Flame tree Christmas decoration

Whip up an avenue or a whole forest, and position them around your home, on the windowsill or on your Christmas lunch table – they’ll add a burst of glorious red and have everyone feeling truly festive!

Gather your supplies

2 x 30cm squares of red cardstock; scissors or paper trimmer; scoring board (optional); scallop-edge punch; clear-drying tacky glue; hot-glue gun and glue sticks; small ball ornament

Here’s how

Step 1 From red cardstock, cut 2 strips 6.5 x 30cm. Cut 2 more 30cm strips 3mm narrower than the first strips, then cut 2 more 30cm strips 3mm narrower than the second strips. Cut another 2 progressively narrower strips until all cardstock is trimmed.

Step 2 Put each strip on a scoring board and score 1.5cm crossways lines on all strips. (If not using a board, measure and score each strip crossways at 1.5cm intervals.)

Step 3 Punch 1 long edge of each strip with a scallopedge punch. Accordion-fold strips on scored lines. Use tacky glue to adhere short edges of 2 strips together to form a medallion. Squeeze the medallion together to close the opening in the centre, then secure with hot glue. Repeat for all strips. To make small medallions for top third of the tree, shorten the strips before joining pairs.

Step 4 Hot-glue folded medallions together to shape the tree, starting with the largest medallion at the bottom and ending with the smallest at the top. Hot-glue a ball ornament to the top of the tree.