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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Eco-Friendly Tree

Eco-Friendly Tree in Honor of Earth Day


Add a touch of eco-friendly to your home this holiday season. These magnificent trees can also be stacked using any leftover aluminum foil, felt, or crepe paper.


Tools and Materials
4 ounces Sculpey clay
10-inch, 6mm thick knitting needle
Felt
Craft glue
Clear glass glitter
2 pieces 6-by-6-inch card stock
Newspaper
Utility knife
Bone folder
Adhesive spray
Hot-glue gun and glue
2 paper Dresden stars


Instructions:

1. Roll and flatten 4 ounces sculpting clay to form dome shape. Poke knitting needle horizontally through flat area of clay dome. Remove knitting needle.

2. Bake clay in oven at 275 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Reinsert needle into baked clay. Glue felt on bottom of base for surface protection.

3. Apply glue, then glitter, to the base.


A receipt spike can be used to create a smaller tree instead of building a base using the above instructions.


4. To form tree, place 2 pieces of 6-by-6-inch card stock onto spike for stability.

5. Cut newspaper into 50 sheets of each size:
6 by 6 inches
5 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches
5 by 5 inches
4 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches
4 by 4 inches
3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches
3 by 3 inches
2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches
2 by 2 inches
1 1/2 by 1/2 inch

6. Cut 25 1-inch sheets of newspaper.

7. Begin poking pieces of newspaper onto spike in descending order, folding and unfolding each piece of paper using a bone folder.

8. Spray tree with adhesive and immediately sprinkle with diamond dust. Set aside and let dry for 10 minutes.

9. Using a hot-glue gun, adhere 2 paper Dresden stars back-to-back to top of tree.

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