Branches as Beach Decor

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. 

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Beach Centerpiece with Fountain Grass and Corkscrew Willow

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. 

Red Manzanita Centerpiece

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...