I made this little table top Christmas tree for the girls. They are really into stringing beads and buttons these days. They love the act of decorating (and redecorating) a tiny tree.

This is also the perfect little something to send to someone who doesn't decorate much for the holidays ...... you can stuff it in an envelope.

We collected some of our orphan buttons from the ground around train stations and parks we frequent here in Tokyo and some are from our old clothes.

To make the tree:

You will need a chopstick, scissors, cardboard and a rubber band.

1. Trace around the mouth of a drinking glass and add 1cm to the diameter to make the largest section of the tree. Cut it out.

2. Continue tracing and cutting out the circles, making each one about 1cm smaller than the last. I ended up with 7 layers.

3. Poke a hole with the chopstick through each circle and thread it onto the tree, starting with the largest. Be careful not to push the circles down too far.

4. Draw and cut out a star by lining up the corrugations so that you can thread it onto the top of the chopstick.

5. Cut a long strip of cardboard (about 2-3cm wide) and roll it up with a rubber band to make the base.

6. Decorate with your favorite orphan buttons or disassemble and send to a friend.