I’ve always wanted to upcycle a banana hanger. What a funny-sounding thing to say, I know! But they are SO common at thrift stores- I just needed the right project idea. But as the holidays started creeping up, I wondered if I could transform one into a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
You know the kind of Christmas tree I’m talking about, right? The sad, spindly little tree in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.
Well, since a Charlie Brown Christmas tree only has one ornament on it, and a banana hanger only has a single hook, the project started to come together in my mind.
Either way, it was worth trying, right?
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From Banana Stand to Christmas Tree
First things first, I needed to paint the “tree” portion of the banana hanger. So, I grabbed some basic brown craft paint and went to work.
While the paint dried, I turned my attention to the hook. It was kind of gross and silver-y, but I needed it to blend into my DIY Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
Painting hardware is never as easy as aiming the can and spraying. So, I taped it to a bamboo skewer…
Spray painted it with a dark bronze paint…
And tucked the bamboo into a (sad) potted herb plant on my back patio to dry! As silly as it sounds, it worked like a charm.
Then, once the paint on the hook and banana hanger had dried, I reassembled everything.
Now for the Charlie Brown tree transformation to REALLY begin.
A DIY Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
I hunted high and low for the right faux greenery, finally finding a good stem at Joann Fabrics.
The greenery needed to be on the “minimalist” side and less robust for that spindly look.
Next, I grabbed my wire cutters and drill! I used the wire cutters to snip off individual branches for my Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
I outfitted the drill with a bit that was about the same size as the wire from my floral stem. And after studying photos of a Charlie Brown tree online, I began to drill holes in the banana stand.
From there, I bent and tucked the wired branches into the holes, using super glue to hold them in place.
Then, I did the same thing again and again, all along the banana stand! Drilling and branch-tucking as I went.
Finally, when I was happy with how it looked, I nabbed a vintage red Shiny Brite ornament from my stash and hung it from the hook!
Upcycled Version of a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
Just like that, I had created an upcycled version of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree!
Now, the finishing touch in the movie, of course, was Linus’ blue blanket. For my version of the tree, I used some soft blue flannel to wrap around the base.
OF COURSE I chose to use flannel fabric, right??
I’m just so tickled with how my upcycled version of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree turned out! The banana hanger was seriously the perfect thing to transform.
What a fun take on a tabletop Christmas tree, eh?
And if you enjoyed this upcycling idea for a small tabletop tree, then you may also be interested in how I repurposed these chambersticks from the thrift store!
Also, don’t forget that my first book, “Crafting with Flannel”, has an entire chapter dedicated to Christmas projects! You can find it for online purchase at Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.
Craft on!
S
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Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
What a fun project!
Thank you!!
Sarah!! This tree is the cutest thing ever! 🎄❤️
😀 Thanks, Karen!!
Charlie and the crew would be happy. Merry Christmas to you.
Merry Christmas, Rita- and thank you!
This is genius! What a brilliant version of the Charlie Brown tree. When I first read the text from your blog post in my email inbox, “I’ve always wanted to upcycle a banana hanger.”, I was like, “Whaaat….!?”. How would that even work?
You certainly have a creative vision.
Well done!
Hahaha! I thought that might get people’s attention. 😉 Thank you so much!
What a fun idea! Charlie Brown would be proud!
Awww, thank you!! Hope you guys are faring well!
OMG that is SO CUTE!!!
Thank you!! One of those crazytrain ideas I had to put to the test!
Ooh, how clever–it’s kind of a modern, deconstructed version of the cartoon tree! This would be a great project to work on with kids, and easy enough to find the parts. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks and yes!!!
Such a cute idea! I always thought banana trees were silly but good use for one.
I know, they really are silly- probably why so many end up at the thrift!
You are just too clever, that is stinkin’ cute!
I try!! 😉 Thank you so much!
Girl,you have done it again!!What a cutie. Great job as always. Wish I had your creative mind. God Bless You
:* Thank you, Charleen!!
I love it, it is so cute. What an imagination you have.
Thank you so much, Darlene!
Oh, too clever! Love it
Thank you so very much, Scotty!
Your creativity never ceases to amaze me!! That is adorable and does the Charlie Brown tree proud. Good one!!!
Thanks, Jenni!!
so cute. I always look forward to your posts.
Thanks, Ronny!!
You are amazing!!!
Thank you, Cathy!
This was genius! I can’t believe how cute it turned out! Banana hanger! Who would have thought!
Crazy, right?? Thank you so much!
OMG!! Too cute. I will be on the lookout for one of these from now on!
Thank you so much!!
Cuteness & creativity on steroids 👏👏👏 I luuuv it!!! Have actually repurposed a banana hanger before, but this is a show stopper!!! Going to do this with another 1 I have in my stash😍 Thanks for sharing! And~ I am blown away with Linus’ blue blankie around the trunk!
Thank you so very much, Marsha- and happy crafting!
Wow, you never cease to amaze me with your imagination. This is just too stinking cute for words! I just may have to copy this, it really is not only creative but so fun. Smiles for miles if this were at my house.
Thank you so much!
OMG this is so stinkin’ cute and creative! I wish I had your vision to see something like a fruit hanger and transform it to something this awesome!
Thank you so much!! All I can tell you is that my brain is a kooky, kooky place, LOL!
Love, love, love your upcycle on the banana hanger, aka Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I have this exact banana hanger (which we do use!) but I’ll look for a spare to upcycle. What a delightful little decor piece for Christmas/winter! You are so clever.
Thank you so much, Barbara!!
Oh you are just too clever! Love this tree. Always felt so sorry for Charlie!
Thanks, Vee!
Hi Sadie! I can’t seem to get Linus’ blanket right. What are the dimensions of the one you made? Thanks!
Hmmm, I don’t actually recall. But I know I simply bought a 1/4 of blue flannel and trimmed it down into a smaller rectangle to wrap around the base. Maybe 9″ x 24″ or so?