How To Make A Christmas Tree From Plastic Bottles?

Until I started researching this question, I didn't really know the craze for plastic-bottle Christmas trees was quite so big!

It turns out that lots of people are hopping on the recyclable Christmas tree bandwagon - which is great, because this there are a number of methods to choose from when trying to make our own version.

Making a plastic bottle Christmas tree I've examined several different models, and there are two that really stand out for me:

• The first is based on a tree designed by French artist Fabrice Peltier which was on display in central Paris.

The principle for Peltier's design is a central pole that rises along the height of the tree - so perhaps an old coat-stand could work for this? Then several rings of increasing circumference are attached down the length of the central pole.

Once you've got the frame in place, all you need to do then is to attach green plastic bottles so that they dangle off the rings.

You can also use different-colored bottle caps to brighten up your tree, as well as LED lights to really add some festive spirit!

• The second tree I spent some time admiring was an effort by Lithuanian textile artist Jolanta Šmidtienė.

Jolanta constructed her tree by cutting out the bottoms from dozens of old Sprite bottles.

She held them together using zip ties - and then hung them off a 40-foot scaffold built around a real tree (you may want to downscale on this part).

Little orbs were then placed in the tree to give it a dazzling glow.