.
4. Use painter's tape to firmly seal the edges of the triangle to the wall.

5. Cut the tinsel garland into 1 inch sections and place on a large tray.
6. Using a lid as a tracer, cut out several foam circles to act as ornaments.
7. Cut out a craft foam star to serve as a tree topper.
8. Set out the decorations, sit back, and let your child create!

Activities like this are always a hit in our house because there is no right or wrong way to approach them. My little one went for the tinsel garland first and then filled in the gaps with ornaments, but it would work just as well (if not better) the other way around. Some may stuff their tree full of decorations, while others may prefer the Charlie Brown look. Most of all, it's about the process! The best thing about this activity is that the munchkins can add to their sticky tree and move things around for weeks leading up to Christmas. And when they've used everything you've set out, you can always add to the project! Things like pompoms and sequins would be perfect for filling in small remaining spaces.

If you don't have the wall space for a large sticky tree like this one, check out our smaller felt board Christmas tree decorating activity.