DIY Decorating - Branches

Branch Antlers

DIY Decorating

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I have a confession to make, I've been kind of a yard waste hoarder lately...after each storm we've had, I save all the branches that fall from the tress because I think they can be turned into great items for the home! (I just heart branch decor) My first easy DIY Decorating project using branches was in my daughters room which you can see here (still need to add the birds).  About a week after setting up her tree branches, I saw these "Branchlers" by custom furniture maker Luke Bartels and I couldn't help myself.  Even Todd Oldham has put a pair of these branchlers up in his home.  I have been slowly working on my little guys room and I've been wanting it to be northern outdoorsy, kind of a woodland theme, but rustic and modern with soft colors for a baby at the same time.  Anyways, it's a WORK IN PROGRESS....to say the least...but I made these branch antlers out of one of the branches from my stash and now he has 2 things on his nursery walls! (hey it's progress :) The other item is the When I Grow Up I want to be like My Daddy sign I made last week)   This branch decor was really simple, I will show you in pictures how I did it.

I should also mention, this is a super fast and easy project...one of the easiest, effortless diy projects I have done.  (This cost $2.27 to make as I bought the wood plaque and hanging hardware..however there are at least 3 or 4 more pieces of hanging hardware left over)

Supplies

Wood Plaque (got mine at hobby lobby for $0.99 it was 50% off)

instant coffee and water....make a really strong dark coffee

foam brush

hanging hardware kit (found in the same area as the wood plaque for $1.27 for a little baggy of them)

tree branch or branches

garden clippers

glue gun and glue

rope

 I stained the wood with very dark brewed coffee and did 2-3 coats. See picture below for before and after color comparison.

Position your hanging hardware so it is straight and use a small hammer to attach it to plaque.

Find a good branch or 2 branches that will make good antlers and clip them to shape your branch antlers...

Clip the bottom tip of your antlers at an angle so you can line them up flush against the plaque...

Heat up your glue gun.  Make a big pile of hot glue centered on the lower part of your plaque.  Affix your branch antlers, adjust the the branches to how you like and then hold in place till the glue dries.

 This one branch took extra long to secure so I just propped it up...

Loop a rope around the base of your branch antlers and secure with hot glue.

DIY-Tall Cylinder Vase for Tree Branches in Girls Room

How to Make a Cheap Tall Cylinder Vase 

w/ scalloped edge

Tree Branch Decor for Girls Room

I got this tree branch from our backyard after a recent storm and wanted to put it in my girls room.  Her room is a slow work in progress but it's coming along!  The bedroom theme a nature theme with birds and butterflies and her colors are yellow, pink and blue (her choice).  I was shopping around looking for a cheap vase or urn to put the branches in that would be cute, but I just could not find anything that was really worth buying let alone a good price at all.  After a bunch of looking around at tall vases, I gave up and then in that moment of giving up, this idea popped in my mind.  I could MAKE a cheap tall vase with poster board...So here it is.



Supplies:

2 coordinating or matching colors of poster board (my daughter wanted purple and pink)
modge modge or spray adhesive
stapler
small cup
pencil
scissors
glue gun/ or other strong adhesive


Cover the entire back side of the poster board with modge podge or spray glue

 Lay the other poster board on top and press and smooth the surface.

 To create the scalloped edge along the top of the vase, take a small cup and trace the curves in a straight line as pictured below (along the width of the board).  Trace your scalloped edge on the color that will be the inside of your vase so you don't see any remaining pencil marks on the outside.

 Cut along your traced lines to create the scalloped edge.

 Roll the poster board up to create a cylinder and line up the scalloped top edges.  Secure with a staple.

 Secure with a staple at the top and bottom to create you tall cylinder vase.

 Along the edge, secure fully with the glue gun.

 I placed the tree branch in an old smaller vase and put some rocks in the bottom to keep it from tipping over.

 Then slipped it inside the tall cylinder vase....

It WORKS!

 And it cost less than $2
(see that blue castle? I can't believe it still exists!  I've had to glue it back together a couple times but it was one of my first projects on this blog Dec 2009...The Diamond Castle)

 I am planning to make some birds to put in the branches but I'm trying to think if there is anything I should add to the vase, perhaps some rossettes, fabric flowers, ric rac...??? ... hmm....I'll keep thinking and let you know if and when I get around to it...for now I'm happy with it the way it is and more importantly, my 4 year old was SO thrilled when she saw this in the corner of her room.  She thinks it's AMAZING!  sometimes it doesn't take much to please them does it?  And if she thinks this simple cheap vase is great, then I'm happy to have the money to put towards other projects! 

COME BACK JOIN SCRAPPY SATURDAYS LINKY TOMORROW!