Recycled Ornaments - Nightlight Stars

It's the day before Christmas. (Well, technically Christmas is the 25th of December, but as a child German, the most important day for me is Christmas Eve when we exchange presents.) And I can't believe that I actually have the time to craft something and to post it in my blog... Am I organised or have I forgotten something??? No, presents are bought, sitting room is decorated and presents are wrapped.


Well, my project is a small one and a quick one. I just made a few nightlight stars. You know those little metal cups that nightlights come in? I have been going through loooooooooooooooads of them recently, as my kitchen advent wreath is decorated with four nightlights. They are lit every time we sit down for a meal, and so we go through a lot of candles. Apart from the fact that my nightlights are not very efficient - they seem to burn out in the middle, leaving a lot of wax behind - it has irked me that I always have to throw out the left-over wax and the metal bits, too. So I came up with a way of turning them into Christmas ornaments.

Take out the left-over wax from the metal holder. If the wax hasn't melted too much, it should be easy to get the candle out and you won't have to clean the holder much.

With ordinary scissors cut into the rim of the holder. It is easiest if you start with two cuts opposite each other and then cut three more times, creating eight evenly spaced strips.

Flatten out the holder carefully. You now have a vague sun-shape.

Now take one of the strips between thumb and index finger and carefully squeeze in order to fold up the two corners of the strip. Do it with all eight strips. And you are basically done.

With a needle and thread you can attach a piece of string for hanging the ornament. It pushes through the thin metal fairly easily.

These stars are really simple. And I actually like the three-dimensionality of it. When you hang a few of them together, the produce a faint little "chink" when they touch... almost like the distant bells of Santa's sleigh approaching. (Or that is what I tell my daughter...) Best of all - they are completely free and making use of recyclable material.