While many of the trees at the recently concluded Festival of Trees were decorated by top designers, one local Pilates studio took a different route, using homespun ideas and ornaments to make their tree stand out.

Karena Lineback, owner of Pilates Teck, was excited about her second year involved with the Festival of Trees, which benefits the SCV Boys and Girls Club by auction off decorative christmas trees.   She decided to have the members at her studio help make this years tree that much more special.

“There are a lot of people at the studio who are artistically inclined, so we threw the idea out there that anyone who wanted to create ornaments could,” said Lineback.

With the theme colors chosen, clientele, instructors and even family members pulled together to create the original tree.

Local artist Becky Paden, who is known for her Tole paintings, made more than 30 hand painted ornaments for the tree, while Barbra Gasner created unique gingerbread cookies to hang.  Lineback is a weaver, and used fabric she spun herself to make some of the ornaments.

“Instead of a designer tree we wanted something that looked like what you might find going into someone’s home, where there are a bunch of memories on the tree,” said Lineback.

In all, the homemade tree had a little of everything, including a paper chain, mittens and even yarn ornaments, all made from clients of Pilates Teck.  The handmade tree skirt however, seems to have been the most touching piece on the tree.

The skirt was quilted by Linda Smith, who uses quilting as a way to relieve the stress of battling cancer.

“It was really hard to give that [the skirt] away knowing that it was part of her process of getting through chemotherapy,” said Lineback.

As the trees were auctioned offs the Pilates Teck tree brought in $400, which according to Lineback wasn’t as much as the other trees, but it was a labor of love.

The Festival of Trees is an annual event where guests are treated to a Gala party called the “Magic Of lights,” and have an opportunity to bid on elaborately decorated trees as well as purchase other holiday decorations.  All the proceeds from the tree auction and the event benefit the Santa Clarita Boys and Girls Club.

For more pictures from the Festival of Trees click here.

Photos courtesy of Karena Lineback.