The Twelve Days of Craft-mas: Day Six

On the sixth day of craft-mas, I made this for my tree…

tinsel!

Tinsel is another classic christmas decoration, but before it was sold in stores, it was made at home using old tin and metal. A 1901 issue of The Delineator (1)  provides great instructions on how to make tinsel at home.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: ~20 min

Fig. 1. Necessary tools

What you will need

• Tinfoil or another kind of metallic foil (I used metallic wrap purchased at the dollar store which is a bit thinner and flimsier than tinfoil)

• Scissors

• Strong string 

Instructions

Cut the foil into 5” wide strips

Stack three strips on top of each other and cut parralel to the bottom, stopping a ½” away from the end so that it stays together.

Continue this until you get to the end of the strip

Scrunch the foil into a ball to get the wrinkly effect, then unscrunch.

Take a length of string and tie the end around one end of all 3 layers of foil, tying them together.

Wrap the foil around the string.

Tie the string to the bottom end of the foil.

Repeat with more foil until your tinsel is the length you want it to be.

Now your tinsel is ready for it’s tree debut!

Fig. 2. My homemade tinsel hanging on my Christmas tree!

What I enjoyed

I found this craft to be very easy and enjoyable. I think there are a lot of ways that you could adapt it and get creative with it. 

What i found difficult

It was hard to get the exact look I wanted when wrapping it around the string. I think if I had used tinfoil it would have been a lot more malleable, since the wrap I used does not keep its form.

Have you made yourself some tinsel at home? How did it turn out? Send us a picture on Facebook or Instagram @dalnavertmuseum !

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Sources

1. Anonymous. "Christmas Tree Decorations: Good to Eat and Good to Look Upon". The Delineator, Dec. 1901