How to Make Natural Tree Decorations

These cinnamon stick mini tapestries are an ideal way to use up scraps or showcase some special yarns. Hang them from your tree, use them as present toppers, or even as place settings that guests can take home with them. As an added bonus, these smell gorgeous as you make them!

You will need:

Cinnamon sticks – I used Hobbycraft Decorative Cinnamon Sticks

Scrap yarn in various colours

String

Scissors

Tape measure

Wire pet brush (optional)

These cinnamon stick mini tapestries are an ideal way to use up scraps or showcase some special yarns. Hang them from your tree, use them as present toppers, or even as place settings that guests can take home with them. As an added bonus, these smell gorgeous as you make them!

Take the fronts off your old Christmas cards, and divide them vertically into 5 equal strips using your ruler and pencil.

Cut your 5 strips out. Leaving 2 as they are, cut 2.5cm off 2 strips, and 5cm off the 5th strip.

Use a hole punch to punch holes in the top and bottom of each strip.

Tie the plait to one of the vertical bars of the flat wreath frame, then begin to wrap around the wire frame. Leave little gaps in between each wrap to create a sunburst effect.

Repeat this process for all 15 lengths, until the cinnamon stick is full except for a small gap at each end.

Lay your mini tapestry as flat as possible on a surface and trim the ends to shape. I trimmed a curve, but you could try an angle or a flat base.

Have a play with other combinations, such as cutting the central five strands to 45cm in a different colour. You may also want to brush your strands using a wire brush (such as a pet-grooming brush) to separate out the fibres and fluff up the tapestry.

This plaited yarn wreath is an easy way to achieve a luxe yarn decoration, even if you don't knit or crochet. Why not use foraged pine cones, feathers or foliage that you find on your winter walks for a more sustainable decoration this season?

You will need:

20cm Wire Wreath frame

Around 30m of leftover yarn in chunky weight

Florist's wire

A mix of natural or foraged foliage, such as dried wheat, eucalyptus and berries

Scissors

Masking tape or washi tape (optional)

Start by cutting 9 x 3m lengths of chunky yarn. I cut 6 from one ball and 3 from another to mix up the yarn textures and create interest.

While your glue is drying, make a tassel for each decoration by winding your scrap yarn around a 10cm piece of card around 20 times, or until your tassel is a full as you would like it. Cut a 15cm piece of yarn and tie it tightly around all the wrapped pieces of yarn at the top of your tassel.

Slide the tassel off the card, then tie another 15cm length of yarn around the outside of the wrapped tassel, around 1-2cm from the top. Finally, cut the loops at the bottom of the tassel, then trim to create a flat and even base.

When your glue has dried at the top of your stack, glue or staple the bottom of your card decorations in the same way, by bending the outer 4 strips to meet the bottom of the shortest strip, and so that all the bottoms of the strips are aligned.

Finally, attach your tassels to the bottom of your paper decorations by tying them through the bottom hole punch. Cut and attach a 20cm piece of yarn through the top holes to hang your decorations from. Have fun and use a variety of cards, any size will work!

Attach your gathered foliage to your wreath by feeding it in between the wrapped plait section, and then wrapping the wire around the wreath frame to secure it. Repeat this for each gathered section. Make your wreath as wild or as minimal as you like it!

I often cut up last year's Christmas cards to make tags, but this make takes the idea one step further. Use any shape or size card to create a mix of tasselled gems, which can be brought out year after year. Kids would also love making these card baubles.

You will need:

Old Christmas cards, wallpaper or card

Scrap yarn

Scissors

Pencil

Ruler

Hole punch

Strong glue or a stapler

Glue or staple your strips together at the top, above the hole punch, stacked in the following order: long, medium, short, medium, long. The tops of all the strips should be aligned when stacked.