Rustic, twinkling decorations.

Plant these rustic stars in a window box, station them near the front door, or mount them on a fence. You'll love how they brighten the outside of your home throughout the winter.

• Freshly cut branches, about 1/2 inch diameter (Use the cut sticks within two weeks. Otherwise they dry hard and become difficult to work with.)
• Clippers
• Small nails
• Water-base polyurethane
• Paintbrush or disposable foam applicator
• Miniature lights

Steps 1, 2, 3

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.