i've been wanting to make my own jewelry tree for a while now. i figured it would be useful at home and at jewelry shows. i love finding ways to house and organize my jewelry that also serve a decorative purpose. i couldn't find an already made jewelry tree that i liked enough to purchase because they were either too short (i have a lot of long necklaces) or too expensive...so i made my own! here's my DIY jewelry tree:
as i drove around LA i scouted for big tall trees with branches that would work well for my jewelry tree. i happened upon the mother-load near a high school where along the perimeter fence they had a bunch of giant eucalyptus trees...yes, i was the creepy lady roaming amongst the trees outside of a school collecting sticks and shoving them in my trunk. the area i found was perfect because the trees had dropped a bunch of dead branches/twigs which were already dried and prime for the picking. i suggest finding dead branches/twigs where possible rather than cutting fresh ones, they tend to be too flexible otherwise.
what you'll need: -branches and twigs of different sizes and lengths -a hand saw (you could break them if you want but they tend to splinter unless you saw a clean cut) -industrial twine (find at any hardware store) i like the natural hemp one -scissors and a glue gun (to finish the ends) -a base for your tree (i used this big heavy glass vase i found for $12.99 at Ross) remember it needs to be weighty otherwise your tree will be top-heavy
do it: 1. pick out the strong thick piece for the "trunk" of your tree. i used a big 'y' shaped piece and trimmed it down with the saw. 2. pick and choose how and where you want your tree to sprout branches. let the natural shape of the branch pieces dictate which direction and where to attach. saw where necessary. 3. cut a long piece of twine and wrap the new branch onto the trunk. wrap tightly and switch directions once and a while by looping it around one of the pieces to make sure they are very secure. 4. tie off the piece of twine and hot glue the little tail of the knot down so it doesn't fray or look messy 5. place in your base vase, find a home on your dresser and hang all your pretty jewelry as decoration!
come meet my jewelry tree in person at the Unique LA show this weekend! also, so glad that some of you can come to the show this weekend! expect an email from me soon with the info on how to get in using the list access. so excited to see all of you!
