The Retro Circus Christmas Star

This year our Christmas tree was having a "Rudolf's Sweet Shop" theme and so we needed a fitting star to go on top. After hunting in shops and online and not being able to find one, it was time to get my Instructables hat on!

The ideal star for the tree would be big, bright red and add something extra to the tree. We both love the old circus style signs so the idea of the Retro Circus Christmas Star was born!

Shopping List
An 11-inch cheesecake tin
3mm mdf sheet
6 x brass bulb holders
6 x 25 watt pygmy bulbs
A can of red spray paint
1 metre length of hollow chrome tubing
2 x brass pipe clips (to fir the tubing)
Some spare electrical flex and a plug

Step 1: The Design

To get the retro sign look and feel, the star had to be made of metal. As all my DIY projects are made on the floor or on top of my toolbox, I thought I'd need a bit of help with creating the metal edge. Luckily I managed to find an 11-inch, star-shaped aluminium cheesecake mould on a popular online auction site :) The mould didn't have a base so I bought some 3mm mdf sheet and set about making one which I could recess inside. To create the base, I simply put the star on the sheet of mdf and traced around the inside of the mould.

Comments

[longwinters]

I like your project and am glad you posted it, we have a Greek Orthodox church near us with a copper dome with thousands of small holes punched in it, they light it from the inside at night, (the effect is stunning) I wonder if a face plate with small holes punched in it would have the same effect on a creation like yours.