Back in 2015, I somehow volunteered to make a tree project on behalf of the local library for a community tree decorating display/event. Anyway, being the tree hugger that I am, I made it into an upcycled project and wrote a little statement about trees, which I included with the project. As we’re in yet another season of cutting down trees, I thought I’d share this little project here.
I used Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” as a base for this tree project as a reminder of all the gifts trees provide for us.
During the holidays, trees (no matter what their form) can be a place to gather with friends and family, a place to share gifts, and a part of the holiday decor and magic.
Trees provide so much more though. They are the source of our furniture, our paper, our homes, our food packaging, our books, and on and on.
I think it would serve us, and our planet, to remain conscious of these gifts, appreciate them, and try our best to make good uses of them.
I love that I was able to build this scene by reusing old books that were no longer in a condition to keep as reading books. Here, they have new life and are able to give to us once again.
The supports I used to prop the books are old wooden game pieces from discarded Scrabble and Jenga games.
And with wooden skewers being used as supports for the book trees, this entire project truly is a gift from trees.
I remain a “tree hugger” at heart. And so, despite my appreciation for all the gifts I know trees provide for me in my life,
I still believe a tree’s best gifts are given when it is left in the ground to grow–providing oxygen, fruit, shade, animals’ homes, and most of all, breathtaking beauty.
