This is fun and easy Christmas craft that can be done with children. The tree will be about 3 feet tall, but the instructions can be modified to make a shorter or taller tree.

Step 1: Materials

Krylon Green and Yellow spray paint
Glitter
Newspaper
Masking tape
Paper towel tube

Step 2: Cut Newspaper

Cut a standard newspaper sheet in half. I used one day paper, but more or less can be used depending on the desired tree size.

Step 3: Roll Funnels

Take each half sheet and roll it at an angle to produce a flared funnel. Tape the outer corner to keep it from unrolling. I also crimped, flattened, and taped the tip to keep the form and make it easier to attach to the tree. Create 17 funnels for the base.

Step 4: Create Base

Take one of the funnels and put it inside the paper towel tube firmly; tape to attach if necessary. Then begin attaching funnels around the outside of the paper towel tube with tape, aligning the bottom of the funnel with the piece inserted into the tube. Attach eight around the tube.

Step 5: Tape Funnel Tops

Once the first batch of funnels is attached, wrap a long piece of tape around the tips and tube several times.

Step 6: Tape Funnel Bottoms

On the bottom, use tape to attach the funnel openings to each other and keep them clustered together to make an even and supporting base.

Step 7: Expand the Base

Attach another set of eight funnels at the same level placing them between the ones already placed to expand the base. Make sure the bottoms are all aligned. Repeat the tape steps and wrap a piece around the top and connect the openings.

Step 8: Add Height

Take one of the half sheets and roll into a straight tube. Pull one end out to extend as far as it will go and then tape to hold the shape. Additional sheets of newspaper can be rolled together to make the tube extend longer for a taller tree. Tape this to the top of the paper towel roll on the inside.

Step 9: Make Thin Tubes

Take eight half sheets and roll in straight tubes and pull as in the previous step to make long thin tubes. Crimp and tape the ends of each. Attach all eight near the top of the center tube by wrapping a long strip of tape around multiple times. Then mid way down above the tops of the base funnels, wrap another long strip of tape around. Bind the thin tubes together so that they cover the tape that was used to attach the base.

Step 10: Additional Layers

For the next set of layers you can continue to use the same size of funnels. I opted for smaller funnels. I used a fourth of a newspaper sheet. I then folded the quarter sheet in half to make it easier to work with. I followed the previous steps. I rolled the sheets into a flared funnel as before. I made sure that each level would cover the previous tape wrapping. I would tape around the top and use tape to attach the funnel openings together. I did this for two different levels.

Step 11: Add Top

To cover the top, I made one half sheet funnel and attached it to the top to cover the tape. I then made an origami start out of a square of newspaper.

Step 12: Paint

To paint I put the tree on a piece of cardboard to carry it on and I put a nail in a scrap piece of wood to hold it up. I followed the Krylon spray paint instructions to paint the tree and star. I only did one coat to let the newsprint show through, but you could do multiple coats to get a shiny green tree and star. The paint dries in ten minutes so directly after spraying, I sprinkled the glitter on the tree and star so it would stick to the paint.