LOOK: Pinoy artist makes Christmas tree out of recycled materials

In a post on the Facebook group Home Buddies, Mabel Bautista shared her so-called "Upcycled Christmas Tree" that she made using wood scraps. The tree stands at around five and a half feet tall and instead of the usual ornaments such as Christmas balls and garlands, Bautista decorated it with cabinet knobs, old keys, and other scraps that she and her family no longer use.

In a short chat with PhilSTAR L!fe, the visual artist shared that for the past years, she's been making twig Christmas trees from fallen tree branches, but this time around, she wanted to go beyond that and make something different. 

"This Christmas, I wanted to decorate our house with something unique, but I don’t want to buy anything new. I’ve always loved upcycling, recycling, and do-it-yourself projects. So this year, I thought, 'Why not use the things, a.k.a tambak, lying around the house and do something creative and unexpected with it'?" Bautista said.

The Christmas tree took about four to five days to finish. For the decorations, Bautista detailed that she used old cabinet knobs and handles as the basis of the design concept.

"I thought it would be awesome to use them as the tree base design itself, plus it can serve as ornament hangers. My dad helped me make the tree wood base. He was hesitant at first about my idea but I coaxed him to make it for me," she said.

She also used several old keys that they had for the past 30 years and glued them together to resemble snowflakes, dubbing them "snowflakeys." To complete the ensemble, Bautista also crafted bell ornaments made from used cardboard, old buttons, and keys as well as angel figurines from jute strings and handles that looked like wings.

Her masterpiece was quickly showered with praise from other netizens, and she couldn't be more grateful for the support. "I was overwhelmed with the attention it got. I wasn’t expecting that a lot of people would appreciate its simplicity."

For those of you who want to follow in Bautista's footsteps and create your own unique decoration to enliven your Christmas, she advised to never be afraid to think outside the box.

"Most of the Christmas decors can be made for almost free with re-purposed materials found in nature or just around the house. You don’t always have to buy new things. With a little creativity, you can make something unique," she said.