Plastic bottles make winning tree
A tree decorated with 200 plastic bottles made into colourful flowers is the winner of Katikati’s first Upcycled Christmas Tree Competition.
Katikati College’s entry took out first prize of $100 cash. It was one of five entered and was on display at The Centre — Patuki Manawa.
Two hundred students from year 7 through to year 10 helped make the creative floral decorations on the tree from drink bottles taken out of the school’s waste system. Old fence posts were used for the teepeestyled frame work with kiwifruit mesh over the top. Potato chip packets turned inside out were also made into decorations.
“The flowers are held on by wooden beads so we didn’t have to use glue,” said science teacher Amanda Besley.
Amanda and her husband, social studies teacher Peter Besley, joined their classes to take on the project.
Amanda’s class was learning about flowers and germination and had started making anatomically correct flowers for science.
She had seen the competition on Katch Katikati’s Facebook page and felt it would work in nicely with the science project.
The students made one flower each while others helped in other ways. Some made double layered flowers using the top and bottom of the bottles. Painting them bright colours added the finishing touch.
“I was amazed at how beautiful the artwork was and the variety of ideas that came out of it. The different ways they cut the bottles to form different shaped petals,” Amanda said.
Thirteen-year-old student Madeleine Watts said she enjoyed the project because it was more arty than a science project.
“I’m absolutely chuffed with the way the competition has gone,” said organiser Nicky Austin from Katch Katikati.
“With it being the first time we’ve held the competition, I was uncertain whether it would be successful, but in true amazing Katikati style, the community has embraced the idea.
“We had five wonderful, unique and beautiful trees submitted and displayed around our town.
Feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, people are loving the concept and have really enjoyed looking at the trees, Nicky said.
“We even had someone wanting to buy one of them.”
She said next year she is looking forward to at least 20 trees beautifying the town.
“So jot ideas down in your 2019 diaries.”
The Advertiser’s small team enjoyed being part of the competition.
Thanks to Amber Littlejohn for wandering the beach selecting pieces of driftwood that were ‘just right’ and her husband Troy, who put it together to create a natural masterpiece.