Looking for home decor ideas for your favorite collectibles? Create this beautiful DIY wire willow tree with our tutorial. All in all, it’s a stunning display accessory for your treasured Willow Tree® collectibles!
Spun glass icicle ornaments complete the look of wispy weeping willows in this unique wire willow tree! Each artful twist reflects stunning prisms of light that perfectly compliment the simple, suggestive forms of Susan Lordi’s lovely Willow Tree® collection.
DIY Wire Willow Tree
Materials
- Wire – The heavier the ornaments you hang, the sturdier you need your wire. We used 72 yards of a combination of 18- and 20- gauge wires.
- Wire cutters
- Tools to help grip/twist the wire
- Hollow tubing rods glued together with 5 Minute Epoxy.
- Wood for the base
- Assortment of spun glass icicle ornaments
Steps
1 | PREPARE
First, cut wire in approximate 5′ lengths. (The thicker the wire, the longer it should be trimmed.)
2| CREATE
Next, locate the center of the wire and begin twisting. We used a pencil to create a loop at the midway point to suspend ornaments from. (You can also string a bead to create a “blossom” tree.) In the same way, repeat this for all strands of wire.
3| TWIST
Then take two strands and twist them together a little further. Now repeat this step using all strands, including a third in some for diversity.
4| ASSEMBLE
Continue twisting irregular sections together until you have three basic “big” branches.
5| SECURE
Now isolate a few wires from each main branch and feed them through the hollow rod for added support. (Our rods were three different sizes so we were able to fit 6, 4, and 2.) To clarify, these wires will later become the “roots.”
6| COVER
Finally, twist the remaining wire from the three main branches in sections covering the rod to create the trunk.
7| FINISH TREE BASE
First, feed the tree trunk into a wood base pre-drilled with a hole and grooves to feed the roots to the outer edge. Next, twist “root” wires from inside rods together some ways, then “branch” off, continuing to twist and trimming ends at desired length.
*Moreover, if you desire to have more roots, you can cut longer sections of wire to begin with or shorten the rods to allow the length of the wire to stretch further. In this case, you would rejoin the trunk wires and those pulled through the rods to create the roots. Or simply add new sections of wire at the base.
8| ADD ICICLE WILLOWS
Using fish-line, tie icicle ornaments to each wire loop to create weeping willows. As a result, your DIY wire willow tree is complete!
Willow Tree® Collectibles
Want more? With this in mind, we’ve shared more Willow Tree® display ideas in this past post you’re sure to love!
SPOOKtacular Weeping Willow
What’s more, here’s a twist! Create an eerie version for your Department 56 Halloween village by using a thinner gauge of wire and silver angel hair strands. To note, metal rods are not necessary in this variation. Simply continue twisting the “trunk” wires until they coil into a gnarly display.
