Card Trees, Take Three

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

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. 

Wedding Card Trees - Take Two

There are always lots of cards at weddings, whether they be place cards, escort cards, or cards on which your guests have written their wishes for the bride and groom. While you could just arrange the cards on a table, a clever way to do it is to display them on branches. For this, Natural Manzanita seems to be most frequently used. Here's an example of Natural Manzanita being used in this way from Style Me Pretty, and here's a picture of Natural Manzanita being used again from The Knot.

We love Natural Manzanita, of course, but its dense branchiness limits the number of cards you can display on them (likely 10-15 per arrangement of 3 branches of the 18-24" size) - if you are going to have a lot of guests, that adds up to a lot of different displays. While you could use larger Natural Manzanita branches, once you go over the 36-42" they have to go via basis freight which really adds to the cost.

Although Manzanita is one of the best choices for hanging heavy objects like crystals, cards are light enough so pretty much any branch will do. Here's a previous post where we created a card display out of brushy birch branches. Now here's our latest version, using three branches of Brown Kuwa ($14.50 for a bundle of 5), small black cable ties, and paper clips (and some business cards, standing in):

As you can see, for each branch, you can fit A LOT of cards - 15 to 20, so for each display you can probably fit 50-60 cards. And here's a close-up:

Kuwa lacks any side branches, allowing guests to easily reach in and take their card, or place a card. We skipped string altogether, which would likely get tangled. The paper clips allow the cards to be easily attached and removed - no fussing with knots required. As for the cable ties, you could use string, wire or ribbon to attach the paper clips, but the cable ties allow them to be quickly and tightly attached to the branches - a tight fit is important if you want to adjust the angle of the paper clips. If you are going to use a light colored branch such as Natural Kuwa or Mitsumata, you should opt for the white cable ties if you want them to blend in.

Total cost to display 50-60 cards? Under $25, including the vase.

P.S. - Of course you can use this as a cool way to display your business cards, as shown here.

Card Trees / Wish Trees

Branches are a fantastic means for displaying escort cards, and are what you need for creating a "wish tree" where your guests hang little notes on branches.



Here's what we used to create this display:

1. 6-10 stems Brushy Birch Branches (a bundle has 20-25);
2. A square gold pot;
3. Heavy-duty floral foam;
4. River Stones; and
5. Paper clips.

And here's what you need to do:

1. Open the Brushy Birch Branches.
2. Slice of a piece of floral foam 1-2" thick to fit into the bottom of the pot. A butter knife works just fine.
3. Pour an inch or so of the stones over the floral foam.
   
4. Push the Brushy Birch Branches through the floral foam, and repeat and rearrange until you have a configuration you like.
5. Pour the remainder of the stones into the pot and around the branches.

Now you have your display. Most of what we've heard and read about Card Trees or Wish Trees involves having the guests untying or tying their cards. This means that you'll not only have to punch holes through your cards, but your guests will have to fuss with the knots, which could be a bit difficult for older members of the party, after a few glasses of champagne, and in the romantic low light.

Instead, make the connection to the card with a paper clip so your guests can effortlessly pull the cards off, or put them on. If you want the look of the ribbon or string, you can simply tie the paper clip on at the end. You'll minimize the fussing of your guests and end up with much prettier bows.

Also, if you are going to have a ton of cards, make multiple displays (you can get 2-3 of what's shown above out of one bundle of the Brushy Birch Branches), and group the cards alphabetically. This will help prevent bottlenecks.

Manzanita is also another candidate for a Card Tree or Wish Tree. Here's a picture of Escort Card Trees made from Natural Manzanita. Ours tends to be more dense, so you may have to get out your clippers to do a little pruning to make space for the cards.