Three savvy ways to help you recycle or upcycle your old Christmas tree
ANYONE with a real Christmas tree this year may be wondering what to do with it as festivities wind down.
If you bought one with roots, you can replant it to use again next year.
Aside from your local council recycling scheme, here are some ideas on how to reuse a felled tree . . .
BUG HAVEN: If you have children and a garden, making a bug hotel is a fun and wholesome activity to do outside.
Break the tree into logs, sticks and branches and pile them in a
damp, shady area.
If you have old bricks you could also use these as part of the structure.
Then stuff the nooks and crannies with dead dry leaves or grass.
This should help attract all sorts of mini beasts which you can come back and check on with kids.
BIRD FEEDER: You could use the tree to create a bird feeder.
Cut the branches back to just a few inches from the trunk.
Chop off the top of the tree and hammer the trunk into the ground until its sturdy.
Then hang birdfat balls and suet feeders from the stumps.
GET CREATIVE: Use the trunk of the tree to make wood slices which work perfectly as homemade coasters.
Just remove branches before sawing the trunk into discs around one or two centimetres thick.
You can sand each side of the slice to achieve a smoother finish.
Lay on a tray and pop in the oven for around one hour at 200 degrees to dry them out.
You can finish simply with a clear varnish – a spray can costs less than £5 from Amazon.
Or you could create your own designs using chalk paint or pens before sealing with varnish.
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