Christmas Card Tree

At the Gotham-Wingard household, we're really bad about managing incoming holiday cards.  They come in, get opened, and then go right into a bowl in the foyer never to be looked at again.  Well....no longer!!!  Here is the quick and easy way I'm going to get the cards our where they belong! MATERIALSBirch plywood (You want the nice pretty kind, i used a 12"x24" sheet)Upholstery tacks (or super nice thumb tacks)Twine or ribbonHammerSawPaint (optional) STEPSCut out your tree shape.  For the one above I made it 24" tall and 24" wide - that way you can get two out of one of the small sheets - hey you can give the other one as a gift!  For the taller one below, I made it 24" wide by 48" tall - using up the entire piece of wood. Using a ruler and a pencil make marks every 6" down one side of the tree at the edge.  On the other side start at 3" down, and make marks every 6" as well - that way the marks are staggered if you get my drift.  If you're using twine, take your tacks and insert them into the wood so that they are right at the edge.  With a hammer, give them a light tap to get them all the way in. Now take your twine, tie it tightly around your top tack and criss-cross it back and forth around the tacks and down the tree.  Tie it off at the bottom tack.   If you're using ribbon, you want to place the edge of your ribbon at the first mark. Hammer a tack through the ribbon, bring the ribbon across and down to the first mark on the other side. Fold the ribbon over itself at an angle (as if you're headed to the second tack on the other side of the tree) and hammer a tack through the double ribbon to hold it in place. Then do the same thing to the second mark on the other side and so on. You're done!  Prepare to be able to stand back and marvel at how many friends you have that send you cards.