spool

The “shining star” of Holiday dining, this festive table ornament accented with old fashioned Christmas tree lights and a beautiful scented candle, will be an “electrifying” conversation piece for years to come.

MATERIALS NEEDED

  • A Wood or Cardboard Spool (mine was used for audio-visual wire — measurement: Height 11 3/4 inches x 10 1/2 inches diameter)
  • Corrugated Cardboard
  • Brown Shipping Paper
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Six Small Natural Covered Boxes, Different Sizes (mine were jewelry and mini candy boxes)
  • Rafia
  • Old Fashioned Christmas Tree Color Lights (one large green, two small red)
  • Scissor
  • Pencil
  • Staple Gun
  • Natural Craft Paper Excelsior
  • Small Pine Cones
  • Three Small Cardboard Dowels from Fax Paper Rolls
  • Candle of Your Choice
  • Red and Green Plaid Wire Ribbon

HERE’S HOW

Step A

  • Out of corrugated cardboard cut: 2 circles the diameter of your spool, cut additionally: 2 more circles for underneath the top and lower bottom of spool. Remember, these two circles have the center cut out to accommodate the center of spool
  • Cut: Two 1 3/4 inch wide strips of corrugated cardboard for edges (cut vertically for a more interesting effect)
  • Cut: Two small fan shape pieces (corrugated cardboard) for inserts to tuck between the circular disks (for underneath and bottom of spool)
  • Cut: One (Mine is 9 1/2 inches in height) piece of corrugated cardboard vertically to wrap around column stem of spool

Step B

  • Staple your two 1 3/4 inch wide strips to the edges (overlap edges and staple in place)
  • Glue one piece of corrugated cardboard vertically to wrap around the column stem of the spool
  • Glue all four circles to the spool as explained in Step A
  • Glue fan shape pieces to underneath and lower bottom of spool disk, then glue circular pieces to underneath top and bottom to overlap fan disk for a finished look
  • The spool is now completely covered with corrugated cardboard

Step C

  • Wrap any individual boxes with brown shipping paper if needed (try and find natural brown boxes)
  • Tie rafia around all boxes
  • Stagger and stack your design of boxes going up the front of the column. Glue into place
  • Place and glue into place the fax dowels. I criss-crossed three in front of the boxes for an interesting shape
  • Tie ribbon around column and over boxes and dowels. Glue in place, if necessary
  • Glue and tuck your excelsior in place
  • Glue and place your mini pine cones in place
  • Place your three light bulbs in a pleasant design in front of ribbon bow. Glue in place