Eva • 9 • Dublin

8-11 Category   •  2026
I made ‘The Reused Tree’, while looking out the window at my back garden. I make 3D art a lot, from houses, to little creatures, to furniture. I don’t know why I like to make these things, it just pops into my mind. When I do it, I get lost in the creative world and I only think about what I want to make as it comes to my mind. And as I do it the idea becomes bigger and bigger and more magnificent. I always start with some kind of inspiration. Let’s start with a material for instance, I think, ‘what could this turn into be?’, and then I realise it could be something different than it is. I was inspired to make an owl. I saw an image of one made by another craftsperson online. I made it my own by creating its environment. The trunk of the tree is made from cork from a drinking bottle. I made the branches by cutting strips from a wooden cheese box. The nest for the owl is made from an egg carton. I used shredded green paper to represent the sticks and twigs that birds would use to make a nest. I made the body of the owl by cutting a cork from another drinking bottle. I used felt for the wings, belly, face and beak. I made the eyes with golden sequins. The ground the tree trunk is standing on is made of the circular base from the same wooden cheese box that the branches are made from. And finally, the grass is made out of green felt. I used a glue gun to piece all the things together. I used different materials because I like to reuse stuff from around my house, so it doesn’t go into the bin and onto wasteland. I think reusing things is better for nature, the environment, our health and animals. I also like to learn from how other people make art. I named my art work ‘The Reused Tree’, because animals come, go, live on and visit trees and make it their own place, like I make the materials my own creations.