Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Tutorial Tuesday: Manzanita Centerpiece

For both Easter & Mother's Day, my tablescape centerpiece included a "tree" that I put together.  While easy to do, it made it a big statement, so I thought I'd share this easy project with you.

What you'll need:
~1-3 manzanita branches (depending on how big you want it to be & the size of the branches)
~an urn or container of some kind
~spray paint (my two branches required 4 cans)
~ possibly something to stick down in the urn to help hold the branches in place
(Anything that has a little weight & fits should work......I've seen people use decorative orbs, floral foam, etc.  If the items will show, you'll want it to be something decorative, of course.)
~ tree "decorations"


What to do:
After testing out your branches to make sure they'll fit in the urn/container, spray paint branches desired color.  I painted mine "Ballet Slipper Pink"......I love the subtle color.  (The branches are pretty in their natural state, so you could skip the paint depending on the look you're going for.  I have one branch I've kept in its natural state for another tablescape I have in my head that I want to do sometime in the near future!)
 I took the branches out to the field next door to paint them.

 It took 3 or 4 coats to completely cover the dark color of the branches. 
(Guess I could have used primer, huh!)




 After paint is completely dry, set the branches in the container. 

 I was lucky that the hole at the bottom of my urn was just the right size for the ends of the branches, which helped to hold them upright.
I wanted my two branches to look like one, so I gently intertwined some of the limbs.  This also helped to hold it in place.  {Be careful when doing this as some of the limbs are fragile.}
 {Once in its desired place, here is where you might have to add something down in the urn to help keep the branches upright.}

Then, just decorate it.  For Easter, I chose to use vintage eggs & postcards on the branches.......

 




.....and added some "fluff" & eggs to the urn.


 

For Mother's Day, I wired on some daisies, along with a few butterflies & birds, and even a hummingbird or two....... 







 ........and added a few hydrangeas to the urn.



 

 {But that's all you get to see of my Mother's Day tablescape for now.  You'll have to wait 'til Thursday to see the rest of it!}

Another benefit of this centerpiece is that the branches can be repainted over & over to give your table a completely different look!  Hmmm, what color should I do next?

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you'll be back soon.

{I'm linking with Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,  Show &  Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Pink Saturday at How Sweet The Sound, Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper, Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, & Hoo's Got Talent at Night Owl Crafting}

7 comments:

  1. Beautiful! You are so creative. This turned out fabulous....Christine

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  2. Hi Shae, Everything you do is so wonderful and a blessing to all. You are so talented and I appreciate all your time in posting descriptions and photos, Thank You!Emelia.

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  3. Very Pretty Shae!
    Happy PS!
    Sparkly Hugs,
    Tobi and the Pixies!

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  4. Good idea. Both are very pretty centerpieces!

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  5. Thanks so much for all of your contributions to Seasonal Sundays. I was just having some fun and realized I had missed this post. Love the centerpiece ideas.

    - The Tablescaper

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  6. where did u order your mazanita from? What size did order?

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  7. I'm fortunate enough to have a sis-in-law who's a florist, so I just told her I wanted a couple & she picked them out for me. I'll try to get a little more info as far as the size & get back to you!

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