These are some swags I made for our porch where we keep our firewood. For each swag I took two branches from our old artificial Christmas tree. I laid them on top of each other, with one slightly higher. To hold them together I tore a piece of duct tape in half widthwise so it was narrow and then taped them together. I then hot glued on the pinecones which I got from my neighbor. For the bows I used an old jumper dress that I cut strips out of. I also painted the tips of the pinecones with a little bit of white paint after they were all assembled.
I think they're a little Martha Stewartish and even better because they were completely free to make:) My local thrift store sells the trees for $6. So maybe if you don't have a tree to work with you can pick one up for cheap.
By Mom 2_5 from IL
This page contains the following solutions.
Make empty colored bottles more useful especially this Christmas season. Recycle plastic bottles and create simple decorations to beautify your homes.
Add sparkle, personalization, and uniqueness to your Christmas tree while helping to re-cycle soft drink cans. These would also make attractive personalized gifts for loved ones if you mount a picture of your family in one.