Three colourful hand-crocheted and knitted Christmas trees have popped up in Carterton’s town centre, bringing a whole lot of festive cheer!
These trees are the result of months’ worth of mahi from some of Carterton’s most handy community groups, who stitched, built, bundled, and yarned (pun intended) their way to something truly special.
The idea was simple: brighten up the town centre with something homemade, heartfelt, and unmistakably “Carterton”. From there, the Carterton Community Craft Group and the Knit & Give crew picked up their hooks and got to work. Both groups meet regularly, sharing wool, stories, skills and a good cuppa.
Dozens and dozens of crochet squares were created, joined, and shaped into colourful panels. Meanwhile, the Carterton Menz Shed were busy building the strong wooden frames underneath using their DIY skills to make sure the trees could stand tall, whatever the Wairarapa weather throws at them. It’s been a genuine team effort, with Carterton Neighbourhood Support and Council’s Positive Ageing team helping organise materials, permissions, and the support needed to bring it all together.
What makes the trees so special isn’t just how they look (though they do look amazing!), it’s everything behind them. The project has brought people together across ages and interests. It’s given older residents an opportunity to meet others and share their skills, and it’s sparked a bit of extra joy in the lead-up to Christmas.
And because we can’t help ourselves, here are a few close-ups, just a little sneak peek of the colours and textures. They’re even better in real life, so make sure you wander down to the town centre for a proper look. Stand back and take in the view of the full trees, or get up close and spot the amazing detail in each square.
There’s also something extra for the kids – a Christmas treasure hunt has been decorated around the trees, and a Christmas colouring-in competition. Pick up the sheets to enter from the Craft Shop on High Street, then head out and see how many festive finds you can spot. It’s a great little activity for families over the holidays.
These trees are a warm reminder that handmade things carry stories, and that our community is full of people willing to share their time, skills, creativity.
-
The creative crew behind the mahi
-
Christmas crochet 1
-
Christmas crochet 2
-
Mens Shed Christmas tree
-
Christmas crochet 3
-
Christmas crochet 4
-
Christmas crochet 5
