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Flattery will get you….a Christmas Tree

Flattery will get you….a Christmas Tree

I have been looking for a quote to post that really spoke to me.

Although I truly believe in this quote, I soon realized that if I posted this:

The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. -Benjamin Mays

people would wonder who my guest blogger was today. I am not known to be a deep thinker.  🙂

So in the name of keeping it real, I chose this quote instead:

Imitation is the sincerest form of Flattery. -Charles Caleb Colton

The quote actually came to me after I read the BowerPower blog post yesterday. They shared how to cut a Christmas tree shaped cutting board from some left over butcher block.

Hold on for a bunch of flattery.

While finishing up some Christmas gift shopping in town, I swung by Menards and bought this 1″ oak board.

What I really wanted was some actual butcher block, but at $79 for a 4 foot section, I figured I had better start out smaller. Besides I didn’t have a cart and I couldn’t lift the butcher block. Totally justified my cheapness.

I chose a smaller oak board instead. Much easier to haul to the check out.

Wade had a jigsaw at home so I was in business,  except for the fact that I have never used a jigsaw saw.

Ever.

What I lack in skill I make up for in creativity and enthusiasm. 🙂

Following the tutorial’s directions, I folded a piece of paper in half and drew half of a Christmas tree, cut it out, unfolded it and traced it onto my the oak board.

Have I ever mentioned that my husband is in the Safety and Compliance field? He is Mr. Safety, 24/7. That’s good, sometimes irritating, but good.  🙂

So for safety reasons I did not take any pictures of me cutting out my tree shape because that would’ve been a poor safety choice. And Wade, I did use eye and ear protection. But you know that because you walked into the garage to “get something” and noticed that I was OSHA approved. 🙂

Moving on. Here is my approximately 11″ x 11″ tree prior to being sanded.

Not bad for a newbie jigsawer! I like to think it has a touch of whimsy. Besides, the perfect Christmas tree is in the eye of the beholder.

(This next part I totally cheated on.)

I have had these wooden stars for, well, a long time. My guess would be that I inherited them from my Mom. Regardless they were sparkly, wood and whimsical and exactly what I would have made had I cut out my own stars.

I drilled a hole in the top of my tree and a matching hole in the star.

Now since this board is going to be used with food it needs to be treated. The Bower Power blog suggests using Mineral Oil.

Another option is Hemp Oil. I used the oil from the Miss Mustard Seed line of products.

No matter which product you choose be sure to read the label to make sure it is food safe.

I applied 3 coats of oil, letting the wood dry in-between each application.

Using decorative twine, my final step was to attach the golden wood star to the whimsical Christmas tree.

I tied a triple knot in the twine, inserted it thru the hole in the star and tree and tied another triple knot on the back side.

Not only can this be used as a cutting board but with the 1″ width of the tree it makes a great standing decoration OR a cheese and cracker plate.

So many options from one whimsical tree.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend,

Wendy