GLITTER PAPER TREES

There is something very satisfying about creating a decoration with something that was destined to be thrown away. Make a large tree or several smaller ones and use to decorate the tabletop, mantelpiece or a console (in the hallway), and add a pinch of glitter to reflect the twinkly light.

You will need Craft knife Oasis block Terracotta plant pot Wooden skewers Paper (preferably old newspaper with a Christmas story or old sheet music) Small paintbrush PVA glue Glitter Pencil Star cookie cutter Clothes peg

1 Use a craft knife to cut a piece of oasis from the block, making sure it fits snugly into a plant pot. Push a wooden skewer vertically into the centre of the oasis, with the pointed end at the top. You might want to trim the skewer, depending on the size of your pot.

2 With the paper in bundles of three or four pages, rip them into squares of varying sizes. There is no need to be precise; it looks good when the edges are irregular.

3 Start pushing the paper bundles onto the skewer. Turn the pot slightly as you add more paper so the edges aren’t lined up evenly. Gradually decrease the size of the torn squares so you end up with a Christmas tree shape.

4 Take a small paintbrush and use it to dab glue on the edges of the paper. Sprinkle with glitter (do this over a piece of old newspaper so you can catch and reuse the excess).

5 Draw around a star-shaped cookie cutter and cut out two paper shapes.

6 Apply some glue to one star and press the other one onto it, with the tip of the skewer sandwiched in between. Use a clothes peg to hold the star in place while the glue dries. Dab the star with a little glue and sprinkle with glitter to finish.