This year, my daughter joined her school’s Reading Month Culmination Program. Their class was going to present a poem called “I Am a Tree.” When I heard that, I knew I wanted to make something special for her. I wanted her to feel confident, happy, and unique on stage—just as every mother wants her child to shine.
So, I decided to make a DIY body tree costume.
I gathered what I had at home:
cardboard
green and brown construction paper
crepe paper
plastic grasses from our vase
butterfly stickers
and even stole some small cherry balls from our Christmas decorations.
Piece by piece, I cut, glued, twisted, and shaped everything until it looked like a real tree. I added leaves, branches, butterflies, and even a little greenery at the bottom. The whole time, I imagined how she would smile once she wore it.
It wasn’t easy, though. I burned my fingers a few times using the glue gun, and my back hurt from bending and crafting the whole day. But when I finally finished the costume and saw my daughter try it on, everything felt worth it.
She looked adorable, proud, and so ready for her moment on stage. Seeing her stand there, wearing something made with my own hands, filled my heart with joy. Moments like this remind me why mothers do what we do. We work hard, we get tired, but we always give our best for our children.
This simple DIY project became more than just a costume.
It became a memory. A reminder of love, patience, and the happiness that comes from creating something for someone we love so much.
And when she stepped on stage wearing her little “tree,” she wasn’t just performing a poem. She was also carrying a piece of my heart with her. My Goodness! She looked like the cutest, happiest tree ever planted on Earth.
At that moment, all the pain disappeared, and I proudly declared:
“I would suffer for another tree again.” But also, I hope next year she chooses to be something simple. Like a cloud. A sun. Or a dot.