Christmas tree topper ideas?

[bookgirl]

Anyone have creative ideas for Christmas tree toppers?  My husband and I aren't religious, so angels don't really appeal to us.  Right now, I'm thinking of trying to make a giant beaded star or snowflake, but I'd love to get other suggestions.  Maybe covering starfish with glitter and glass beads would be pretty, or even doing the same with a giant pinecone and then somehow wiring it to the top.  Hmm, the wheels are (slowly) turning... 

Bring on the Christmas craftiness!

[krazigal72]

dress up a barbie in something wierd...not an angel outfit since you dont want angels...but that could be kinda cool. like santa barbie? lol

[melidomi]

you could do a bead and wire star or snowflake. 
Once in college I just cut a star out of gold cardboard (leftover packaging from something) taped it to a bamboo skewer, and twist-tied it to the top of the tree. 

We also baked gingerbread cookies with a hole in the top and ribbon through the hole as our ornaments.  Ah, college days.

[amareluna]

The wal-mart craft section has 'angel blanks'- plastic cones you staple together that fit over the top of the tree. You could use the base and attach whatever you decide to make to the top of it, making it easier to put on the tree.

How about an ornament finial? You can get the ornaments blank and decorate them yourself..make your own version of something like this:



As a twist on an angel, you could make a holiday fairy, like this one:



Another idea is to make a star out of whatever tickles your fancy and use a photo of your family as the centerpiece.

I'll stop now *grin*

[bookgirl]

How about an ornament finial?

I'll stop now *grin*

Ooh, I like the finial idea.  Thanks, LunaFate!

Once in college I just cut a star out of gold cardboard (leftover packaging from something) taped it to a bamboo skewer, and twist-tied it to the top of the tree.

We also baked gingerbread cookies with a hole in the top and ribbon through the hole as our ornaments. Ah, college days.

OMG, I was so poor after college that my first tree was decorated with almost nothing but dried flowers from a boyfriend and tin foil and paper snowflakes.  Just last year I made ornaments out of cinnamon and glue.  They smelled great, but they lack a certain, oh I don't know, elegance?  They look like I made them in preschool!

And I have to remember to tell my brother about the Santa Barbie -- that'd crack him up.

[706Designs]

My dad thought it would be funny to try and put and empty beer can on top of the tree when I was little.  Mom was not impressed.

[butterflymary]

My friend puts a shrunken head on hers.

[daydreamn]

For my first christmas when I first got married I made a cardboard star wrapped in tin foil, then I outlined and painted the star with the gallery glass paint. once it dried it was pretty. I still have it somewhere.

I love how tin foil gets sparkly in the Christmas tree lights.

[edamame]

We have the snow monster dude from Rudolph on top (stuffed figure).

[lret]

My parent's tree is always topped with a felt snowman that my mom made.  She attached ribbon to the back and ties it onto the top of the tree.

For my own tree at home I have a silver star (I love stars) that I made out of wire and covered with glitter and beads.  I DO NOT RECOMMEND glitter.  It gets all over everything.  I love how it sparkles... but seriously, glitter.  Everywhere.

[daydreamn]

One year we had a tree that had two branches at the top so we put on a star and an angel for the toppers.

The star had lights, so when we turned out the livingroom lights to see the tree, the lights at the top were way over on the left side of the tree. Completely crooked to the nice triangluar shape of the tree.  Looked so funny!

[kate conspiracy]

My mom wanted a highland dancer tree topper (since my brother, sister and I are highland dancers). Last Christmas she got a cheap angel tree topper and I removed the wings and gave her a tartan sash, so now she's a highland dancer. I wish I had a picture

My boyfriend and I aren't religious either, but I wanted to make some stockings for us for the holidays (we live 1000 miles away from our parents, so we always go home that time of year). So I took a winter design, snowflakes and icicles.
I've got pictures here. It started with a vogue pattern, but didn't end up that way at the end.
http://www.savvyseams.com/gallery/seamography/stockings.html

They look better in person, they sorta look like paper in the pictures, but they're silk! (at least the outside)

[Ralph]

The wal-mart craft section has 'angel blanks'- plastic cones you staple together that fit over the top of the tree. You could use the base and attach whatever you decide to make to the top of it, making it easier to put on the tree.

When I saw this I was like OMG, You could make a tree to stick on your tree!

I think it would be awesome, but then, I have a strange sense on humour.

-Ralph

[The Donna]

Well if you're going to put a Barbie as the topper, why not put 3 up there and pose them in the classic Charlie's Angels pose?

Now that's what I call an angel tree topper!

[kate conspiracy]

Well if you're going to put a Barbie as the topper, why not put 3 up there and pose them in the classic Charlie's Angels pose?

Now that's what I call an angel tree topper!

That would be freakin' hilarious!

[sarcasmik]

My husband and I aren't religious, so angels don't really appeal to us. 

wait, what?  you're not religious but you have a christmas tree? ...  lol.

[bookgirl]

wait, what?  you're not religious but you have a christmas tree? ...  lol.

Erm, okay, call it a Solstice tree, then! 

When I saw this I was like OMG, You could make a tree to stick on your tree!

I think it would be awesome, but then, I have a strange sense on humour.
-Ralph

Ralph, you're too funny.  I love it!  And then the little tree can have have a tree topper on its top, too...

[mreld]

for my tree topper this year i made some of these 
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_occasions_december/article/0,1789,HGTV_3270_2401036,00.html

and had a few biggish ones left over (got kinda over experimenty) so i turned the biggish one into a tree topper.

[missy]

well, i went for super non-traditional this year.  ahaha. tacky toys, tinsel, and to top it all off, a skeleton pirate bank.

yeah. banks would make good toppers, you could probably find a more appropriate one...i know this is tacky, its intentional. ha

[candycanechild]

My mom put the giant 12 inch santa pez dispenser on our tree last year. But she's a collector, so...

[mlle_rachelmarie]

My family at home is into sailing, so one year we put a model ship someone had given us on the top.  It actually looked cool.  We have also been known to put a "Wimpy" doll (from Popeye) on top, because sadly, our last name sounds like "wimpy."

This may sound sacreligious, but to be sort of multi-religious (like us) my boyfriend and I put a menorah on the top of our tree last year    It had to be reaaallly stable, with wires and what-not, so as not to catch fire.  Watch out!

[retroeva]

Yeah. Im in that poor college student phase RIGHT NOW! Last year my room mates and I cut a star out of an old paper grocery sack and stapeled it together. It looked like one of those star hanging paper lanterns. I dug it. It completed the ensemble I think! This year I live by myself and my mother and I splurged... we went to Dollar General and picked out the tackiest most obnoxious star with lights that flash. Its great. I shall take a picture and post it on here eventually.
Craft On,
Eva

[snowwhitesuicide]

I have Satan [a la Tim Curry] clinging to the top of my tree. I'm not religious, that doesn't mean you can't have a xmas tree! The idea was stolen from those wacky "hethans" anyway.

[StarFire]

well, i went for super non-traditional this year.  ahaha. tacky toys, tinsel, and to top it all off, a skeleton pirate bank.

yeah. banks would make good toppers, you could probably find a more appropriate one...i know this is tacky, its intentional. ha

I love it!   Tacky or not, that is a way fun, and cool, tree!  ^_^

[babyduck]

I bought an old Bing Crosby record at the thrift store and carefully cut out his picture.  Put a toilet paper roll on the back with some duct tape and voila - an old school tree topper. 

[msmeow]

That Bing Tree Topper is fabulous!  And it's such a simple, but genius, idea to attach him to a toilet paper tube. 

[krazigal72]

i love Bing! Thats awesome!!

[triciarn]

I put a santa hat on top.

Tricia