Use chocolate coin wrappers to create these Christmas decorations

In the age of abundance so much is consumed and quickly disposed of. Wrapping gifts sustainably can make a very small but important difference - choose the right gift wrap and ribbon and learn a new wrapping technique that can reduce waste.

I have created a free template and tutorial for this DIY paper bauble (although it's only 2D) that can be hung on your Christmas tree or attached to a gift. It's got a secret pocket for a small gift.

I participated in a mince pie taste test this week - it was more difficult than I thought it would be and the result was quite a surprise!

Folding square or rectangular pieces of transparent paper into geometric shapes and then assembling them into a star is an almost magical process.

The Froebel star (sometimes referred to as Moravian star) is a paper craft that most likely originated in Scandinavia where it was already widely practised in the 18th century - for example in Denmark these stars are known as 'Julestjerne'. But there is more to their history and the reason why they are commonly known as Froebel stars or Moravian stars.

Straw stars are one of the oldest Christmas decorations. There are beautiful and intricate variations that can be complicated to make, but this is a simple version that children as young as 7 can muster.

Another simple paper craft for a big impact over Christmas are these modular stars. All you need is a few pieces of paper and some scissors (no glue needed!).