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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Ho Ho HO!

Here we go again... I found a bottle brush tree at Walmart this morning.

I remembered that I have enough Lycopodium to make one last Christmas Tree.

I purchased  a large bag a few years ago from HBS.  I ran across what was left when I was cleaning out.

This particular bottle brush tree has white paint stuck to the ends of the bristles.  I cut those off.
Then, starting at the bottom, I cut down branches of the Lycopodium to two or three stalks and started gluing them into the tree.  At the bottom, I had the branches pointing downward a bit.  Then I started raising them as I went towards the top.

Here you see that the branches are starting, gradually, to point upwards.
 By the time that I got to the top, the branches were pointing more or less upward.

At this point, it looks like a pine tree with a bad haircut!
I am now starting to trim the branches into a Christmas tree shape.

I am letting it dry now.  After it is a little dryer, I will start putting the pieces that I cur off, in the trimming, into the holes here and there that need more pieces.

After I like the shape, I will put it away until it is time for Christmas decorations.  Then Tessie and Zar will have at it.  I have all kinds of Christmas decorations.

For now, I am going back to Halloween planning.

See you tomorrow.

6 comments:

Phyllisa said...

Hi Casey. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I see you used a water-based glue for the tree branches. I did that once and the
tree rusted and fell apart about 2 years later. I had put many hours into making
that tree and it was beautiful. It was very disappointing. If I ever make another mini tree, I will use a different kind of glue.
Phyllisa

Giac said...

Hello Casey,
Yay! Christmas is coming!!!
Big hug
Giac

Caseymini said...

Phyllisa, I live in Arizona. Land of the dry. I have several of these trees. One is over twenty years old. They are all still in great shape. No problems here.

Caseymini said...

I forgot to ask. What rusted? The only metal in the ones that I use is the center stem. I don't glue the Lycopodium to that. I glue the branches to the bottle brush part.

claude said...

very good effect

Phyllisa said...

Hey Casey. I got out my mini Christmas tree that fell apart to be clear on my answer
to your question "What rusted?"
The tree is now in two parts, top and bottom. It broke several years ago and I didn't have the heart to throw it away. It's the center stem that rusted. It
appears I pushed the Lycopodium branches with the glue all the way to the stem. I
live in the Land of the Rain (Seattle, WA) area.
Lycopodium has been difficult to find around here. It may be possible I can separate
that from the bottle brush and redo my Christmas tree using non-water-based glue. It was so pretty decorated all in white, most of what I made..........glitter balls and icicles, fans, doves, crystal drops, a crystal bow topper and best of all, clear battery-powered lights. Very Posh Victorian for my Posh Victorian family in my big Victorian dollhouse.
Phyllisa