As you may have noticed from yesterday’s post, my decorating style is pretty sparse. There are more items on my tabletops at Christmas time than any other time of year – and you could see from those photos that there was still very little displayed. Too many small items and the thought of having to dust around them just stresses me out. Instead, I prefer large pieces that make a bold statement. Like my trees…
This first tree is an image on fabric stretched over a wooden frame. It’s a large piece at about 55″ x 36″. I found this gem in the clearance area of one of the large box furniture stores for only $10. Yes, ladies… ONE ZERO… TEN… 10! It wasn’t actually sold in the store, it was originally created for use as a store display. It didn’t have a price on it so I made them an offer and they accepted. Can you say HAPPY DAY?!!!! As I carried it to the register, at least three other women asked me where I found it. I couldn’t help gloat about how much I paid for it. Oh, and I forgot to mention it glows in the dark – very cool.
The next tree is was of my own creation. Well, mine and God’s. It’s a real birch tree that was growing in our yard alongside another larger tree. We cut this smaller one and let the larger one grow. I’ve been wanting a real birch tree in my living room for a long time. We have a vaulted ceiling and needed a very tall piece to fill the corner. It was either a very expensive built-in or a free tree. At least for now, I opted for the free tree (the built-ins may come once the kids are out of college).
If you plan to bring a birch tree inside for a long period of time, you’ll need to preserve it; otherwise it will turn black and eventually rot. This is a project you’ll want to work on in warm weather. I laid the tree down in my driveway on a very large piece of cardboard and began spraying each branch with white spray paint. It took 3 to 4 cans of paint to ensure every area was covered. When I was done, some of the natural black of the tree still showed through but now the tree will retain a black & white (not black & rotted black) appearance. I placed the tree in a large wicker basket and secured it inside the basket with a few blocks of styrofoam.
Disclaimer: Since this tree was painted with spray paint, it should be kept away from high heat.
Decorating with trees isn’t just for Christmas time. These two large trees can stay up all year round and the total cost for both was only about $20.
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Thank you & Enjoy!
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