A proper dining room table at Christmas always has at least one table centerpiece. If you have a long table with lots of guests, two additional, smaller table centerpieces of similar design at each end of the table will create a stunning effect.

Here are some ideas for designs, which should be prepared well in advance.
On Christmas day itself, you may add extra foliage, mistletoe or moss gathered the day before...

This double-sided fir tree is made from pine wood and is free-standing...and just waiting to be painted and decorated.
The idea is to create a slightly different design in paint and beads on each side of the tree, so that depending where at the table you are sitting, the tree will appear whiter, or perhaps it will be more red in color.

Materials

• free-standing fir tree in unfinished wood, available from online stores L'Art du bois (Art from wood) and Wooden objects
• 79 inches of gold-colored brass wire
• about fifteen red Miracle beads (0.3 inch diameter)
• sixteen 6mm crystal faceted beads: 8 matte-finish crystal beads, 8 red/orange beads, see in-store Jewelry and Beads forbeads for sale to the general public
• Pine green, white and yellow acrylic paint, see the store's paint section Wooden objects

Here you need to make little holes at random all over the fir tree (through which we will thread the brass wire, to which the beads will be attached).

The painting is done with acrylic paint, mixing some Pine green, a little white and a little yellow paint in an old saucer. With a wide paintbrush, take a little paint and apply it in small strokes in the direction that a real fir tree's foliage would grow. On one side, use extra white, which will give the impression of snow on the branches. You can add a second layer of paint onto certain areas, using the same technique, in order to increase the number of different shades of green. Paint the foot of the fir tree in the darkest shade of green. Leave to dry. If you like a varnished look, now is the time to apply a coat of varnish, either using a spray or a brush.

Thread the brass wire through the uppermost hole in the fir tree. Press down the end that projects out of the back of the tree so you can work on the front side of the tree first. Wrap the wire all the way down a pen so as to give it a spiral form about 0.8 to 1.2 inches long, then thread on a bead and fold the wire back onto iself. Twist the bead round while holding the 2 ends of the wire tight in order to fasten the bead into place. Keep on in this way, making a spiral shape out of the wire for lengths of 0.8 to 1.2 inches again, then thread the wire through the nearest hole and keep on in the same way on each side.

Feel free to tangle the lengths of wire together or to cross them over. At the same time, try to spread the beads out fairly evenly across the tree.

Would you like to share this design with others? Publish your craft projects...