Cherry tree Christmas: Community crafts comes to local shopping centre

Last month we brought festive creativity to the Cherry Tree Shopping Centre on the Wirral with a hands-on family craft workshop that turned recycled toilet roll tubes into Christmas characters — complete with tiny Santa hats, snowmen faces, mini reindeer antlers and glittering elves.

It was imaginative, a bit chaotic (in the best way), and full of smiles from parents, grandparents and children all making something festive together.

Why Creative Community Spaces Matter

The Cherry Tree Centre sits in an area where many families experience financial deprivation and social isolation. Opportunities to access creative outlets — especially for children — can be limited, and it’s easy for the quieter social needs of a community to slip through the cracks.

Craft workshops like this one provide:

✨ Connection — Children and parents worked side-by-side, chatting, laughing and making decisions together. Small conversations and shared tasks help reduce loneliness and isolation, especially for families who may not have many supportive networks.

✨ Creative Outlet — Many children simply don’t have access to art materials at home. Being able to cut, glue and express imagination is more than just fun — it’s developmental, confidence-building and emotionally regulating.

✨ Low-Cost Inspiration — Using recycled materials like toilet rolls shows families that creativity doesn’t need to be expensive. It encourages sustainability and upcycling rather than waste.

✨ Positive Place-Making — Bringing joyful activities into shopping centres turns everyday spaces into community spaces, helping people feel proud and included where they live.

We saw children lining up with their finished snowmen and penguins, showing them off to strangers walking past — a tiny reminder of how important it is for kids to feel seen and celebrated.

A Craft for All Seasons

The humble toilet roll tube is basically a blank canvas — one that works for every season and celebration. Parents loved the idea of being able to redo the craft at home throughout the year.

Here are some ideas we shared:

🌼 Spring / Easter: Bunnies, chicks, ladybirds, bees, flowers, Easter eggs

🎃 Halloween: Zombies, mummies, Dracula, pumpkins, black cats, witches

🎄 Christmas: Santas, reindeer, elves, snowmen, angels, robins

☀️ Summer: Ice creams, butterflies, surfers, mermaids, sunshine faces

You can build a whole storytelling cast out of a recycling bag!

Make Your Own at Home — Quick Guide

Want to try it yourself? All you need is:

• Toilet roll tubes (or kitchen rolls cut down)

• PVA glue or glue dots (we find glue dots work better!)

• Paint or felt tips

• Scrap paper or card

• Felt fabric

• Scissors

• Any little extras (cotton wool, ribbon, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, stickers, foil or old wrapping paper)

Steps:

1. Base: Paint or colour your tube (or wrap in scrap paper)

2. Character: Add eyes, nose, mouth and any details (drawn or glued)

3. Decorate: Use paper shapes for hats, wings, ears, scarves or clothes

4. Details make it magic: A cotton wool beard, pipe cleaner antlers or foil crown can transform it instantly

5. Display: Stand them up like mini ornaments or create a whole scene!

Kids love leading the design themselves — and no two characters ever look the same.