How to make festive Christmas lights

DIY project from NZ Gardener magazine

Rose Hughes gets into the Christmas spirit.

You will need:

Wooden star: 3.5m - 45mm x 20mm pine or similar, 12 x 40mm x 40mm corner brace brackets , 6g x 16mm screws, hook, pencil, ruler, straight edge, wood glue , filler and sandpaper, drop saw or handsaw, Resene Quick Dry Primer, Resene test pots, adhesive velcro strip or spots, jig: 250mm x 250mm ply offcut, batten offcut, protractor, pencil, screws, 5m (approx) battery powered fairy lights.

Please note this star is not designed to be left out in the weather.
Decorative tins: Recycled tin cans, cleaned with lids and labels removed, paper, pencil, masking tape, scissors, nails and hammer, tea lights
Concrete block candle holders: I used 2 x 140mm x 90mm plain end concrete blocks, Resene Concrete Primer, Resene test pots , Resene Concrete Clear (optional) , Small jars and tea lights.

Cost: $40 (excluding paint).

Instructions

Wooden star – steps 1-5

Step one
You’ll need to make a jig to allow you to cut the correct angles. To make the jig: set your drop saw to 30° and cut the ply at this angle. Using a protractor, mark a line at 36°. Screw a batten along this line. Trim the top and bottom of the batten to the edge of the ply.

Step two
Make this star any size you like as long as all the pieces are exactly the same. These instructions are for a 780mm star: Cut 10 lengths of the battens at 350mm. Set the drop saw to 36° and cut the first angle. Then set the drop saw to 30° and clamp the jig in position. Mark up 90mm from the top angle of the 36°-cut, clamp in position and cut the second angle.

Step three
Sand. Glue and assemble, screwing the brackets in position and ensuring the joins are tight. Fill any gaps and sand well.

Step four
Undercoat with Resene Quick Dry Primer. Top coat with your chosen colours. I used Solid Gold, a metallic with Apache as an undercoat. Attach the battery pack to the star in an accessible position, with adhesive Velcro or similar. Wrap the fairy lights around the star and secure.

Decorative tins – steps 5-6 | Concrete block candle holders – Step 7-8

Step five
Fill the cans with water and freeze until solid. Lay strips of masking tape onto a clean surface. Draw your design onto the tape. Lift and attach to the cans once ready to proceed.

Step six
Rest the cans in a bunched towel as a support and using the hammer, gently tap so that the nail point penetrates the tin. Repeat to create the pattern. Remove the masking tape and allow the ice to melt. Dry and insert a tea light.

Step seven
Brush off any dust and mask the front and back of the blocks using masking tape. Undercoat the inside faces of the blocks using Resene Concrete Primer. Allow to dry.

Step eight
Top coat with your chosen colours. I used metallics – gold and copper – with their designated undercoat colours. Allow to dry, place jars with tea lights or just tea lights in position and light.

Photos: Rose Hughes

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