Baubles on Branches : DIY Ornament Display

Since I began collecting vintage Christmas ornaments a few years ago I’ve been on the look-out for a vintage display stand. These are metal stands, which sit upon a table, with curled arms from which you hang the special ornaments you want to feature. But these seem to be quite rare and so far I’ve had no luck in finding one to call my own, so this year I decided to make my own using tree branches.

Since the ornaments adorning these branches were fragile and cherished, the key element of my display was that they would be safely hung, with little chance of them falling off or of the whole display toppling over. So I anchored the branches within a large-vase with sponges.

Here’s how to make your own tree-branch ornament display.

(1) Select as many branches as you want to use, but no more than four. Try to pick ones with lots of little off-shoot branches from them. Even one branch with one or two ornaments hanging would make a nice table display.
(2) Trim the bottoms so they are all even, and attach them to one another using craft-wire.
(3) Insert them into your large vase, and try to ‘tri-pod’ the base of the branches so they almost stand up on their own.
(4) Wedge your sponge(s) around the branches at the mouth of the vase, so that they are really tight and won’t move. (Note: I only had sponges with a scrubby-side on them, but any type of sponge that is about an inch thick will work.)
(5) Cover the sponges that protrude from the top of the vase. I used a bit of feather boa (yes, I like this stuff!), but you could use cotton wool to mimic snow, or fabric and/or ribbons.
(6) Make sure your branches are very sturdy, and then hang your ornaments, using wire hangers, which you twist tight to the branches.

Thanks for your visit.
BTW, when I was making this, Nick walked by and asked me if I was making a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

xo loulou

This post has been linked-up over at love Meagan. Take a look at the pretty ornaments she has made!