[dropcap type =”circle”]T[/dropcap]his Friday is Twelfth Night and the day when, officially and apparently to avoid bad luck, all the Christmas decorations and festive paraphernalia must be packed carefully away to let us get on with the New Year.
If you have invested in a real cut Christmas tree and can’t bear to leave it out for the council recycling collection just yet, here are a few ideas that we have come across to keep that Christmas feeling going for a little bit longer-and to make the most of your tree.
Put your tree in the garden and hang bird food from it. Make sure it is stuck securely into a pot or the ground and decorate with hanging bird feeders, fat balls and so on.
If you can cope with having it hanging around for the rest of the year, let your cut Christmas tree die off and lose all its needles during the year-hide it behind a shed or near the compost heap to keep it out of sight. When the tree is completely bare, dry it out and towards this Christmas spray paint it white and sprinkle with glitter. This makes a brilliant alternative Christmas tree that can be used inside or out.
Slice the trunk of your tree into thin slices, dry them out then varnish them and use as coasters.
If you have a wood burner, then cut the trunk into pieces and leave to dry to use as kindling.
Collect the needles and add to your compost or spread as a mulch over your garden borders.
Cut your tree up and make a wildlife habitat with the branches in a corner of your garden.
If you have a shredder, then shred away and add to your compost heap.
Collect some of the needles and place in a small hessian bag. Place the bag in the house to keep the smell of Christmas lingering for a bit longer!
These are just a few suggestions, if you have any of your own we would love to hear them! Email bicester@hyperlocaltoday.co.uk