[The] Nettleton Hollow [Blog]

Manzanita Holiday Displays

2011-12-16T09:07:00.005-05:00

Anne Schuster designed these beautiful holiday displays using our Sandblasted Manzanita Branches, which provide contrasting color and form to really accentuate the ornaments. The results are fantastic!

Split Orange Ornaments

2011-12-07T08:38:00.002-05:00

Split Oranges can be quickly made into unique and beautiful ornaments that surely will grab the attention of your friends and family. Here's how:

Get some Split Oranges, paper clips and a drill.
Open the paper clips into an "S" shape.
Select a drill bit slightly smaller than the smaller half of the "S" and drill into the top of the orange.
Insert the smaller half of the "S" into the hole.

Ta-da! A simple and striking ornament made in less than 30 seconds.

Gold Manzanita Branches

2011-10-26T08:34:00.000-04:00

Brooke Harris of Fresh Urban Flowers in San Antonio spray painted our 60" Natural Manzanita Branches gold and used them to create these gorgeous pieces.

Securing Manzanita Branches with Spray Foam... continued

2011-10-12T08:22:00.002-04:00

In a previous post we discussed a post on another blog about securing Manzanita Branches with spray foam. We tried it ourselves, and it worked great. The spray foam expands and hardens to really lock in the branches, and is much easier and less of a hassle to use than plaster... as long as you're careful! Here's how to do it.

1. Get your supplies - Manzanita Branches, Spray Foam (available throughout big box home improvement stores), Crushed Stone (found in the landscaping section for a few dollars a big bag), a pot, some rubber bands, and disposable gloves.

2. If you are using more than one Manzanita Branch, secure the Manzanita Branches together in the orientation you want them relative to one another. Doing so will allow you to just work with one unit, rather than multiple ones.

3. Hold the Manzanita Branch in the position you want it, and pour in enough crushed stone to hold the branch in place - a few inches should do the trick. In addition to holding the branch in place, it will help keep the display steady by putting a lot of weight in the bottom of the container. The Spray Foam doesn't provide any stabilizing weight, so this is especially important if you will be hanging items from the branches.

4. Put your rubber gloves on and spray in some floral foam, stopping in an inch or two from the top. When it comes out, the consistency is like whipped cream, but in a few hours it expands and hardens. Don't get this stuff on anything as it is a pain to remove! If you spray too much in and it mushrooms over the top, you can cut it back with a knife.

5. After curing overnight, the branches are secure and the display is ready to go. You can cover the foam up with something like sand, stone or Reindeer Moss.

Fountain Grass as Coastal Decor

2011-10-06T07:53:00.003-04:00

A customer sent us a picture of a distressed container that went great with her coastal decor, but which she had a tough time figuring out what to fill it with. We suggested the Fountain Grass. The results look great with the container and the rest of the decor!

A Few Stems of Craspedia

2011-08-23T08:52:00.003-04:00

We received this nice note from a customer who decorated an event with just a few stems of Craspedia in some colorful vases. It doesn't take much to have an impact!

Probity Advisors, Inc. hosted a wine, cheese and beer tasting event in Dallas on August 11, 2011. The event was held at a local wine bar and winery called Times Ten Cellars in partnership with an amazing local cheese shop, Scardello Artisan Cheese . We wanted to add some décor and interest to the unique space we reserved, but we didn’t want to compete with the wine, cheese and beer tasting or the cool art and furniture in the room. The space originally had votive candles on all the tables and surfaces, but since it’s been over 100 degrees in Dallas consistently this summer, the thought of candles during a heat wave seemed very unappealing. So, we decided to go with the dried flowers instead and purchased two bunches of Craspedia from nettletonhollow.com. We also purchased an assortment of vases from West Elm for just $6 each -- made of recycled glass and that come in variety of cool colors, including browns/amber, turquoises, light blues, and yellows. We cut the Craspedia stems so they would sit just above the height of the vases and arranged three stems of varying heights in each vase. The effect was perfect. The flowers were modern and added interest to the environment, and they were just the right size so they left room for all the glassware and plates that eventually took over the tables after our five rounds of tastings. If Probity Advisors, Inc. does another tasting or other event for our clients, associates and friends, we will definitely visit your website for decorating inspiration and ideas. I already have my eye on your cool Manzanita and Mitsumata branches.

Thank you so much!

Cinco Calfee

Probity Advisors, Inc.

Dallas, TX

Spray Foam as Floral Foam

2011-08-09T09:38:00.007-04:00

Many of our items can simply be dropped into a vase. In some circumstances though, you might want to secure individual items in the container in specific positions. Stones and standard floral foam are good options, but spray foam might be one the best choices. When the material comes out of the can it has all the strength of whipped cream. Once it cures though, it is a strong and rubbery foam that grips items tight, and is very forgiving and resilient if you are the type of person that keeps on rearranging.

A great attribute of it is that you simply spray it into the container and it will fit the space. No more cutting floral foam to size! In this example, we used an inexpensive terracotta pot.

The supplies - a garden pot and the spray foam. In addition to what's shown, you'll need to taper over the hole in the bottom of the pot, and wear some disposable gloves.

Spraying in the spray foam. Note the use of gloves - while I tend to not take every precaution, you really don't want to get the foam on you or anything else. When you spray it in, keep in mind that it will expand significantly, so leave ample space towards the top for it to do so. At this stage, the foam has the consistency and strength of whipped cream.

After curing overnight, the floral foam is stiff and ready to go.

Here's a display made using Avena and Wheat. I cut the stems at an angle, and inserted them into the floral foam.

Heather and Sea Oats

2011-07-19T07:45:00.000-04:00

Here's a photo of some beautiful arrangements composed of Brown Sea Oats and Heather in Ball jars.

Manzanita Branch with Butterflies

2011-07-13T05:14:00.003-04:00

Here's a picture of a beautifully simple centerpiece that a customer made with a Natural Manzanita Branch. It may be tempting to load up branches with all sorts of items, but often just a few elements can have a great impact and really let the form of the branch stand out.

Manzanita Family Tree on Good Housekeeping

2011-06-28T11:42:00.003-04:00

The folks at Good Housekeeping created a "family tree" using our 18-24" Natural Manzanita Branches. Check out the project and directions over on their site!

Grapewood Ceiling Sculpture

2011-06-19T08:07:00.004-04:00

The Alpha Workshops used our 48" Grapewood to create a gorgeous sculpture commissioned and conceived by MR Architecture + Decor for the ceiling of a Fifth Avenue retailer.

The Alpha Workshops is a non-profit design studio/school founded in 1995 to provide training in decorative arts techniques to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. They can be contacted at 212-594-7320 or info@alphaworkshops.org.

Cable Ties Recognized

2011-06-06T08:23:00.003-04:00

Our use of cable ties was featured in an exhibit by the Vitra Design Museum in Germany titled "Hidden Heroes" highlighting the uncommon use of common objects. Check it out at http://www.hidden-heroes.net.

Parchment Fern Packaging

2011-05-17T07:55:00.000-04:00

Want to dress up a package, card or other flat surface? Parchment Fern is a great choice for adding a unique botanical accent to a flat surface, which will beautifully highlight the fine detail of the fern fronds. If the item you are looking to decorate is smaller than the entire stem, use individual leaves from the main stem, which have the same fine, lacy detail of the full frond. As with all dyed items, in certain circumstances color can transfer to the surface on which Parchment Fern is placed, so take care in placement.

Securing Manzanita Branches with Spray Foam

2011-05-11T11:50:00.005-04:00

A while back we did a post on Securing Manzanita Branches with Plaster (and did a follow up post as well where we didn't pour the plaster directly into the pot) where we temporarily secured the branch in an inexpensive clay pot with some crushed stone and poured plaster in to permanently secure the Manzanita Branch.

Plaster works great because it is very strong and really holds the branch in the pot well. Furthermore, the weight of the plaster helps keep the display stable. These attributes are particularly important if you are going to be loading up the branches with heavy objects.

However, working with plaster can be a hassle, can create quite a mess, and it can get expensive, particularly if you need to create a lot of displays. Confronted with these issues, the author of Doodles, Dabbles and Dreams used spray foam instead and wrote a great blog posted titled Manzanita Madness! on the process.

The photo above from the blog post shows the spray foam in the process of expanding. Definitely check out the post!

We haven't tried securing Manzanita Branches with spray foam ourselves (we will soon!) but it seems like an a great alternative to plaster if you aren't going to be hanging a lot of heavy items from the branches.

As for spray foam itself, last spring I learned quite a bit about it while using it to fill gaps between the logs of an old cabin in the Adirondacks. First and foremost, you don't want it to get on anything, particularly your skin - make sure you are wearing gloves. Secondly, the stuff really expands, and when you start, make sure you err on the side of using too little.

I'll be getting some cans of spray foam and start playing with it (carefully!) soon!

Magnolia Leaf Place Cards

2011-05-03T17:14:00.006-04:00

We recently added dyed and preserved Magnolia Leaves to our selection of items. These leathery leaves are a classic for wreaths and garlands, and can make neat place cards too. Here's how.

1. Get your supplies - Magnolia Leaves, 4 x 6 index cards (or fancy cardstock if you're so inclined). metallic paint markers, a stapler, and a black marker.

2. Write the name or message on the Magnolia Leaf.

3. Fold the index card into quarters so it makes a stiff L.

4. Staple your folded index card to the back of the Magnolia Leaf. While you could probably use glue, the stapler works great and without any fuss or mess. However, you are left with a pretty obvious staple on the face of the Magnolia Leaf.

5. To disguise the staple, color it with a black marker.

Voila, a quick, easy and unique place card!

Mitsumata in Bloom

2011-04-12T14:07:00.004-04:00

On my way to Prospect Park in Brooklyn the other day I stopped in my tracks when I saw this flowering shrub - Edgeworthia, aka Mitsumata. In addition to providing bark for paper, branches for decoration, it seems it also makes a rather nice ornamental shrub that blooms at the same time as the Forsythia.

Filled with Fountain Grass

2011-04-01T08:33:00.000-04:00

We were sent pictures of three gorgeous vases in a beautifully lit nook and were asked to provide a recommendation for something to fill them. Not wanting to mess with a good thing, I recommended the Fountain Grass, a nice delicate looking but stiff dried grass that's been dyed a vibrant green.

I think it worked out quite well, adding a nice organic touch without overwhelming the beauty of the space.

Sandblasted Redshank Tree

2011-03-21T08:27:00.000-04:00

Here is a spectacular tree sculpted out of Sandblasted Redshank Branches (both the poles and the forks) for Heidi's Restaurant in Minneapolis, MN. Interior design and project concept was by Jim Smart of Smart Associates (contact), and the actual building and sculpting of the piece was by Anna Cerelia Battistini (contact) and Matt Horth. Ms. Battistini reports that the density of the branches made them a bit difficult to work with, but she was thrilled with the material and its beauty, particularly the way the sandblasted surface glows in the spot lighting. I couldn't agree more!

Coco Lashing in Food and Wine

2011-03-17T09:28:00.000-04:00

Our Coco Lashing is in the April 2011 issue of Food and Wine.

Craspedia on Banana Republic

2011-03-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

Craspedia, our favorite little balls of sunshine, were featured on the Banana Republic site. We have a limited quantity available at the moment, but are likely to be out of them for a few months until the 2011 crop is harvested in late summer.

Myrtle, Pussy Willow and Sarracenia

2011-03-14T09:24:00.000-04:00

A customer sent us some great photos of her displays:

Pussy Willow Branches

Sarracenia

Preserved Myrtle

Manzanita Centerpieces with Butterflies

2011-02-15T09:03:00.005-05:00

A customer sent us some pictures of the wonderful centerpieces she created with the 48" Natural Manzanita Branches. Two branches were painted a chocolate brown and decorated with paper and vellum butterflies. For the bases, the Manzanita Branches were set in mortar, then wrapped with birch bark and topped with moss.

Wiring Preserved Roseheads

2011-02-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

Preserved Roseheads come without a stem or wire. Although they look great laid on their side and you can create many different displays that way, they also look great wired to branches. Here's how you wire up a Preserved Rosehead.

1. Put on latex gloves and cover your working surface with newspaper! Learn from my mistakes... I got going on this project and discovered that the base of the rose head is like a little reservoir of dye and glycerine solution. Once you poke a wire into it, it starts "bleeding" and the dye is very, very good - as in it is very difficult to get off. I scrubbed and scrubbed my fingers with an abrasive pad to no avail. What worked was a few hours of digging in the garden (without gloves). Okay, enough of that spiel... you've been warned.

2. You'll need your Preserved Roseheads (of course), some floral wire, and something to cut the wire with.

3. Cut a good length of wire at an angle so it makes a sharp point, and insert the wire through the base of the rose head. If you have trouble pushing the wire through (such as if it is a fine gauge), you can create a pilot hole with a needle.

4. Pull the wire through so both ends are of equal length.

5. Pull the ends of the wire together, and twist. I tried various things - wrapping the wire around the base, etc, but this worked the best (and was the easiest).

6. You're finished! Repeat as necessary.

With your wired Preserved Roseheads you can create something like the display below. The branches are Mountain Laurel Branches (discontinued we're afraid), and the foliage is Seeded Eucalyptus.

Fall Manzanita Branch Centerpiece Mockup

2011-01-18T09:27:00.001-05:00

When preparing for a large event, something we always recommend is to do a mockup before buying all the materials, which allows one to more precisely determine quantities and how to execute the designs, and discover any unanticipated costs and complications.

Amber M. is getting married next fall and wasn't sure about making her own centerpieces. After doing some research on the site and the blog, and emailing us some follow-up questions (encouraged and always welcome!) she was confident enough to take the plunge and do a mock-up.

The result is this beautiful and simple Manzanita centerpiece. Note that just one Manzanita Branch is used for the display - using just one allows the form of the branch to really stand out, and of course it helps keep the cost down. She reports that the total cost should come out to less than $15.00 for each centerpiece.

Curly Willow Branches and Mossy Limbs

2011-01-07T09:12:00.002-05:00

Jennifer A. sent us these pictures of displays she made using the Mossy Limbs and Fresh Curly Willow. The Mossy Limbs provide a solid visual element, while the Curly Willow Branches delicately fill and expand the space. Great work!

Blackbeard Wheat and Cut Glass

2010-06-16T12:34:00.004-04:00

Katie D., who was married on November 27, 2009, combined seasonally appropriate Blackbeard Wheat with inexpensive cut glass picked up from yard sales and other second hand sources to create simple, gorgeous and inexpensive centerpieces for her wedding. For me, beauty is all about contrast, and the combination of the rustic Blackbeard Wheat with the ornate cut glass has contrast (and beauty) in spades. In some respects, these centerpieces have quite a bit in common with the "crystal trees" that have been extremely popular for the last few years, which also combine warm, rustic, organic elements with cool, opulent, man-made ones.

In addition to the pictures (taken by Vantage Pictures), Katie sent us this great write-up, loaded with helpful tips and observations:

The venue our wedding took place at was willing to put out our pre-made centerpieces, as long as there were no live/fresh flowers. Considering the cost savings, I was definitely open to the idea of not having a florist do our reception, but was out of ideas until I came across your website. Your post on the dried wheat bouquets photograph from Martha Stewart inspired me. I combined this idea of using dried wheat with one from a friendly acquaintance, who had used old antique cut glass as her votive candle holders. I decided to take her cut glass concept one step further and find cut glass vases for the dried wheat.

During these warm spring months last year while everyone is doing their spring/summer cleaning, I scoured yard sales, thrift shops, and Granny's attic. The cut glass is ideal for giving some serious sparkle for those on a serious budget. I would use smaller pieces (wine glasses, dessert bowls, punch glasses, etc. ) for my votive candle holders, and the larger pieces, like vases, to hold the Blackbeard Wheat I bought from Nettleton Hollow.

At first I was going to do an array of your dried wheat and grasses, but then decided to keep it simple and just stick to the Blackbeard Wheat. I ordered one bundle of wheat in the summer to do a "test run", and then when I decided I liked the look, I ordered the rest in September for our November 27 wedding. The wheat keeps VERY well. In fact, I was just at a family member's home who had taken home a centerpiece, and in May, it still looks exactly the same as it did when I ordered it in September.

Assemblage was so simple. All I had to do was trim the wheat to the proper length for each vase, since they all varied. I also cut a few longer pieces to have varying heights in the vase and give it depth. How much to use for each vase also really varied, but I ordered one bundle per vase. It all worked out because some of the wider vases required more than a bundle, but the skinnier vases did not require an entire bundle.

I do not regret one single bit not having fresh flowers at my wedding. After adding the low lighting and tons of candles flickering off of the cut glass, the rustic, simple elegance the wheat offered to the hall was surprisingly dramatic. The dark brown tablecloths and the Blackbeard Wheat looked amazing together. Guests actually commented on how they loved the concept of celebrating late Autumn by NOT having fresh flowers everywhere on a day where it's 40 degrees outside. The photograph of the room does not do justice to how simple and gorgeous the wheat and cut glass looked. The lighting appeared lower, sort of like in the close-up, so it truly was a dramatic looking effect. Throw in some large pinecones I collected from an old pine tree in my neighborhood, the ridiculously inexpensive cut glass, and the very affordable dry wheat from Nettleton Hollow, and my entire cost was about $15 per table!

Our venue required us to take everything with us that evening, which would have been a scary thought, having to clean up centerpieces on my wedding night? So we took care of that problem by telling guests to take home the centerpieces and candle holders as favors, and that couldn't have gone over better. People LOVED the idea of taking home a beautiful vase, filled with gorgeous wheat.

Anyway, thanks for the great, cost-effective idea.

Often a little creativity, planning and restraint - not a big budget - are the key ingredients for spectacular displays.

Craspedia Comparison

2010-04-19T09:59:00.003-04:00

About 18 months ago, I decorated a window in my bathroom with a bunch of Craspedia. Given the direct sunlight and high humidity, I expected them to fade significantly over the course of a few months, but much to my surprise, they are still looking great. In the top row are the ones from my bathroom, while in the bottom row are fresh flowers. The most noticeable difference is that the stems changed from a light green to a brown.

Outside in the Winter

2010-04-13T09:12:00.000-04:00

Back in December we received an email from someone constructing a Japanese garden on his balcony and needed a few botanical elements. He thought that our items might fit the bill - my response was that they could of course be put outside - the question was how long they'd last! Most of our items will last a very, very, very long time indoors, but outside exposed to the elements, their lifespan is greatly diminished. With that caveat, he ordered up some Dune Grass, 2-3' Mitsumata and some Star Grass, and promised to get back to me in the spring letting me know how they did. Here is what Dune Grass and Mitsumata looks like after spending a winter on an upstate NY balcony:

They fared quite well if you ask me! The items did get a bit of shelter during the winter. The Star Grass ended up being used indoors simply because during dawn and dusk the dark coloration caused it to pretty much disappear.

Sarracenia and Banana Stems

2010-04-05T08:41:00.002-04:00

I love seeing ideas presented on the site and blog interpreted by customers, so I was delighted to come across a post on the blog I Steal Good Ideas showing how this display of Sarracenia and Banana Stems was used to brighten a nook.

Check out the post, "Gettin' Funky with Dried Botanicals" for the story and more pictures.

Dried Branches and Fresh Flowers - Manzanita Branches and Twisted Willow

2010-03-23T08:16:00.000-04:00

Pamela Bartenfield of Petals by Pamela, LLC sent us these pictures of some great arrangements she made for a wedding at the Historic Rice Mill in Charleston, SC on January 31, 2010.

This first arrangement was designed to resemble the image on the wedding invitation. In a replica of an antique mercury vase, she arranged Leather Leaf, Aspadistra Leaves, a large white Hydrangea, and of course an 18-24" Natural Manzanita Branch.

The arrangement below consists of two parts. In the bottom of the vase, stones, moss, lichen and short lengths of Twisted Willow Branches where carefully arranged. Pamela notes that it was important that the items are fairly dry so that moisture doesn't condense inside the vase.

On top, she secured a plastic dish with tape, added floral foam, then arranged Leather Leaf, Aspadistra Leaves, white Asiatic Lilies, white Hydranges, Bells of Ireland and several long stems of Twisted Willow Branches to complete the arrangement. Simple and elegant!

Pamela Bartenfield of Petals by Pamela, LLC specializes in Floral Design and Event Coordinating in the Charleston, SC area. You can reach her at 843 324 1725.

Manzanita Centerpieces with Hydrangeas

2010-01-12T09:34:00.007-05:00

Sigh Robes-Castillo used our Project Grade 24-36" Natural Manzanita Branches and ideas from the blog to create these gorgeous manzanita centerpieces for her wedding, adorned with hanging votives, crystal strands and fuchsia hydrangeas.

Sigh first contacted us back in May 2009 requesting that we do a post on creating stand alone plaster bases. A few weeks later, we put up the post Securing Manzanita Branches with Plaster... continued, describing the technique.

Using the techniques described in the post DIY Hanging Votive Holders, Sigh created her own hanging votive holders.

Instead of using naturally fuchsia hydrangeas (which were running $7 a stem at the time), Sigh used white hydrangeas ($2 a stem) and colored them with floral spray paint.

In addition to these gorgeous displays, Sigh wanted to have some larger flowering trees on either side of the altar. At that time of year, flowering trees were running $2000 to $3000 each, so she decided to make her own from Mountain Laurel branches (available in the NYC floral district) and white hydrangeas.

You can read more about the wedding here and here.

Mitsumata Centerpieces

2009-12-15T08:54:00.003-05:00

Florie Huppert of Florie Huppert Design (floriehuppertdesign@gmail.com) used our Project Grade Mitsumata Branches to create some gorgeous centerpieces for the 150th Rededication Gala celebrating the building of the Brotherhood Synagogue on Gramercy Park in New York.

The Mitsumata Branches were placed in 23 inch tall glass cylinders with clear and light blue glass marbles. Although real candles were used throughout the room and under the centerpieces, LED flameless candles were used in in the glass spheres hanging from the Mitsumata Branches. The photography was done by Courtney Karam Photography.

Birch Poles at Bergdorf's

2009-10-02T10:44:00.003-04:00

Birch Poles were used for the fall window displays at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan. I like how different orientations were used to create a somewhat chaotic display to frame the mannequins.

Hanging Amaranthus Window Display

2009-09-17T08:42:00.003-04:00

Alicia Arnold of Facets Fine Jewelry used our Hanging Amaranthus and Mossy Sticks to create some gorgeous window displays in her store and sent us these photos.

Facets Fine Jewelry is located at 4530 Lee Hwy, Arlington, VA 22207 (703 527 4247).

Sandblasted Manzanita Branches and Votives

2009-08-10T11:05:00.001-04:00

The 18-24" and 24-36" sizes of Manzanita Branches are what's most commonly used for centerpieces, but other sizes can work great as well. We recently received an email and some photos from Monique S., who made some fabulous centerpieces using our Project Grade 12-18" Sandblasted Manzanita Branches:

Hello-

Just wanted to drop a note thanking you for the great quality of your products. I ordered a case of manzanita branches from your site a few months ago and was able to create beautiful, unique and relatively inexpensive centerpieces for our outdoor wedding last month using your products and suggestions from your blog. Everyone commented on them and I actually was able to sell them via craigslist to another bride! I included a few pics so you could see the end result! Thanks again!

Monique

(The pictures are by Kristin Castenschiold of B and K Photography.)

As the email and pictures demonstrate, by going with Manzanita Branches on the smaller end of the scale, you can create some fantastic centerpieces while keeping the per centerpiece cost lower than what it would be if you used larger branches.

Thanks again to Monique S. for the email and pictures!

Birch Wedding Arch

2009-07-29T09:30:00.001-04:00

When I think of birch branches being used in a wedding arch or altar, the first thing that comes to mind are birch poles. However, customer Mindy C. used our Natural Birch Branches to construct a gorgeous wedding arch.

The birch branches provide a fantastic base on which to secure fresh flowers. Something I love about the design is how the flowers are spare towards the bottom and gradually concentrate at the top, like bubble collecting on the surface of a glass of champagne.

Thanks so much to Mindy C. for sending the pictures! The pictures were taken by The Storykeeper (http://www.storykeeper.com)

White Sparkle Birch Centerpieces

2009-07-22T10:15:00.001-04:00

Although White Sparkle Birch Branches are most popular during the winter months, they can be used to make great displays for any season. We got this email from a customer who used them for centerpieces for her summer wedding last year:

"Hello,

I purchased the sparkly white birches for my wedding last year. They
made beautiful, inexpensive centerpieces. Photos attached.

We made two tone blossoms with tissue paper and wire. These were
twisted on, counting about 15-20 flowers for each set of branches
after they were fanned out. For the base, we filled the vase with pool
salt (super cheap) and wrapped a pink envelope & green ribbon around
each.

Thanks for making such great products available!

Kindest Regards,

Susie J."

The blossoms and the choice of colors take the centerpieces from cool and wintry, to warm and summery. I love the clever tips Susie mentioned, such as wrapping the inexpensive glass vases with envelopes tied with a contrasting ribbon, and using pool salt as vase filler.

In a follow-up email, Susie went into detail about why she ended up making the centerpieces she did:

"The reception hall had high vaulted ceilings so tall centerpieces were a must; but tall centerpieces also means more $$$. Though I love flowers, I wanted something that lasted more than a week (as they would be given as gifts after) and low maintenance. Originally, crystal trees were wanted, but overall, the theme didn't fit my summer wedding or budget."

The flowers are very impressive, and she was nice enough to describe how she created them herself:

"After several trials, we ended up with tissue paper, streamers, and flowering wire.
flat tissue paper - one shade of light pink
party streamers - colors as follows:

-dark pink

-medium pink
-medium green
-lime green

These three shades of pink combined, added texture as well as saved time in cutting. I cut small squares from the tissue paper & squares from the streamers. Stack these, lightest colors on top-with every other layer touching corners; at the bottom of each stack, add a square of each green; Fan fold the little bunch & twist the flowering wire on (about 5 inch piece down the middle); after securing the center of the tissue bunch, (should be 2.5inchs/more of wire down each side), fan out the paper & try to pull each corner in a different direction. For more green and less work, we also worked in just buds of leaves (green squares with wiring) on assorted branches for a fuller look."

Over a year later she still has one of the centerpieces in her home looking great. Thanks so much Susie for sharing!

Yucca Poles Brightening the Corners

2009-07-09T09:58:00.005-04:00

The light color and the height of Yucca Poles make them a great decorative accent for corners and other nooks. Here we made a pair of free-standing displays with Yucca Poles by setting three poles in plaster.

Getting the poles to set in the plaster just right took a bit of fancy rigging. The first thing we did was bundle them at the base with a rubber band. We wanted the poles to spread out a bit towards the top , so we used some pieces of bamboo and cable ties to position the poles where we wanted them. Once the plaster was set, we removed the rigging and were left with a great free-standing display.

Centerpiece of Fountain Grass and Birch Branches on WeddingBee

2009-07-02T08:58:00.000-04:00

Over on WeddingBee is a great post - Centerpieces: Revisited and Redefined - about creating the centerpieces we demonstrated in the post Silk Flowers + Natural Birch Branches = "Faux-Real" Flowering Branches. The results look great!

Check out the post on WeddingBee for more.

Decorative Branches as an Alternative to Fake Plants

2009-06-23T09:40:00.000-04:00

Decorative branches are a fantastic alternative to fake plants in places where very low maintenance botanical elements are desired. (The only maintenance required is occasional dusting.) The folks at Floral Ecstacy in Miami, Florida (305 670 1230), sent us these pictures of how they used our Mitsumata, Sandblasted Manzanita and Natural Manzanita branches to create large-scale installations to be used in commercial settings.

Crystal Tree with Hanging Votives

2009-06-10T08:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a 36-42" Natural Manzanita Branch, set in plaster, painted silver, illuminated with hanging votives and adorned with a few crystals. Whew, that's a lot of links for one sentence!

Manzanita Crystal Tree

2009-06-01T07:33:00.001-04:00

Crystal Trees are a very popular item for weddings and we frequently get questions about them, yet until recently I had never actually made one. Here is one constructed from a 36-42" Natural Manzanita Branch that I had set in plaster and then painted silver.

The Crystal Tree I made, catching some afternoon sunshine.

The Crystal Tree illuminated from below with votives. I tried hanging votives from the branches as well, but decided that there was way too much going on in the branches with all the crystals. As votives are so prominent, the placement really matters and it is best to hang the votives first, and then arrange the crystals.

The shadows of the branches cast on the ceiling.

Now here's the story. While wandering through my lovely local Ikea in Red Hook, Brooklyn, I came across boxes of five crystals marked down to $.50 from $3.99. They certainly weren't fine crystal, but the price was right and I emptied the shelves. The plan was to "just" slap these on the manzanita branch I had set in plaster, then had painted silver, and - ta-da! - a Crystal Tree. I quickly discovered that hanging crystals is a lot more time consuming and had more pitfalls than I thought it would.

The crystals came with some thick wires for hanging, but they didn't allow the crystals to hang right - they sort of veered off to one side. I realized that I had to hang them myself. The first thing I tried was fine floral wire, but it was too thick and prominent.

Next I tried some 25 lb test monofilament. In terms of strength, this monofilament was definitely overkill, but it was nice and stiff so the crystals would be less likely to get tangled together. The knot I first used was an Improved Clinch Knot, which is the knot I've used for fishing since a kid - I used it to tie the crystal onto the monofilament, and then to create a loop at the other end to to hang the crystal from the branch. The trouble with this knot is that it is bulky, and the loop pulls closed very easily.

The knot that I ended up using and worked best was a Bowline Knot (a diagram of which I came across a few days before in an ad for a mens clothing store) - the knot is small, strong and when you put tension on it, the loop doesn't close. A gazillion knots and a good portion of my weekend later, I had my Crystal Tree. This took a heck of a lot longer than I had anticipated.

A couple days later, I was working on another version of a crystal tree (hanging votives and turquoise crystals), among other projects...

...when it occurred to me - instead of creating a loop to hang the crystal from the branch, WHY DIDN'T I JUST TIE A CRYSTAL ONTO THE OTHER END!? I could then wrap the pair of crystals around the branch, adjust their relative height and distance from each other and cut the amount of work I had to do in half. There had to be a catch! I have yet to think of or come across one, and have come to the conclusion that I made a rather time-consuming oversight.

Manzanita Branch Cover-Up

2009-05-30T08:19:00.000-04:00

When working with Natural Manzanita Branches, you might want to trim a few branches to open up the display, or for other reasons.

But once you trim a branch, you expose the blonde wood, which contrasts starkly against the rich brown bark.

If you think this looks a little jarring, simply get out a black permanent marker and color the cut. While not quite perfect, the cut will blend right in.

Dried Branches and Fresh Flowers

2009-05-26T07:08:00.000-04:00

Dried branches don't like getting wet, but that doesn't mean you can't create centerpieces using both dried branches and fresh flowers. Here are some examples of branch centerpieces we've made incorporating fresh flowers.

Mitsumata Branches with Dendrobium Orchids.

For this, we simply attached floral tubes to the branches with cable ties on the top and the bottom (using just one would allow it to tip over). We decided that the flower stem looked best held close to the branches, so we loosely attached the top of the stem to the Mitsumata branches with a cable tie.

Mitsumata Branches, Fountain Grass and Dendrobium Orchids. With the orchids and floral tubes securely attached to the Mitsumata Branches, it was easy making a slightly more complex arrangement. One bundle of Fountain Grass does a great job of adding texture and filling out the arrangement.

Here we made a Sandblasted Manzanita centerpiece with orchids using a branch that we had previously set in plaster. Once we buried the base in pea gravel, we set the floral tubes on top of the pea gravel, then attached the orchid stem to the Manzanita branch with a single white cable tie. The finishing touch was to fill the top of the vase with Reindeer Moss.

Just a few orchids on a Sandblasted Manzanita centerpiece can have a huge impact. We attached the flowers with small cable ties. Note that no floral tubes are used here - Dendrobium orchid flowers hold up well for a few hours without water.

Twisted Willow Branches and Lilies. For this display, we placed a smaller diameter vase holding the lilies and water inside a larger vase. We then added some crushed stone to hold the relative positions of the vases and added in the Twisted Willow Branches.

Branches as Beach Decor

2009-05-25T11:08:00.002-04:00

Beach decor is heavy on weathered finishes and colors, and sandblasted branches such as Sandblasted Manzanita Branches and Grapewood Branches fit right in, as illustrated in a few window displays in NYC.

Securing Manzanita Branches with Plaster... continued

2009-05-19T07:06:00.001-04:00

If you are creating manzanita centerpieces, there's a good chance that you'll want set the branches in plaster, particularly if you are planning on using a relatively low and wide container for the centerpiece. Doing so will make the centerpiece much more secure and stable than if you only set the branches in stones or other filler material. One option is to pour the plaster directly into the container you will be displaying the manzanita branches in, as we did in an earlier post. This works well, but means that you have to sacrifice the container, and are locked into your choice of container.

Another option is to create free-standing plaster bases for your manzanita centerpieces, which will give you a great deal of flexibility as you work towards creating your final display. Doing so will allow you to use any container that will fit the base for the display, or not use a container at all.

You will need a flexible plastic container, such as one of those food storage containers available in many shapes and sizes at the grocery store, or a somewhat flimsy bucket. The idea is that once the plaster sets, you can simply pull the sides of the container away from the plaster base, push up on the bottom of the container to break any bond between the plaster and the container, and slide the centerpiece out.

The basic materials are the plastic container, the branches (in this case 18-24" Sandblasted Manzanita Branches), and the plaster. In addition, you'll want a rubber band and some tape.

1. If you are using more than one branch, arrange the branches as you'd like, and then secure the arrangement at the base with a rubber band, so rather than having multiple pieces to juggle, you pretty much just have one.

2. Mix the plaster according to the directions and pour into your container.

3. Place the container near a wall that you can prop up the branches against and tape the branches to.

4. Put branches into the container with the plaster, make any final adjustments, prop up the branches against the wall and secure them to the wall with some tape.

5. Now you need to wait for the plaster to set, which takes about half an hour or so. At this point you can start cleaning up the mess you've made. If you used a flexible container to mix the plaster, just let it harden - once the plaster sets you can just squeeze the sides and the bottom and the dry plaster will pop right out.

6. Once the plaster has set, pull the sides of the container away from the plaster (avoid putting pressure on the branches though, just in case they haven't completely set), push up on the base of the container, and then slide the plaster base with branches embedded in it out.

At this point, the chemical reaction that causes plaster to harden has occurred, but all the water you mixed in is still in the base, and it will take at least a few days to dry out. To avoid mold or mildew problems, set the manzanita centerpieces on something that will allow air to circulate underneath the bases such as a baking rack or stones, and let them dry. If you have a wedding or other event within a day or two and need to make the centerpieces ASAP, you can go ahead and create them - just make sure you disassemble them quickly after the event to allow the bases to dry out.

While the plaster is wet, it is still soft enough to cut with a knife or work with other tools - the hardness and texture is like frozen butter. If you think you'd like to shape or sculpt the base, or just pare it down to fit into your container, now is your chance!

Here's my attempt at getting artistic with the base - I don't think my old high school art teacher would be impressed!

For the branch centerpiece shown above, we set the base in a clear glass cube, poured pea gravel around it, then topped the gravel with Reindeer Moss. Something that isn't conveyed in the picture is how stable the manzanita centerpiece is - the plaster base creates a heavy "root" on the manzanita branch that does a fantastic job of anchoring the branch. Below are the manzanita branches we set in plaster earlier on in the post.

Manzanita Branches in the Hermes Desert

2009-05-15T07:56:00.000-04:00

Sandblasted Manzanita Branches were used in the desert themed window displays at the Hermes store on Madison Avenue in NYC. Other branches that work well for desert themes are Ocotillo and particularly Cholla Wood.

Simple wooden disks were used as a base for the branches.

Manzanita Centerpieces with Butterflies and Azaleas

2009-05-12T07:09:00.000-04:00

Branchy form on a small scale. The director of the Texas children's charity A Wish With Wings, Kim Christian, contacted us looking for branches for their annual fundraiser "Butterfly Wishes." They needed branches that were no more than 12" tall on which faux butterflies could perch, and thought that our Natural Birch Branches would do well. Although the Natural Birch is great for tall centerpieces, Manzanita is the best choice for providing a branchy look on such a small scale. (That is why Stanley Ruiz used them in his work that you can see here and here.) We donated a case of 50 of the Project Grade 10-12" Natural Manzanita Branches, and some additional branches from our Brooklyn supply. They quickly put together some mockups and sent us the pictures above.

The Manzanita Branches aside, a great thing about the centerpieces is that potted Azaleas, rather than cut flowers are used for the fresh floral element. Guests will be able to bring home living mementos of the occasion for their gardens (and everlasting Manzanita branches for their homes).

Manzanita Centerpieces in Silver

2009-05-09T11:34:00.004-04:00

We quickly transformed those Manzanita centerpieces we made a while back with a can of metallic silver spray paint. The silver spray paint did a fantastic job of covering the branches in pretty much one coat. The smaller Manzanita centerpiece on the right was first natural, then white, then red, and now silver. The larger Manzanita centerpiece was the natural color before we painted it.

Here we decorated the taller Manzanita centerpiece with two new items - Red Hanging Amaranthus and Reindeer Moss. We attached the Hanging Amaranthus using the same technique demonstrated in "Hanging Hanging Amaranthus" but this time attached paper clips to the bundles with small cable ties.

The smaller silver Manzanita centerpiece was decorated just with the Reindeer Moss.

Manzanita Branch With Ribbon

2009-05-07T08:54:00.001-04:00

Ribbon is a quick and easy way to add a graceful accent to a branch centerpiece, while coordinating with the other colors of your decor. We got this ribbon from Jamali Garden, which has an extensive selection. Here we decorated a 36-42" Natural Manzanita Branch that we set in plaster in a previous post.

Of course there are a million ways to tie ribbon to a branch, but what we settled on was a crisscrossing pattern to highlight the branch, and then left long tails or ribbon cascading off the branch.

Beach Centerpiece with Fountain Grass and Corkscrew Willow

2009-05-05T08:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick and easy beach centerpiece that stands about four feet tall, made from Fountain Grass and Corkscrew Willow Branches. We positioned the grass and branches in the middle of the vase, providing space within the vase to arrange other "beachy" objects.

The materials we used were the following:

1 bundle Fountain Grass;

1 bundle Corkscrew Willow;

Miscellaneous Shells;

1 14" tall, 4" diameter Glass Cylinder;

Pea Gravel; and

1 Rubber Band.

The cylinder and shells we picked up at Jamali Garden, and we got the pea gravel at the home improvement store (it's around $4 for a very big bag). Variations could be to use sand or another material that evokes the beach as filler, and a larger diameter vase would allow you to include more objects in the display.

Here we go:

1. Grab the bundle of Fountain Grass, and start arranging the Corkscrew Willow Branches around the outside. Once you have the items roughly where you want them, secure the arrangement at the base with the rubber band. You want to keep the arrangement under control, while allowing the grass and branches to splay outward.

2. Holding the arrangement in the middle of the vase, pour the gravel around arrangement. You want to leave enough space in the vase and around the arrangement to place objects that will help evoke the beach.

3. Make any final adjustments to the position of the branches.

4. Add shells and whatever else you'd like to include in the display.

Sandblasted Manzanita Branches and Birds

2009-04-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

A window display involving Sandblasted Manzanita Branches in a jewelry store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

Green Wedding Design and Decorative Branches

2009-04-28T09:20:00.001-04:00

Substituting decorative branches for fresh flowers is a fantastic way for event designers, wedding planners and others who handle events to greatly reduce the ecological costs of their events, while providing dramatic visual impact and significant financial savings. Today, these benefits are more relevant than ever.

Instead of each and every event requiring large volumes of flowers, often flown in from another hemisphere and which will be discarded at the end of the night - decorative branches on hand from prior events - can be used for the present event - and then reused for future events. In addition to the dramatic ecological savings, significant money can be saved, as instead of one event having to cover the entire cost of the botanical decor, the cost of the branches can be factored across multiple events.

Simon Daykin of Firefly Occasions has been using our Manzanita Branches and Birch Poles just this way for over a year now to create the trees that have become the company's signature pieces.

The trees are assembled on site for every event. Birch Poles are set in christmas tree bases and then topped with Manzanita Branches.

Different accents are used on the trees to complement the other decor and tailor the trees for the event.

A beautiful final touch is lighting the trees from below, which really brings out and adds drama to the pieces.

Firefly Occasions specializes in haute couture weddings and luxurious event design. The company is based in Calgary, AB, Canada but can coordinate weddings world wide. You can reach them at 1-800-791-5636.

Corkscrew Willow, Birds and Butterflies

2009-04-25T08:37:00.000-04:00

This display involving Corkscrew Willow Branches was in the window of Kate's Paperie on West 57th Street in Manhattan, just down the slope from Carnegie Hall.

Card Trees, Take Three

2009-04-21T08:23:00.001-04:00

Card tree, card tree, yet again, I return to thee...

In the previous post, I described how to make a simple card garland with a twist chain from the hardware store and some paper clips. Of course you can hang a card garland from anything, but naturally I am going to suggest that branches make a great choice to hang your card garlands from.

This first picture is of the card garland hanging from the 36-42" Natural Manzanita Branch we set in plaster. Here, I made deep loops in the chain.

Here I hung the chain off the top of some Corkscrew Willow Branches, and let the bottom of the chain drape over some Grapewood Branches. I used some small white cable ties to attach the chain to the Corkscrew Willow Branches, which don't have any side branches on which to hook the chain like Manzanita does.

Here I cut some chain into short lengths, and hung it from an 18-24" Natural Manzanita Branch that we set in plaster and then painted red.

Card Garland

2009-04-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

Trying to figure out what to do with seating cards or other cards for your guests at your event? Here's an elegant and highly functional card garland we created from a chain from the hardware store (#200 Twist Chain) and some paper clips. Simply slide the paper clip onto the chain, and use it to attach the card. In the picture we demonstrated three different ways to hang the cards (in this case business cards are standing in for seating cards). Of course you can hang this from anything, but in the next post we'll show you how to hang it from various branches.

The chain has a graceful drape to it, a good amount of weight to help keep it from getting tangled and to hold its form, and each link is an opportunity to adjust the position of the chain or the card. The paper clips may seem a little too "office-y" but nothing is quite as functional and will save you and your guests a lot of hassle.

Red Manzanita Centerpiece

2009-04-20T07:07:00.001-04:00

We gave the Manzanita centerpiece that we created from an 18-24" Natural Manzanita Branch that we set in plaster - and then painted white - a red makeover. Some black sand and a few shells finished off the display. Hmm... what shall we do next with this Manzanita centerpiece...

Phalaris

2009-04-18T09:34:00.004-04:00

I spent a bit of time the other day playing around with a new dried grass we've added to our line up - Phalaris, which has attractive oval seed heads set atop wiry stems. As with all new products, although we really like it, it has "probationary" status - we're waiting to get a good sense of how popular it is among the folks that count (you!), before we add it to the permanent selection.

We ship Phalaris tied in the middle with raffia - simply remove it from the package and give it a twist for a nice free-standing display...

...or untie the bundle and drop it into a vase.

In this display we combined it with Cockscomb - it's all about the contrast.

I made a quick and easy "harvest centerpiece" with one bundle of Phalaris and one bundle of Golden Wheat. I held the bundle of Golden Wheat in one hand, and added in about a quarter of a bundle of Phalaris every 90 degrees. Then I gave the bundle a twist, did some final fussing, tied it with a bow and trimmed the base flat so it could stand on its own.

Here I accented a display of Dried Lavender with a few stems of Phalaris and some Golden Wheat.

Fish and Grapewood

2009-04-16T18:13:00.007-04:00

Retired high school principal Mike Verdun of Bemidji, MN used our 18-24" Grapewood Branches to display the first three fish he ever carved. The beige Grapewood provides a great background to highlight and compliment the richly colored and detailed fish. It's quite the gorgeous display!

Manzanita Centerpiece Ideas from Michelle Rago

2009-04-16T10:14:00.000-04:00

Over on the Michelle Rago, Ltd. blog is a post with many examples of Manzanita centerpieces, including the one above incorporating white Phalaenopsis orchids. Head on over to her blog to see many more gorgeous examples of Manzanita centerpieces.

Grapewood Dog Collar Hangers

2009-04-15T09:47:00.005-04:00

Wilmington Animal Healthcare in Wilmington, NC contacted us a while back seeking driftwood-y looking branches on which they could display their dog collars. We suggested they use 10-12" Grapewood Branches, which they did with great results!

Manzanita Branch Size Comparison

2009-04-14T09:02:00.000-04:00

Below on the left is a 36-42" Natural Manzanita Branch set in plaster in an 8 inch pot, and on the right is an 18-24" Natural Manzanita Branch set in plaster in a 6 inch pot. In the middle is a standard wine bottle. Either would make a great centerpiece, but what size is the right size will depend on the size of the table and the look you're going for.

Keep in mind that the height of the branch doesn't necessarily have to determine the height of the display. In the picture below, we inverted an 8 inch flower pot just like the one the larger Manzanita branch is set in, covered it up with the fabric we use for our trademark burgundy backgrounds, and placed the smaller Manzanita centerpiece on top. In addition to creating a taller display with a smaller (and less expensive) branch, it also adds another element of visual interest.

Wild Red Dogwood and Pussy Willows

2009-04-12T08:04:00.001-04:00

I took the scenic route from Brooklyn to my parent's place in the Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York for Easter and got some nice pictures of wild Pussy Willow and Red Dogwood along the way. The Red Dogwood pictures were taken from Route 20 near Cherry Valley, NY and the Pussy Willow pictures were taken along Route 23 near Hudson, NY.

Potted Dried Lavender

2009-04-09T00:57:00.000-04:00

Here we trimmed a bit off the base of one of our bundles of English Dried Lavender and dropped it into an 87 cent 4" clay pot. Simple and effective!

White Manzanita Branch Centerpieces

2009-04-07T09:06:00.001-04:00

Inspired by the windows at Tiffany and encouraged by a commenter on the post, I set out to make some White Manzanita Branch Centerpieces. Once I got the branches painted, I gussied up the branches a little bit and was quite pleased with the results.

The primary objective of the project was to see how well the dark Natural Manzanita Branches took white paint, and what types of paint and method of application worked best. We tried flat white spray paint and white primer applied with a brush.

Long story short, a couple of coats of spray paint is the way to go. Spray paint smells, lots of paint ends up missing the branch, and it makes a mess, but it is a heck of a lot faster and easier than applying paint with a brush, and the final result looks just fine. The branch with the Salal leaves on it in the top picture was spray painted twice, and the branch with the chain was painted with white primer and then spray painted.

This centerpiece started with an 18-24" Natural Manzanita Branch secured with plaster in a 6 inch clay pot. Before painting, give the plaster and the pot a few days to dry. Once painted, we put some acrylic sea glass from Jamali Garden in the top of the pot (half of a two pound container), and tucked some pieces into the branches (you'll want to secure these with a dab of glue). The final touch was to drape the display with a chain we got from the hardware store.

This centerpiece also started with an 18-24" Natural Manzanita Branch, which we covered with a couple of coats of flat white spray paint. We then used hot melt glue to attach Salal leaves to the tips of the branches. Note that the front and back of the leaves have different looks - for some we had the front facing out, and others we had the back facing out, providing a nice subtle variation (my Mom deserves some credit for this idea - a few years ago she created some intriguing collages taking advantage of the contrast between the front and the back of leaves).

Hanging Hanging Amaranthus

2009-04-02T08:06:00.003-04:00

Hanging Amaranthus has a gorgeous dripping form that can really enhance a display. Shown above is a bit less than one bundle hung from a single 18-24" Natural Manzanita Branch that we set in plaster.

Here's how to do it:

1. Prepare the bundles for hanging. Open up the package of Hanging Amaranthus and separate out the stems. Typically a single stem has plenty of flower strands, but if you'd like more, combine some stems. You could tie the strands directly to the branches, but if you're like me you'll inevitably want to move the bundles around until it looks just right. To facilitate this, we cut a length of wire, folded it over, and wrapped it with more wire to create a simple loop to hang the small bundle of Hanging Amaranthus from the branches. The appearance doesn't really matter here, and a quicker way to do this would be to use a small paper clip cinched onto the bundle with a small cable tie.

2. Hang and arrange.

3. Conceal the wire and top of the stem. Once you have everything hanging where you like it, it's time for the final step. Properly preserved Hanging Amaranthus is almost yarn-like. Snip off a long strand, drape it over the top of the wire and wrap it around the top of the stem.

This step makes a huge difference in the look of the display. At first I had the wire and the top of the stem exposed and it just didn't look right. I tried covering it up with some ribbon, and finally came up with this solution.

Harvest Centerpiece (Over a Year Later)

2009-03-31T08:20:00.000-04:00

One of the most appealing attributes of our products is their longevity. Back in January 2008 I created a couple of harvest centerpieces for the blog. The first picture below shows how the centerpiece looked when I first created it.

One of the harvest centerpieces ended up with my Aunt Susie. I visited her the other weekend and was pleased to see that she still had it displayed, and although there were some slight changes to its appearance, the harvest centerpiece still looked as nice as it did when I first created it over a year ago.

The one component that changed significantly was the Avena, which transitioned from a light green to a pleasing cream color, and whose seed heads opened up. I look forward to seeing how the centerpiece looks next year!

Securing Manzanita Branches with Plaster

2009-03-24T12:30:00.002-04:00

[Note: We have a post on a different technique for doing this here.]

Securing Manzanita Branches with plaster is relatively simple, quick and easy. You'd want to use this technique if you plan on displaying your branches in a relatively low and wide container such as a terra cotta garden pot, a box, etc. The goal is to secure the branches in the pots so they don't shift around, and to put enough weight in the base so that the display is stable. Having enough weight in the base is especially important if you are planning on loading up your Manzanita Branches with votives or crystals. You can get Natural Manzanita Branches here or here, and you can get Sandblasted Manzanita Branches here or here.

Here's how to do it:

1. Get your supplies. You should have no problem rounding up supplies at your local home improvement store. The first stop for us was the garden and outdoor section, where we grabbed a bag of pea gravel (about $4 for much more gravel than needed). Pea Gravel was angular enough so that it sort of locked together a bit, but not so much that it was difficult to make small adjustments to the position of the branch (more on this later). For the container, we picked out an 8" diameter standard clay pot (also around $4). While we kept it plain, there were a ton of other inexpensive options. For the 36-42" Natural Manzanita Branch we used, the 8" pot seemed just right - not too big, and not too small (we also got a 10" pot, which looked way too big). Then we headed over to the vicinity of the paint section to get the plaster (around $10 for an 8 lb pail, or $15 for a 25 lb bag).

2. Set your Manzanita Branch in the stones. If there is a drainage hole in the bottom of your pot, tape it over. Place the branch in the container, hold it in the desired position, and pour a sufficient amount of gravel into the container so that it can stand on its own (a few inches). Make any final adjustments to the position of the branch.

Now you could skip over this step and use nothing but plaster in the pot, but then you'd have to worry about how you're going to keep the branch in the right position while the plaster sets, and you'd need to use a lot more plaster, which compared to the gravel, is more expensive and trickier to work with. Something I definitely wouldn't use as filler is a light material such as packing peanuts or crumpled paper, as these wouldn't add the necessary weight to the base.

3. Mix up a batch of plaster. Make enough to create a layer a few inches deep in your container (carefully follow the directions!). Try to avoid making too much plaster, as more definitely is not merrier when it comes to plaster, and you can always mix another batch if you need it. This is a messy operation, so take the necessary precautions such as covering your work area. When it's ready, it should be smooth and about the consistency of pancake batter.

4. Pour the plaster into your container. Do not fill the pot completely with the plaster, however, as you'll want about an inch over which you can place an attractive material such as sand, stone or moss. Unless you're super careful, you'll probably get some plaster on the outside of the container and/or the branch. This isn't a big deal - just wipe off what you can when it happens, and finish cleaning up the display after the plaster has set. A damp sponge with a scrubber pad on the back works quite well.

5. The final touches. In about a half hour, the plaster will have set. This is the best time to clean up any plaster that ended up on the branch or the exterior of the container. The last thing to do before you really get decorating is to cover up the plaster with a layer of attractive filler (we just used some pea gravel).

Now you're ready to get decorating!

Manzanita Branch Form

2009-03-24T11:23:00.005-04:00

Manzanita Branches tend to be fan-shaped, meaning they are wide when viewed from the front or back, and skinny when viewed from the sides. Here's a 36-42" Natural Manzanita Branch viewed from the front:

And here's the very same branch viewed from the side:

What this means is that if you want an arrangement that looks similar from any angle, you'll need to use 2-3 Manzanita Branches per display. However, you can also embrace the look and form of the single Manzanita Branch. Here are some compelling reasons why you might want to do so:

1. The unique form of each branch will stand out. When you combine branches, the form of the individual branches gets obscured. Instead of a lone tree in the middle of a pasture, its form highlighted against the horizon, you end up with a forest.

2. The same centerpiece will look dramatically different when viewed from different angles. As the viewer moves about the room, the appearance of the same display will change significantly, allowing he or she to interact with it in a way that wouldn't be possible with a classic symmetrical display.

3. You'll save a lot of money on your displays. Because they are so expensive to ship, Manzanita Branches are just about the most expensive branch available. If you are making a lot of displays, cutting down on the number of Manzanita Branches you use can really add up.

4. You'll avoid having to match and combine branches. Every Manzanita Branch is different and it can be tricky finding branches that look like they go together. When we prepare our cases of three Manzanita Branches, we spend a whole lot of time trying to find branches that look just right together.

The moral of the story is that the asymmetry of Manzanita Branches isn't necessarily something that needs to be compensated for, but instead is an attribute that can work to your advantage.

Windows at Tiffany's - Manzanita Branches and Driftwood

2009-03-19T10:14:00.003-04:00

Branches, butterflies and jewelry in the windows of Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In the top two pictures are Manzanita Branches, and in the bottom two pictures are what appears to be Mountain Driftwood Branches. In the displays, the branches were painted a glossy white to provide a neutral background for the butterflies and jewelry.

Natural Manzanita Branches and Roses

2009-02-01T10:02:00.000-05:00

The folks at Rhon's Distinctive Floral Designs sent us these pictures of some gorgeous arrangements they did for the Cooke/Lindsey wedding held at the Fillaur House in Cleveland, TN. The photographs are courtesy of Carrie Workman Photography.

For the centerpieces, single 24-36" Natural Manzanita Branches were set in tall glass cylinders and accented with rose balls, cymbidium orchids and a few crystals. The use of single branches for the centerpieces allows the form of the branches to shine through, whereas when multiple branches are used the form of the branches tends to be obscured.

A simple brass chandelier continued with the theme of the centerpieces...

And here Fresh Curly Willow Branches transformed another light fixture...

Rhon's Distinctive Floral Designs is located at 183 First Street NW, Cleveland, TN 37311, Telephone: (423) 339-2911

Pussy Willow Branches and other Ephemerals

2009-01-28T09:25:00.006-05:00

Pussy Willow Branches are now available! Don't hesitate to order yours now, because they'll be gone again before you know it (late March typically). When we have it, Pussy Willow is one of our most popular items, and when we don't have it, we're inundated with emails asking when we will have it.

We can only ship Pussy Willow Branches for a short period of time because we have to ship them fresh - once dry they become too fragile to ship. However, if you drop them in a vase without water and let them dry out, they'll last indefinitely.

Another item available for only a brief period of time is the Prairie Willow, which has purplish catkins on wispy light-colored stems. The look is more subtle than Pussy Willow, but beautiful. In the picture below it is displayed with Fountain Grass.

Colorful Manzanita Branch Centerpiece

2009-01-13T11:50:00.005-05:00

Weddings are often rather monochromatic, but over on Weddingbee Pro is an example of a wedding that was anything but, as exemplified in this gorgeous centerpiece made from a Natural Manzanita Branch. Head on over to the original post on Weddingbee Pro - Last Wedding of 2008 for a ton of pictures of the wedding and details.

Vote Nettleton Hollow!

2008-12-23T12:20:00.003-05:00

We've been nominated for DailyCandy's Sweetest Things 2008! Dare I say "sweet!"? While the folks at DailyCandy select the nominees, the readers select the winners so head on over to DailyCandy and vote for Nettleton Hollow!

Cheap Manzanita Branches

2008-12-16T13:24:00.006-05:00

Cheap Manzanita Branches... pretty much don't exist. Manzanita Branches, in addition to having a great form and being very strong, are also exceptionally voluminous. This one factor alone accounts for the majority of the cost of Manzanita Branches. Shipping companies don't care if that huge box holds popcorn, decorative branches a chair or crumpled hundred dollar bills - they are going to charge for the volume regardless of what's inside. Whether you are having Manzanita Branches shipped directly to you, or are picking them up from a local source, most of what you are paying for is the transportation cost.

Keeping Costs Down With Manzanita Branches

If you are set on using Manzanita, stick with sizes that can be shipped via UPS or FedEx. You'll get the least expensive cost-per-branch with our FedEx-able Project Grade styles (up to the 36-42" size):

http://www.nettletonhollow.com/manzanita-sb-project.html
http://www.nettletonhollow.com/manzanita-nat-project.html

If you just need a few, go for the styles we ship from NYC:

http://www.nettletonhollow.com/manzanita-branches-sandblasted.html
http://www.nettletonhollow.com/manzanita-branches-natural.html

Unless you have a huge event or budget, you definitely should avoid the sizes that have to go via basic freight, which are very expensive on a cost-per-branch basis unless you are ordering multiple cases.

The only circumstance where Manzanita Branches are the only option is if you are hanging VERY heavy objects, such as hundreds of lead crystals, like in this classic "Crystal Tree" from Brides.com:

If you can afford all of those crystals though, you probably aren't too concerned with keeping your costs down!

Popular Manzanita Branch Uses, and Alternatives

Card Trees (and Other Displays Involving Light Objects). One of the most popular uses for Manzanita Branches is creating "card trees" (aka "wedding card trees," "wish trees," etc.). Here are some pictures from Style Me Pretty of place card trees made out of Natural Manzanita Branches (click through for more details and instructions):

Although Manzanita Branches look fantastic for card trees, pretty much any branch will work for this type of display, or any other display involving particularly light objects such as flowers, fake birds or butterflies, etc. We created a few versions of card trees using different types of branches in the past. Here's a card tree we created with Natural Birch Branches (click here for the related post):

And here's a card tree created with Brown Kuwa branches (click here for the related post):

Using pretty much any other branch, you can create a gorgeous and functional card tree at a fraction of the cost it would be if you used Manzanita Branches.

Hanging Votives. Branches and candles look great together, and of course Manzanita Branches are a popular choice for this. One fantastic alternative for displays involving hanging votives or other moderately heavy items is Mitsumata (click here for the related post):

The alternatives above are mostly in the 3-4' range. If you are looking for taller displays, definitely check out our Project Grade items. Two great tall alternatives in particular are Natural Redshank and Sandblasted Redshank.

Nettleton Hollow on DailyCandy

2008-11-20T10:04:00.004-05:00

DailyCandy, a site and daily newsletter considered "the insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered" featured Nettleton Hollow in Tuesday's national "Everywhere" edition. We were introduced to tens of thousands of people across the country... and my friends and I had a good laugh about the title of the piece!

Afternoon Sunlight

2008-11-13T13:30:00.006-05:00

Here's a picture taken in my apartment as the afternoon sunlight was illuminating an arrangement of Protea Repens and Preserved Cedar. In the background is a bundle of Paper Birch Forks.

Mitsumata Metamorphosis at Home Ec, Part 2

2008-10-31T11:03:00.009-04:00

For the first post in the series, go to Mitsumata Metamorphosis at Home Ec, Part 1

It's always fun coming up with new ideas, but what good is an idea if it isn't executed? When Patty and Seryn first asked me to help out with their lights at Home Ec, I thought I'd provide some ideas and some branches, and someone else would do the tough work of getting it done - after all, I had absolutely no experience with big installations like this and considered myself completely unqualified for the project. Patty and Seryn disagreed and countered every protest of mine with abundant encouragement and flattery. After making it clear that they were putting a very prominent feature of their store in the hands of a novice, I got to work.

It turned out that the execution was time-consuming, but once I got the routine down, was rather simple and easy. The tricky part was keeping the form of the cocoons similar - I had to do the same thing four times, and while the cocoons didn't end up being identical, they were close enough in form so they didn't affront my critical eye.

Each light fixture was surrounded by a 9 foot long, 2.5 foot wide wire cage that provided the structure to which the Mitsumata Branches were attached. Around 100 Mitsumata Branches were used for each cocoon - these were the raw, "craft quality" Mitsumata Branches we get from our importers, not the finished branches we sell on the site. At least 400 translucent white cable ties were used in each cocoon to attach the branches to the wire and to each other. With just me working, each Mitsumata cocoon took about 6-8 hours to make, from the time the branches started soaking until we hung the cocoon.

The Mitsumata Branches soaking. Mitsumata soaks up water like a sponge, and after about an hour or so it is just about as pliable as it would become.

Me in production mode, attaching the cable ties that would secure the Mitsumata Branches to the wire cages (while the Mitsumata Branches were soaking). For this stage, it was a lot easier and faster to attach the cable ties beforehand so all I had to do was insert the branch and pull the cable tie tight. I'm not sure whether this was before or after I leaned over and dropped my phone in the water in which the Mitsumata was soaking, ultimately inspiring a little haiku (one of a few about the times I've dropped my phone in water).

A couple views of the Mitsumata Branches attached to the wire cage, before being bent in and secured to each other with cable ties. This process didn't take long, and although it looks like "it's almost there" the most time consuming step has yet to come.

By far the most time-consuming part was attaching the branches to each other. Every single branch had to be pulled in and secured to another one with a cable tie. Once all the main "ribs" were pulled together to create the cocoon form, I wove branches in between them to increase the density.

Here's a close-up showing the cable ties that made this all possible. While you could use something else to secure the branches, these were extremely easy to use and virtually invisible once the ends were cut off.

The finished cocoon, ready to be put up. Once the cocoon was hanging, we put some rice paper in the bottom of the wire cage to diffuse the light, which really helped accentuate the branches.

Done! You can check out the lights and a lot of other cool things at Home Ec, 303 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718 852 2889). In addition to the home accessories store, the space serves as a classroom for sewing classes and a design studio. If you are in NYC, it is definitely worth a visit! If you aren't, check out their site - http://www.flirt-brooklyn.com/

Manzanita Branches in Blue

2008-10-28T10:14:00.003-04:00

Read about this gorgeous display involving Natural Manzanita Branches over on The Cinderella Project.

The Value of Decorative Branches

2008-10-25T13:10:00.002-04:00

When I finished college and moved to New York, I was struck by how I'd see branches decorating places ranging from boutiques on Madison Avenue selling handbags for thousands of dollars, to restaurants in Chinatown where you could get eight dumplings for a buck. After some initial bafflement, it made sense - branches not only have a powerful decorative impact appreciated by designers who could afford anything, but being inexpensive and having an indefinite lifespan, make them a sensible choice for someone on a shoestring budget, which certainly is what I had.

I was very proud of my first apartment and wanted it to look its best. However, I had poured my meager savings into just getting the keys to that tiny Manhattan apartment, and my "decorating budget" was minimal. Branches were a fantastic value, so I headed to the floral district over on 28th Street and got a bundle of Red Dogwood and a bundle of Curly Willow. Those first bundles decorated my apartment for years.

The value of decorative branches - the visual impact that they have, the fact that they can last indefinitely with minimal care, their low cost - is what first inspired me to purchase them. When I was thinking about starting Nettleton Hollow and was trying to convince friends, family (and myself) that I was building a business around products with lasting appeal and not some passing fad, the value of branches was the main point I kept on returning to. And with frugality on everyone's mind now and likely for quite a while, the value of decorative branches is more relevant than ever.

Mitsumata Metamorphosis at Home Ec, Part 1

2008-10-20T09:43:00.010-04:00

Brooklyn clothing designers and store owners Patti Gilstrap and Seryn Potter (no relation) were in the process of turning what was once a raw industrial space into a charming home accessories boutique when they decided they had a glaring problem - the four, nine foot long flourescent lights looming overhead.

They thought some branches might help and asked if I had any ideas - and could execute them. What I came up with were Mitsumata "cocoons" enveloping the lights. In a later post I'll describe how I used nearly 500 Mitsumata Branches and 1500 cable ties to create what you see here.

You can check out the lights and a lot of other cool things at Home Ec, 303 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718 852 2889). In addition to the home accessories store, the space serves as a classroom for sewing classes and a design studio. If you are in NYC, it is definitely worth a visit! If you aren't, check out their site - http://www.flirt-brooklyn.com/

Twisted Willow, Mossy Sticks, Lotus Pods (etc)

2008-10-08T12:38:00.006-04:00

Combining items of different forms and textures can be quite tricky, but Simpson Celestin, who is in charge of production and fulfillment at our Brooklyn location, was able to create a gorgeous arrangement of Twisted Willow Branches, Mossy Sticks, Sandblasted Manzanita, Lotus Pods and Cockscomb.

Birch Pole Wedding Arch

2008-10-02T10:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture a customer sent us of a beautiful wedding arch constructed from our Paper Birch Poles. Note the use of paired poles for the supports, which helps balance differences between individual poles and results in more visually substantial looking supports.

Birch Poles as Chuppa Poles - Two Better than One?

Chuppa Construction: Attaching Fabric to the Poles

Mitsumata and Hanging Votives (Brought to Life)

2008-09-28T13:32:00.005-04:00

One of the most satisfying things about keeping this blog is seeing ideas that I came up with and presented in various posts successfully and spectacularly scaled up and brought to life in the real world. After all, what worked well for me once and for a single display might not work for someone else or for multiple displays. One of my most popular posts was on using Mitsumata Branches with hanging votives, so I was thrilled when we received this from Mary of Mystic, CT, who got married September 19, 2008:

"Dear Nettleton Hollow,

I thought it appropriate to send some pictures of my wedding centerpieces to you, I used your Mitsumata branches and Proteas, and had the hanging votive candles. They looked so beautiful and really cast an amazing ambiance at the reception. I also used one protea in my bouquet. Thank you so much, your products are just wonderful! I look forward to seeing new additions and ideas from you as well!

With Kind Regards,
Mary"

Here's a close-up showing the various components of the centerpiece:

Spectacular! The Protea Repens adds a fantastic splash of color to the centerpieces. For vase filler, crushed white marble from Home Depot was used - it provides the necessary weight to keep the display stable, is as attractive as anything else, and is a fraction of the cost of something like the polished river stones that are often used. As for soaking the branches, Mary noted that luke warm water in the bathtub seemed to work the best.

A great attribute of centerpieces like this that Mary noted is that they can be put together in advance - a huge advantage for those who want to minimize things to worry about on the big day.

Mitsumata and Hanging Votives

DIY Hanging Votive Holders

Pruning Shears: Felco vs. the Knock Off

2008-09-24T12:51:00.007-04:00

Pruning shears are our main tools and last week I bought a couple of new pairs. Instead of choosing the classic, Swiss-made Felcos we usually buy (an old pair is on the right), I bought the knock off you see on the left, which were about a third of the price. We use and abuse pruning shears for hours every day, and I figured we should just go for the cheap ones and buy new shears more often, if necessary. After all, a brand new pair of knock off pruning shears should cut better than a beaten up old pair of the originals, right?

To our surprise the old Felcos still cut dramatically better than the new set of knock offs that looked nearly identical, and when you're trimming branches for hours every day, that makes a huge difference. We'll be sticking with Felco shears from now on, despite the fact that they cost almost three times as much as the knock off - apparently there's more to their price than just the "Swiss-Made" stamp.

STANLEY RUIZ | The Growth Series

2008-09-19T08:53:00.004-04:00

Stanley Ruiz has come up with a new line incorporating Manzanita Branches he's calling the growth series. Check out his site for more details.

Chuppa Construction: Attaching Fabric to the Poles

2008-09-10T09:06:00.004-04:00

Although chuppa poles are typically set in a stationary base, another alternative is to have friends or family hold the poles. However, this means that the chuppa poles are going to be moving around, which might tear the fabric.

On A Practical Wedding, there's a post describing a very clever way to attach the fabric to chuppa poles (in this case our Paper Birch Poles) that will be carried by friends or family - bungee cords.

The bungee cords help reduce the tension on the fabric, reducing the risk that it will tear. Head over to the post on A Practical Wedding for more of the details.

Also, here are a few related and relevant posts:

Birch Poles as Chuppa Poles - Two Better than One?

Securing Fabric to Chuppa

It's Not A Chuppa... Ok So It Kinda Is

Peeling Manzanita Branches

2008-08-19T15:41:00.004-04:00

When most trees and shrubs grow, they gradually shed their old bark in an unnoticeable manner. Manzanita and some other smooth barked trees and shrubs such as Sycamores and London Plane Trees, however, seem to shed an entire year's bark all at once when its most rapidly growing during the summer, revealing fresh new bark. Above is a particularly dramatic example of Manzanita shedding its old bark, revealing the fresh bark underneath.

Floral Foam and River Stones

2008-08-13T17:41:00.003-04:00

With relatively skinny vases (around 3" or less), you can usually just drop a bundle or two of our items in and call it a day. However, if you have a particularly low and wide container such as the one shown above, you'll definitely want to use floral foam topped with some attractive material such as river stones (which also add weight). Just cut the floral foam to size, place it in the bottom of the container, pour the stones or sand over the top, and start inserting your material. Here we were able to make a very nice looking display with just one bundle of our Twisted Willow Branches.

Grapewood Canopy

2008-07-23T13:41:00.004-04:00

Here's a picture of a canopy constructed of Grapewood Branches - quite cool!

Hanging Manzanita Branch

2008-07-11T15:49:00.002-04:00

Here's a cool display from the Fall 2008 CB2 catalog (page 71), made from a single large Sandblasted Manzanita Branch.

Palm Blades

2008-07-01T11:30:00.005-04:00

Palm Blades, shown here with Protea repens, are one of a few new items that are going to be added in the next week or so.

Sandblasted Redshank Branches

2008-06-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

Sandblasted Redshank is under-appreciated. It has a finish like that of Sandblasted Manzanita Branches, a nice "branchy" look, and best of all, the 6-7 foot size can ship via FedEx, keeping the overall cost reasonable. If you want to make a towering "crystal tree" without spending a fortune on Sandblasted Manzanita (or just want something very tall that looks like Sandblasted Manzanita), a group of Sandblasted Redshank Forks is a great alternative.

Here's how Sandblasted Redshank is used in the Japonais restaurant in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan, as viewed from the street:

And here are some more pictures of the installation from the restaurant's site:

It can be very difficult to make an impact in a space as big as this one, but the Sandblasted Redshank does a spectacular job.

Fresh Curly Willow Arch

2008-06-25T11:08:00.003-04:00

The branch connoisseurs that we are, we are often asked to identify branches. Here's a picture we recently received for analysis:

What's used here are Fresh Curly Willow Branches, which are typically available from late November through March. They can be bent fairly easily, making them a great choice for creating an arch.

If I were making this, I'd start with a bale of the 4-5' Fresh Curly Willow (10 bundles of 6-8 branches each). Then, I'd get a pair of attractive buckets or garden pots, fill them with plaster-of-paris or concrete, and set half a dozen or so branches in each one. Once the branches have set, I'd get out my cable ties, and start attaching branches until I have two columns that can be joined for the arch (each column would probably have to be at least 12 feet tall). Then I'd join the arch and put on the finishing touches, such as adding orchids (it looks like white dendrobiums were used here), and concealing the cable ties with something like ribbon or moss.

Building a Manzanita Tree

2008-06-20T10:14:00.009-04:00

A few months ago I came across a Manzanita Tree that was created by combining multiple smaller Manzanita Branches into one grand display. Rather than clustering branches together at the base as shown here or here, the Manzanita Branches were attached to each other to build the Manzanita Tree, producing something greater than the sum of its parts.

We created a quick-and-easy version by using nothing more than the 18-24" Sandblasted Manzanita Branches and our equivalent of duct tape - cable ties. Manzanita Branches are relatively light and exceptionally strong, so you can really pile the branches up without worrying about them drooping or breaking. Using 5 branches, we we created a display over three feet tall, almost as wide, and exceptionally full.

We used two or so cable ties to attach each branch, and pulled them tight with pliers. The translucent white cable ties blend in nicely with the light-colored Manzanita Branches.

The slightly rough sandblasted finish of the branches helps keep the branches from moving. We also tried this with Natural Manzanita Branches, but the smooth bark on those allows them to wiggle a little too much.

Birch Poles as Chuppa Poles - Two Better than One?

2008-06-13T18:07:00.011-04:00

Birch Poles make great chuppa poles and indeed, our 6-8' Paper Birch Poles make their way into quite a few chuppas. Typically, a single Birch Pole is used at each corner of the chuppa, such as in this post on Wedding Bee titled "It’s Not A Chuppah… Ok So It Kinda Is". One pole per corner has worked great for innumerable chuppas, but could two be better?

On my way through the flower district today, I came across these chuppa poles sitting outside a store that rents items for events, waiting to be put on a truck for their next assignment.

To answer the question posed in the title, "yes!" - two is better than one (unless people will be holding up the chuppa poles, of course, oh, and I am sure there are other circumstances as well, so perhaps the yes shouldn't be as emphatic, but generally, I reiterate, "yes!").

The first benefit is that pairs of Birch Poles can be matched to produce a fairly balanced set of chuppa poles. Like with any natural botanical item, individual Birch Poles have an inherent degree of variability (and that's much of the charm), that in a display can be averaged out by using more than one pole. Why wouldn't making chuppa poles from single, albeit relatively consistent Birch Poles be just as good as using pairs? Because...

The second benefit is that using a pair of Birch Poles will result in a much more substantial looking chuppa pole than a single Birch Pole - Birch Poles that can be shipped for less than a fortune typically start at 1.5 inches and top out at around 3 inches. Pairing individual Birch Poles will double the diameter of the resulting chuppa poles so they don't look too spindly to the guests at the back.

Last but not least, there is the symbolism of using pairs of poles to support the canopy. Weddings are very much about symbolism, and your chuppa poles are yet another opportunity to add some more to the ceremony - the more the marrier, I mean merrier.

Now onto the bases - nothing more than simple, inexpensive terra cotta garden pots filled with concrete (and painted white - time for a new coat of paint though).

Quite heavy, of course, but you want that to keep the chuppa stable, and you can put the groomsmen to good use moving them around. The pots are also relatively tall - about 18 inches, providing an opportunity to boost the poles up at least 6 inches or so. If you want an especially high canopy, all you'd need to do is set the bases in which the poles are secured onto another set of bases, such as an inverted flower pot covered in cloth.

Manzanita Branches in a Tall and Narrow Vase

2008-06-07T19:21:00.009-04:00

Manzanita Branches typically have a short stem ranging from a couple of inches to maybe six inches or so long. This means that you get a "branchier branch," but also makes it difficult to fit a set of Manzanita Branches into a narrow vase, and most importantly, keep them there and stable. While in many situations displaying Manzanita Branches in a short, wide vase works well, using a tall, narrow vase allows you to create a tall centerpiece with relatively short (and inexpensive) branches, and boost the centerpiece above the sightline so your guests aren't trying too peer through and around the branches to see each other.

Here we created a 4-5 foot tall, two foot or so diameter wide display by using three 24-36" Natural Manzanita branches ($150 for 12, and that INCLUDES the rather substantial shipping) and a 23" tall, 4" diameter vase.

To do this, we added a prosthetic stem of sorts to each Manzanita Branch, which greatly increased the stability of the Manzanita Branches, and then filled the vase with stones to conceal our work and weigh down the display. The supplies are pretty simple - sticks cut to length (in this case our Natural Burned Bamboo), cable ties, and pliers to help pull the cable ties tight.

Secure your prosthetic stem to the Manzanita Branch with a few cable ties. Repeat.

One down, two to go.

And here's the display before we added the stones. As mentioned previously, the vase we used (with a 4 inch outer diameter and a 3 inch or so inner diameter) was a bit too narrow - the branches filled up almost the entire opening making adding the stones rather tedious.

Natural Birch Branches - The Current Stock

2008-05-31T12:33:00.003-04:00

Recently we decided to get rid of species specific pages for birch branches, such as Yellow Birch, Paper Birch and Himalayan Birch and replace them with "Natural Birch Branches." While there are some subtle differences between the birch branches, functionally they aren't significant, so we figured an umbrella term would make the most sense. But being the branch connoisseur that I am, I feel it is my professional duty to let you know that we are changing our stock of "Natural Birch Branches" from Paper Birch Branches, to Yellow Birch from the southern Appalachians, which have exceptionally fine twigs.

STANLEY RUIZ | the new organic

2008-05-07T10:33:00.006-04:00

Contrast is a beautiful thing and the work of Stanley Ruiz harnesses it in a powerful manner. He contacted us the other day looking for a plentiful supply of twigs. We've accumulated quite a bit of sub-par Natural Manzanita Branches that we don't know what to do with and were enthusiastic about the prospect of someone doing something productive with them. He stopped by with a few of his simple metal prototypes. We handed over a few branches and some clippers, and he got to work. When he was done, we were amazed by what he produced. The contrast of smooth steel and gnarled branches, glaring white paint and warm and richly brown bark was spectacular. We hope to see a lot more of his work soon. Check out his site for more details.

Silk Flowers + Natural Birch Branches = "Faux-Real" Flowering Branches

2008-05-05T14:44:00.009-04:00

Flowering Branches such as Quince or Cherry look spectacular but are perishable and are only available for a short period during the spring. Artificial branches tend to either look, well, artificial, or are very expensive.

How about combining real branches such as Natural Birch Branches, with some inexpensive silk flowers? I picked up some really cheap generic silk flowers over in the Floral District, which cost $4.50 a bundle, after checking out some more expensive options such as Cymbidium Orchids, which cost $36/stem. As you can see, these silk flowers weren't anything spectacular:

Then I got out the glue gun and scissors, grabbed some Natural Birch Branches and went to work.

And after a few minutes of gluing...

... a pretty spectacular "faux-real" flowering branch. What makes this work so well despite using relatively cheap flowers is the fact that only a small portion of the branch is faux, while the vast majority of it is real. Now the math: One Natural Birch Branch at $.56/stem ($14.50 per bundle / 25 stems per bundle) + a few silk flowers adding up to $.25 or so + miscellaneous expenses = about $1.00. Not too bad!

Here we combined some of the branches with Fountain Grass for a nice, airy display evocative of spring or summer: