My Blessing Tree for Thanksgiving

      This year I decided to craft a "Blessing tree" or as some folks might call it a "Thanksgiving tree." I took the opportunity of using branches my husband trimmed from our overgrown fire bushes this month. These branches needed to be reinforced with wire and masking tape so that they could hold the weight of ornaments. 

      This is actually a very easy process if you have a proper pair of wire cutters. Simply bend your wire to match the curves of the branches and then twist the masking tape around both the wire and branch firmly. Then use a decorative paper to wrap the branches with while applying white glue along the length of every branch.
      I brushed on a second coat of glue and let the branches to dry completely before displaying them along with a store bought branch that I had purchased for it's silk autumn leaves. If I had purchased more than one of these prefabricated branches, my project would have cost more than I had budgeted for. Besides, I think that my Thanksgiving ornaments will look nicer among the bare branches. 

      I also covered the prefabricated branch with the same paper and white glue in order to give a cohesive look to my display.

Left, the fancy brown paper I selected to paper mache my branches with. Center, the wired branches in progress. Right, the lovely silk, Autumn leaves attached to my one prefabricated branch. I purchased this one from Hobby Lobby.

I decided to set my Fall display with Indian corn, a few Shaker boxes and some very large pine cones.

Here is my final result. I will post more pictures here as soon as I have decorated this little Blessing tree.

Left, My Blessing tree for Thanksgiving 2014. Center, Glass blown cross painted in copper, there are 3 on this tree. Right, My husband added a delicate bird's nest to the arrangement for luck which is a German tradition.

      "My name is Sarah Noëlle and this is my cover of Robert Robinson and John Wyeth's hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (1757). I was given the opportunity to sing this song at my sister's wedding and I fell in love with it!" (What a lovely voice this young lady has!)

Related Links:

• A Thanksgiving Tree Prayer by Mary Caroline Merrick 
• You can visit my Easter pages to see an Egg tree that I made with a similar process here.