Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

DIY: Gilded Tree, Inspired by Nature

Search

Start typing to search...

Search
ThujaIssue 101 — Deck the Halls

DIY: Gilded Tree, Inspired by Nature

December 7, 2021

Inspired by the natural and unruly beauty of our new, live Christmas tree, the kids and I decided to create a series of handmade ornaments that were equally organic. But we also felt that our elegant evergreen deserved a little holiday sparkle. So we created gilded adornments, fit for a queen.

Photography by Justine Hand.

Above: Supplies for gilding ornaments. (Well, most of them.)

At first, the kids and I thought we were just going to give a few nuts a golden veneer. But from there the concept grew.

Above: Solvi gets started, painting a walnut with Martha Stewart Metallic Craft Paint.
Above: Solvi starts on another nut.
Above: Home from school, Oliver joins in. (By now we had added beechnuts.)
Above: Drying time–our walnut ornaments were completed with a small brass nail, a bit of glue, and Angela Liguori‘s metallic cotton ribbon in 2/8 inch.
Above: Trimmed in gold, our giant thuja tree is simple, yet elegant.
Above: I contributed the reindeer garland, made with a template from Lilla A’s Blog, an X-Acto knife, a paper bag, and some golden, silk thread.
Above: The lightest touch, simple leaf skeletons are adorned with golden glitter.

I actually bought these leaves while in New York City for the Remodelista book launch. Unfortunately, ABC Carpet and Home doesn’t offer them on its website, but these delicate ornaments would be easy to make. Leaf Veins offers many exotic leaf skeletons including a Pack of 20 Rubber Leaves similar to the ones above; $2.18.

Above: Just the right touch, Angela Liguori’s metallic cotton ribbon is also available in silver.
Above: With the golden beechnuts, we made a garland by wrapping brass wire from Michael’s around each stem.
Above: Our live tree graced the corner of our dining room for a few days before planting. To read more about the process of picking, caring for and planting a live tree, see DIY: Plant Your Christmas Tree in the Garden.

For more on decorating for the holidays, see:

N.B.: This post has been updated with new links; it was first published December 2013.

(Visited 1,269 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection

Product summary  

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

Holiday Gift Guide 2021: 10 Ideas for the Nature Lover In Your Life

December 6, 2021
Next Post

Garden Visit: Clarke de Mornay's Tropical Potted Patio in San Francisco

December 8, 2021

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

Related Stories

Read all recent posts

join us on Instagram Logo

gardenista_sourcebook

Sourcebook for Cultivated Living, sister site to @remodelista
Tag us using #gardenista 🌿🌱

Gardens & Outdoor Living

v5.0

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack