Greet guests with your own twinkling constellation, crafted from branches.
1. Snip branches using the clippers so that each branch is about the same length. Determine the desired length based on how large or small you want the stars to be. Two inches across is about the smallest star you can make. Also choose whether to make the stars with five or with six points.
2. Lay out the sides of the stars just as you drew them as a child. Ends should overlap about 3 inches. Drill tiny holes in the ends of the sticks where you plan to join them. This step prevents the sticks from splitting as they dry and shrink. Hammer a small nail into each hole. Add nails where needed to keep the star shape from shifting.
3. Trim the ends to a desired length. To display the star, lay a long 2-inch-diameter stick across the back. Secure with small nails (be sure to predrill). Brush on water-base polyurethane to slow weathering.
4. Place the long stick about 18 inches deep into the ground for support. It will be easier to drive the stick into frozen ground if you first pour boiling water onto the ground.
5. Wrap stars with tiny lights. For definition, be sure that a light falls at each point on each star.