Christmas Tree

Real Christmas trees are difficult to find in this part of the world. Even if you do, I highly doubt you have ample space for it in your living room. And that's why I miss Disney Channel this time of the year; it used to broadcast Art Attack, which showed different ways of making miniature Christmas trees. But fret not, here are some simple and easy ways to make your own Christmas tree.
 

Table-top paper tree: Take a small, round piece of styrofoam or cork for the base and colour it brown. Stick a tooth-pick in the middle of the styrofoam. Now, get a green poster paper. You may recycle used paper by colouring them. Draw circles of different diameters on the paper and cut them out, as many as possible. It's okay to have rough edges on the circles, as it adds to the effect. Now fold each of the circular paper in half, with the coloured side out. Fold those semi-circles in half, and the resulting one in half as well. This gives the droopy effect to the tree, and helps you locate the centre of each circle (remember to mark it). Now unfold the papers and wrinkle them. Mount the largest circle on the toothpick, protruding the toothpick through the marked centre. Repeat this step for all the other papers, but in descending order of size, so that the smallest circle is at the top. To make it look even better, place a small piece of Christmas decoration on top of it, such as a paper star. You can decorate your table-top Christmas tree by drawing on it, as per wish. I would suggest small polka dots using white ink or paint, or adding glitter. Note that you can make a larger one using skewers made of bamboo or wood.
Paper fringe tree: Take a chart paper and make a cone out of it, so that it stands on its own. Cut one-inch thick strips along the length of a green poster paper or coloured recycled paper. Use scissors to cut fringes along one side of the strip, and try to make the fringes curl a little towards the coloured side. Now glue the fringed strip of paper around the base of the cone, with the fringes hanging a bit off the base. Make more such fringed strips and paste them around the cone, slightly above the previous strip, so that the fringes overlap the layer below them. Remember to adjust the tightness, so that the chart paper cone inside can't be seen. Repeat all the way up to the top of the tree. Put a star or other decorative topping to hide the pointy end of the cone. Add embellishments: paste a coat-button, sprinkle glitter, make white dots -- anything you wish. You may even use wrapping paper for the strips. This tree can now stand beside your lamp. To make larger ones, you need a bigger cone.
 

Driftwood tree: For this one you need a few sticks of different lengths, preferably wooden. Put the largest one down vertically as the support, and start placing smaller sticks on it horizontally. Ensure that the formation of the sticks is in a triangular form by placing the large ones at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Tie these tightly to the supporting stick one at a time using ribbons. Put it down on a candle holder or hang it on your wall using nails and strings. And now, hang all sorts of Christmas decorations on your wooden tree. You can also hang pictures on the branches. If you want a bigger driftwood Christmas tree, all you have to do is find more sticks, of varying sizes.
These are some inexpensive ways to make a Christmas tree, but there are many other ways that you can learn on YouTube. A little time consuming, yes, but these miniature Christmas trees are pretty awesome nonetheless. And they make good gift items for your loved ones too. Isn't that what the spirit of Christmas is all about, to make some time for your dear ones?