Book Christmas Tree

0 Posted by - December 12, 2012 - Christmas, DIY & Crafts

It’s finals week for many of you, and I feel for you, I really do. It wasn’t so long ago (fine, it was) that I was in college taking final exams myself, and wondering if life would ever get better than filling out bubble scantrons and writing essays by hand in little blue notebooks. (Do they even still use bubble scantrons? I know you don’t still write essays by hand in little blue notebooks… right?)

Here’s the good news: Life does get better. I was an English Literature major, and after college, I gave up all my textbooks and fine literature for romance novels and started enjoying life and reading again.

So, in honor of books (textbooks or the hope of something other than textbooks) and final exams, I thought I’d make that book Christmas tree that’s been going around on Pinterest and Reddit and wherever else:

Imagr from Reddit

Image from Reddit

If you were expecting me to use my erudite tomes for this test, I’m pretty sure you don’t know me at all because (1) I don’t own any erudite tomes, and (2) even if I did, they would only be for display, not for making Christmas trees out of.

I used my romance novels, yo.

Well, I started with a base of Harry Potter, because all good young people do.

And then I raided my romance novels until my bookshelf was pillaged. (The neatnik in me curses you all for this because they were organized by genre and then by author. They will not be easy to return to order.)

IMG_1822

 

Behold, the romance novel Christmas tree.

booktree

Yeah, I know it’s kind of squatty and a little misshapen, and not nearly as cool as the other one, but dude, it’s finals week. As far as I’m concerned, we all have the right to produce crap in every other aspect of life except exams. I’m extending the rule to everyone– not just college students– because the rest of us have brain-melt from all the holiday craziness, and sometimes you really do just need to take a break, eat some Doritos, and watch Hoarders on your free campus cable.

Good luck to those of you taking your finals, and also to those of you trying to get your Christmas shopping done, or hold it together while your kids are home on break, or be the peacemaker in your family full of schmucks. Everyone breathe. And maybe read a romance novel. It’ll help, promise.

  • HVBH

    Dude, I loved Boy Next Door. I still pull it out sometimes!  This tree is awesome.

  • Hillkat83

    Lol I’m thinking someone should do a 50 shades of gray version lol handcuffs and whips. Nothing says merry Christmas like trashy romance and bdsm.

    • Ethne Hedren Denham

      Hillkat83 Ha!  On the Today Show this morning they were talking about giving personalized bracelets as a gift and one of the “personalizations” you could do, ie charms, was a handcuff.  Hilarious.

  • bookwoman

    LOVE.  If I had the energy to do anything decorative, I’d totally do that.  *wanders off to pile dirty laundry in vaguely festive shape*

  • KeshiaNicole

    I’m in law school and we still use both scantrons and blue books….kill me…no seriously kill me…law school blows big suckers.

    • GinaGilroy

      KeshiaNicole Oh, I graduated law school…I just have to say amen on the law school blowing hard.  I feel your pain!

  • http://www.sarracannon.com/ sarramaria

    Hahaha. Your tree is totally just as good as the other one. If not better. No, no, it’s better!

  • studentasher

    Yeah, they totally still have scantrons and blue books … although at my university they are “green books” (made out of recycled paper) … in fact i have a final tomorrow morning at 8 am that I need a scantron for … woo …

  • CortneyMcGinnes

    Sigh, if I made this I would probably get arrested for some kid asking their mom “What is a hard shaft and why is that lady screaming on the cover?” Oh well guess I won’t be making this :)

  • KasieStrickland

    It’s lovely. But I’m a Jew, and I’m not sure my opinions on Christmas trees can be counted.

  • Valleygurlie916

    So could my version be my nook? I mean…it already lights up.

  • SharraBucherGoddard

    smut novels give us all something to aspire to! being a rockin’ heroine in our own life .. an amazing rack is a bonus

    • CrystalKYuhhyzaguirre

      SharraBucherGoddard amazing sex is the bonus.

  • KungFuAlex

    Free campus cable?  I’m positive this was not a thing when I was in school, or I would almost certainly not have my degree.

  • XincinerateX

    English Literature majors FTW!
    Any suggestions on a few good romance novels?

    • Pintester

      XincinerateX Oh my gosh, tons! What genre do you like? (Contemporary, paranormal, Regency, etc., etc….) You can start here: http://sonjafoust.com/2012/06/10/book-recs-for-the-recovering-english-literature-major/ ;)

  • AuntieWitch

    I’m a K-12 librarian – I did this last year for the library out of donated and discarded books.  I think it took roughly 200 to make the tree work.  I didn’t bother this year – it was more work finding enough books than it was to build the damn thing, and then as an added bonus I kept getting kids trying to yank books out of the middle of the tree to read.  The trick is to stack all your books up by size before you start and use three or four really big ones for each of the first few bottom layers.  The top layers are just two books each, carefully rotated.  I know, because my first five attempts looked just like yours, and I would have given up if not for my stupidly telling the kids I was going to do it and getting them all excited first.  I learned my lesson.

  • Mgoozey

    I’m a librarian at a small junior college where we have finished a major weeding, so there are tons of discards in our back right now. I showed the original pin to our director and asked him if I could build a tree and his response: “where would we get the books?”
    First, WTF? and second, Boo, Mr. Grinch!

  • jojomace

    Hey, this tree looks great.  It’s pretty full at the bottom, and I am one of those girls that think girth is more important…ahem.  Great job!  Also, great taste in books.  You should put a nice, Christmas-y cocktail, or an empty liquor bottle on top in place of the traditional star.  You could call it your “One Hell of a Saturday Night” Christmas tree.  Oh wait, maybe that’s my Saturday night…

  • chickieD

    Fuck the Christmas tree in the before photo. Where did they get that awesome teapot lamp?

    • Ethne Hedren Denham

      chickieD You can get a teapot tealight holder that’s totally rad from Partylite.  I do not sell Partylite, so am not trying to sell you anything, I just have the thing.

      • chickieD

        Ethne Hedren Denham  I didn’t see that on the Partylite site; however, through the magic of Google I have found that Anthropologie carries what appears to be the lamp I desire: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/search/860093.jsp?cm_vc=SEARCH_RESULTS

        • Ethne Hedren Denham

          chickieD Ethne Hedren Denham Sorry!  Maybe they don’t carry it anymore.

        • chickieD

          Ethne Hedren Denham  I can pull it up via search but for some reason my browser conked out at that point. Their stuff is really cute, though. I hadn’t heard of them before. I gather it’s like an Avon sort of thing?

        • Ethne Hedren Denham

          chickieD Yeah, one of those in-home party deals.  My sister used to sell it, so I have a lot of their stuff.  The candles burn really well, which is good since I have a decade supply.

      • CrystalKYuhhyzaguirre

        Ethne Hedren Denham chickieD I think scentsy may make a teapot warmer if your into that kind of thing

  • Ethne Hedren Denham

    Yes, Pintester, I do not see any 50 Shades of Grey, or your books for that matter, but it could just be the 2-D angle.  Tell us you read 50 Shades, tell us!  I, also, was an English Lit major in college, so rock the frack on, yo.

    • Pintester

      Ethne Hedren Denham I read and enjoyed it. ;)  http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/321438255

  • Christine G

    So for many years my mom has collected Regency Romance novels as a continuation of her love for Jane Austen’s literature and I freely admit that I’ve enjoyed several from time to time, okay often and repeatedly… The Christmas tree book stacks that she could make out of those thousands (yes, THOUSANDS) of Regency books would be a display worth charging for admission  And all the covers are fairly tame, by Regency standards, ankles are all covered, bosoms heaving elegantly. Mmmmm, 50 Shades of Earl Grey…

  • tiffanykummer06

    OK, for serious, your tree needs a topper –   A lacy bra and some batteries hanging in a vague snowflake pattern from a vibrator?  A big tube of lube wrapped in lights? 
    We have an angel tree topper and we fight annually about who gets to “violate the angel” (i.e. put the tree topper on) because she has a for reals hole for the branch where her ass should be.  If she sang, she’d belt it out an octave higher.

  • thejamiepearson

    In the middle of writing a paper for a final (this is a WELCOME distraction) and I used 2 scantrons yesterday, and a Blue book on Monday. They are alive and well.

  • abcdefghijadzia

    I also organize my books by genre and author! It also really irritates me when a genre overfills its designated shelf. My DVDs are similarly organized on their Ikea shelves, and my nail polish has it’s own little 3 drawer organizer. I also have all of my books, DVDs, and nail polishes (303) organized on spreadsheets so I can note if I lend them to people. It’s ridiculous. 
    In all other aspects of my life, I’m a total slob. I can’t explain my OCD over books, DVDs, and nail polish.

  • jamienicoleblank

    Yep, we definitely still bubble in the little bubbles and write essays in the stupid blue books…actually, I’m sitting in class before my final, wasting away my last 5 minutes of study time on your blog :)

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  • Truffles8761

    I know I’ll probably be stoned for this (and not the good kind either), but I cannot wait until all of the “Christmas Cheer” is over.  I’m taking my little stack of books, my booze, and my cat and I’m headed for the basement until January.

    • CrystalKYuhhyzaguirre

      Truffles8761 are you a man? because I seriously want to marry you. But I like dicks

      • Truffles8761

        CrystalKYuhhyzaguirre Truffles8761 lol!  Sorry to disappoint, but I can always use a grinchy drinking buddy.

  • MeganWetherbee

    Speaking of finals and Christmas lights, I used a strand of lights as an extension cord in the library a few days ago. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to confuse the fuck out of the kids who have been in the library so long they forgot it’s Christmas.

  • RachelLauren

    I actually said, “DAMN!” out loud and was super impressed… then I realized your tree was below the reddit.com one that I was looking at.  Hahaha.

    • KhaliaNicole

      RachelLauren I totally just did the samet thing!!! ‘A’ for effort though! LOL!

    • KhaliaNicole

      RachelLauren I totally just did the same thing! haha! ‘A’ for effort though!!!

    • VBuehlman

      RachelLauren AHAHAHA!  I did the same thing too!  I said, “What? That doesn’t look bad.”  And then the scroll down.  Whoops.

  • LKGirlHPFan

    I am quite possibly your youngest reader! Only 13! And I’m taking midterm exams now… And yeah, we still use Scantrons… I HATE THOSE LITTLE B*TCHES! THEY’RE FREAKING IMPOSSIBLE TO FILL OUT!
    And on another note, you just gained all of my respect for life by saying that you started with Harry Potter.

    • CrystalKYuhhyzaguirre

      LKGirlHPFan you arent cool because you cuss. You’re a little girl, not an adult. Dont be so quick to try and be grown, it sucks.

  • squirtwv69

    It’s like the Charlie Brown of book trees.

  • KatherynBeerman

    Bad Nora, bad Nora Roberts, you get off poor Harry Potter, no means no.
    Go rape a Weasley if you’re that hard up.

  • RachelElizabethDeMicco

    You had me at harry potter.

  • bethmichelle20

    You were my distraction during finals. Thanks, by the way!
    And yes, we still use scantrons and blue books. Fucking bitches.

  • missstef25

    We do still use scantrons and blue books…meh…

  • RobynG

    As someone who proctored exams all last week (I work in the disability support office at my school), I can tell you, from seeing over 400 tests being administered, that yes, they still use scantrons and blue books.  And now the scantrons are different colors!  And there are green books too!!

  • KristenG

    Before I moved this summer I was so concerned with the order of my books that I decided to take pictures of each shelf with my phone… and then e-mail them to myself just in case I lost my phone. A friend of mine was looking through my pictures of my cat… ummmm… I mean “pictures on my phone”…. and when she saw what I had done thought I was certifiably insane. It’s not that weird, right?

  • Kaitlyn

    Scantrons and Blue Books…They try to make us feel better by using different colors for the Scantrons but we don’t fall for that mess. They expect us to know the square root of 765 and figure we have no idea how to fill in bubbles. Sigh. College life. I do appreciate your Nora Roberts and HP collections. It mirrors my own bookshelf to a T. Nora Roberts FTW.

  • dellagraceslife

    Haha, unfortunately, we still have to use both scantrons and bluebooks. Both of which are the devil.

    Cute tree. :)

  • ECL

    At the University of Kansas we still use those blue notebooks to write essays in (they cost 25 cents too!) and scantrons for tests!