How To Create An Upcycled Star Garland

We've discovered that the recyclable aluminium tubes that house our Face Masks and Clementine Antioxidant Cleansing Balm are all gold on the inside. I've used them to upcycle into a Christmas star garland - a wonderfully sustainable Christmas decoration! You can use any aluminium tube; I found the Bramley ones are particularly good because they are a beautiful green on the outside and it might be that you can find a red tomato puree one that would also be very festive.

This star garland is incredibly versatile and can be used to decorate a table, as a ribbon to wrap gift or simply to hang above your fireplace. 

You will need:

- Used Bramley aluminium tubes

- Sharp scissors

- Cardboard to use for templates

- Pen

- Thread or string

- Sharp scissors

- Belt hole punch

How to make the garland:

1. First up take your tube and cut off either end. Put the plastic caps in the recycling bin.

2. Cut down one side of the tube with your sharp scissors and then wash the remaining contents away.

3. Remove the label, this might take a little bit of patience but it’s worth it for the final result.  Give it another wash in warm, soapy water to remove the last bits of the label.

4. Using a template found online or a star shaped object you might have around (I used my earring), create a cardboard template.  I wanted stars on my garland, but you can cut out any shape you like.

5. Draw around the template onto the flat piece of aluminium to give you a outline to then cut out.

6. Cut out the stars.

7. Using a belt hole puncher (this is good to use because you can choose which sized hole works), stamp out holes in one of the points of the star, making sure you don’t go too near to the edge.

8. I used gold thread, but you could use string or fishing wire, cut the length to how long you would like your garland to be.  String on the first star and tie it into place, then add the next star, tie it on, and so on, until you have a full garland.  I tried to alternate the sides of the stars so that there is an even mix of gold and green, but the design is up to you.

9. The garland is really light so easy to put up and it will stay up.  There are so many different ways to use it, it really will bring you lots of joy.

Chloë x