I used an old cardboard box that the previous teachers left in our apartment. It was for a keyboard stand so it was long and thin. First, I drew the basic cone shape on it (so I wouldn't make one side too fat) and then just started cutting out triangles to get the points. Once I had one tree cut out, I traced it on the other piece of cardboard and cut that out, too. It took a long time and I had to take breaks because the scissors were hurting my hand.
Then I cut a line down the center of one of then and slid it down on the other one. It wasn't really staying together that well because it was so long and flimsy at the top. The top pieces kept drooping off to the sides. If I was back home, I would have used a glue gun and just glued it together, but I don't have a glue gun here. I improvised and used a needle and thread that we found in a little sewing kit in one of the junk drawers. I used the green thread and sewed the very top first and then again about half way down. It wasn't the best solution but it was the best I could do with what I had at the time. Plus, you can't even tell I sewed it after it was painted.
Spencer brought home some green paint on his way home from work but it was reallly dark, like almost black-dark. The color was lost in translation to him, as sometimes happens when you don't speak Korean in Korea. I still painted the whole thing but after it dried, it was way too dark. The next day, I bought some lighter paint and mixed them to get the colors I wanted.
I painted three sides dark green and one side (the front) a lighter green to get a shadow effect. I'm happy with the outcome and I think it looks really great with the paper chain and little star. It's amazing how much happier I am now that we have a tree. Before, it didn't even feel like Christmas and now I feel like Buddy the elf I'm so excited!
