West Sussex mum's famous wine bottle Christmas tree is back up for the festive season

Eleven years ago, Christine Aaurelius built a Christmas tree with 179 wine bottles at her home in Epsom Gardens, Rustington.

The mum-of-three went viral in lockdown – with people as far as Mexico commenting on her social media posts.

She said: “I first made my tree 11 years ago and it’s still going strong – 179 wine bottles, fairy lights and a star on top makes people who pass by laugh.

"I live near to a school and I love hearing the children laughing when they walk past. I'm proud of my tree and it goes up every year.”

Explaining how it all started, Christine said she was helping neighbours to recycle wine bottles when there was a lightbulb moment.

"I’ve never touched a bottle of wine as I’m a non drinker,” she said. “But staring me in the face was a garden planter with climbers going around. I decided if I could make a frame to hang the bottles, then I would make myself a tree for Christmas.

“I went round lots of steel places with my drawings and one kind gentleman in Rustington said it was a great idea and he would make me a frame.

"At the time, I didn’t have a lot of money so the postman gave me elastic bands through the letterbox every day. I bought some key rings off eBay and attached the wine bottles.

"When the frame came, I decorated it with lights. Each individual bottle clips on the frame.”

Christine said it marks the start of Christmas in her road when her wine bottle tree goes up.

“Down the street, everyone follows and puts their decorations and lights up,” she said.

"Being next to a school, mums and dads walk past and I love hearing the children get excited that’s it’s back again.”