DooItEasy

I see so much beauty in nature that I find myself bringing it indoors whenever possible.  River stones.  Driftwood.  Fresh flowers.  Beachy accents in the bath.  Acorns in the fall.  Evergreens during the holidays.  And branches.  I love branches, especially as accents. 

I once saw a designer spray paint gigantic branches in a hot coral color, and place them in an urn on top of a piano in a very grand living room.  It made me swoon.  While this look is a bit over the top for some, I have always wanted to spray paint branches to make them sculptural.

So I was pruning my wild oak tree last weekend.  It should be no surprise that I decided to use one of the Charlie Brown branches to make a jewelry holder. 

Here’s a peek:

I was inspired by these versions available online by Urban Outfitters. 

I really am a Pollyanna.  I like to hang sparkly things in front of windows and watch the light reflect throughout the room.  So I decided to make my own version of a jewelry tree with a few supplies I had in my garage. 

Step One:  Find the right branch.  Nothing too flimsy, nothing too heavy.  Find a branch that has both interest and balance.  You have to be Goldilocks and find one that’s just right.  Pluck off all the leaves and allow it to dry out for a few days.

Here’s my wild oak branch Before:

Step Two:  Build your base.  I asked Mr. CG to create a base by cutting some scrap alder wood because I refuse to handle the miter saw.  Not many things scare me, but that blade does.   

Step Three:  Screw the wood together on the bottom, then drill a hole into the top of the base with a drill bit.   

Step Four:   Use spackle or wood filler to fill in any seams or gaps in your wood. 

Step Five:  Fill your hole with wood glue, stick your branch in the hole, and let it dry for 24 hours.  

Step Six:  Give your base a light sanding.  If want a rustic quality, then consider painting only the base.  But if you want color, then give your branches a coat of primer.  Primer helps to seal the wood.  Allow it to dry.  Use whatever spray paint you wish to give your jewelry tree the color you desire.  One tip:  Get up really close to the branches when you spray so that it almost drips.  Don’t spray from far away – it’s pointless and you’ll waste a lot of paint.  

To give my base more staying power, I anchored it to an old square mirror with some silicone rubber sealant I had leftover from this mirror project and this jeweled planter project.  You could also buy some heavy magnets at a hardware store, and glue them to the bottom, if you need to add more weight to your base.

Step Seven:  Decorate !   It’s just like decorating a Christmas tree.  Your lighter earrings hang on the more delicate branches, while the bigger branches support your heavier necklaces or bracelets.  It’s a bit of a balancing game, but it’s fun nonetheless.