A recycling Christmas

TREE

General note: Enlarge patterns photostatically to make grid of 2.5 cm (1-in) squares; then cut out and label each.
(PDF format, requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Finished tree is 46 cm (18-1/8 in) tall.

You need:
• 80 to 100 used Christmas-card fronts
• Piece of stiff gold paper, 30 x 15 cm (11-7/8 x 6 in), for star (optional)
• .80 m of gold wire-edged ribbon, 22 mm wide (optional)
• 2-in square of hardwood, 1-1/2 in high, for base
• 33 cm (13-in) dowel, 1/4 in in diameter
• Drill and 1/4-in bit
• White craft glue
• 1/4-in hole punch and small stapler
• Scissors or X-acto knife and cutting mat

To make:
1. Drill 1/4-in hole straight down through centre of base. Glue 1 end of dowel into hole.

2. From card fronts, trace and cut 5 different sizes of branches, in listed quantities, using pattern pieces. At dot on each branch, punch 1/4-in hole for dowel.

3. On work surface, lay each branch right side down, then bring bottom-edge corners in toward centre, overlapping as shown in diagram (do not fold or crease); staple only overlapped corners together, forming conical point.

4. Working up from base to dowel tip and using largest to smallest branches, slip branches, right side up, over dowel so points form a spiral up and around it. Dowel tip should extend above branches approx 2 cm (3/4 in).

5. From paper (or card front), cut 2 stars. With wrong sides together and edges even, glue stars together and around dowel tip where shown by broken lines. Let dry. If desired, tie ribbon into bow around dowel below star.