There is just something about a flocked Christmas tree that just seems magical!  Maybe it’s because this Texas girl rarely sees real snow…or the way the twinkling lights reflect off the white?  Regardless I knew I wanted to try something new with our tree this year.

This was last year’s tree!  We’ve had this 9 foot beast for several years now, and I just couldn’t get it out of my head that I wished it was flocked!  Luckily, my hubby’s Aunt Cathy, aka the Martha Stewart of Pennsylvania, is a master flocker (yes, we’ve decided that’s a thing!) and shared with me her method she uses for flocking her tree every year!

Here is our tree before.  Cathy buys a real tree every year, which I LOVE, but unfortunately I am allergic!  I was nervous about flocking our artificial tree because trees this size are an investment, and I did not want to have to buy another one if I flocked it up….but Cathy assured me this method is foolproof…and she was right!!

Here is the after!  Here are some awesome aspects of this method:

-It is SUPER easy!! All the ingredients are inexpensive and readily available at Walmart, Target, or any grocery store that carries laundry products.

-You can adjust the look that you want by lightly applying or adding clumps to make it look like heavier snow fall.  It is realistic looking and can be easily touched up!

-You can add a scent!  I chose cinnamon and the second you walk in our front door it just smells like Christmas!

You could also use this method to flock a wreath or garland!

Supplies:

All Natural Borax Detergent Booster & Multi Purpose Cleaner- find it HERE

Liquid Starch (can be any brand, most say they are great for crafts on the bottle)- find it HERE

Both these items are found with the laundry products at Walmart, Target or the grocery store!  I have linked supplies at the bottom of the post if you want to add them to your grocery pickup!

Blue food coloring (OPTIONAL)- The blue food coloring helps make the mixture dry icy white, but use it VERY sparingly, otherwise it will dry too blue!

Stainless steel bowl

Spoon

Gloves- I got a small pack of disposable ones.  I put on new ones several times during the process as they got covered up!

Sheet, towel or plastic for under the tree….it gets messy!

Ladder or step stool if your tree is too tall for you to reach it all.

Paint brush (optional)  I used my hands!

Scented Oil (optional, but AWESOME)

For reference, my tree is 9 feet tall and very full.  I ended up using 4 boxes of Borax and almost 3 bottles of the liquid starch.  Adjust accordingly for the size and fullness of your tree!

Recipe:

2/1 Borax to starch

1 drop of blue food coloring to make it appear icy white!  It will not look blue when it dries, as long as you do not put too much!  If you are concerned, test an area first, or skip this step!

3-4 drops of your scent (optional)

In my large bowl I did 6 cups of Borax and 3 cups of starch each batch, along with the food coloring and scent.  Then once I ran out, I would just make another batch.  It should be a wet cookie dough type consistency.

Directions:

Before you start:  Set up your tree and fluff branches like you want them.  If your tree is not pre-lit, add lights, ribbon and any large pieces that will make a mess to add later.  My tree is pre-lit and I don’t do ribbon on this tree, so set up was easy!  Put plastic, a sheet or newspaper all around the base of your tree, as there will be drips and splatters as you work!

Mix the recipe and start at the top of your tree working your way down.  Apply the mixture with your hand or a paint brush to get the desired look.  I used my hands and went through several pairs of gloves trying to add the mixture to each branch.  I opted to do some with clumps to make it look more like realistic snow!  It takes some time, but it honestly went faster than I expected….turn on some Christmas music and get to work!

 Once you are finished, allow 4-8 hours for the mixture to completely dry and harden before decorating!  It will flake off some when touched, but it’s easy to sweep up!

You can pull mixture off or easily add more, so it really is a full-proof method!  I am a messy DIYer anyway, but this was pretty messy!  However, it was easy to clean…..even out of my hair!

Thank you Aunt Cathy for making my Christmas a little more magical!  If you need me you can find me flocking around the Christmas tree!

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