Monkey nut garlands - buy a bag of roasted monkey nuts (peanuts in their shells) and thread them onto wool using a darning needle.

You could also make popcorn garlands - get the kind of popcorn that’s sweet (not salty) but not the toffee kind.  Decant the bag into a bowl and leave overnight, to allow the popcorn to soften a bit, then thread onto wool with a darning needle. If you try to do it straight after opening, they will explode!

Cranberries threaded on wool would make a lovely garland too. Use fresh ones, as frozen ones can be a bit squashy to thread.

Whizz up stale biscuits and porridge oats in a food processor. Add to a block of lard which has been allowed to soften. Squash it all together, adding half a bottle of food colouring, until it’s completely combined – you could do it in the food processor if you don’t want to get all mucky.  I made one batch each of red and green.  

Form the mix into balls then push them onto bamboo skewers, and leave in a cold place to firm up. Once firm, the baubles can be slid off the skewer and threaded onto wool or tying wire. You need to cut an inch or so of bamboo skewer for each bauble, thread the wool or wire through the hole, loop it round the piece of skewer, then thread it back through the hole. You’re then left with two ends that can be tied to the tree branch and the piece of skewer prevents the bauble falling off.

Roll out shortcrust pastry and use a Christmas cookie cutter to cut stars (or any other Christmas shape). Glaze with egg wash then make the holes for hanging the shapes. Bake until brown, and allow to cool.

I decorated mine with cake decorator’s writing icing, which comes ready to use in tubes. No time to make pastry? Toast slices of stale bread, then cut out shapes!