How To “Frost” Branches

Note: Since this was written I tried another group of branches that turned out much, MUCH better! I hope you check out How To Frost Branches – The Right Way.

How much time do you spend visiting blogs? I try and tell myself that, as a blogger, it’s part of the ‘job’. It’s my private little justification for my daily obsession reading my ‘regulars’ and visiting a handful (or two) of new blogs via link parties.

And let’s not even talk about Pinterest! But around the holidays, it’s gets totally out of hand. I could literally spend hours each day bloghopping. And that’s just the DIY/craft/home décor blogs.

Try as I might to stay focused on my To-Do lists – yes, lists, plural – inevitably I run across a project I’ve just gotta try.

Like this one - Make Your Own Frosty Icy Branches by Viv at The V Spot.

I already had this pine branch I used for Halloween.

 

I had already sprayed some branches silver when I came across The V Spot. And they probably would’ve been just fine for the dining room where I’m breaking with the red & gold tradition.

But ‘frosty icy’ branches? How cool would that be? And, seriously, how long could it take, right?

So, in between windstorms, I grabbed an old cardboard box and a few sheets of freezer paper.

Am I the only one who just figured out that if you push those perforated spots in on the ends of plastic wrap, foil, etc., the roll stays in place?

Just sayin’ . . .

Since I was squeezing this project in between Christmas decorating and my regular paint work, I used what I had on hand:

• epsom salts
• spray adhesive
• fine white glitter

Vivien used coarse white glitter and iridescent fine glitter. She also sprayed her branches white. But I went with what I had on hand hoped for the best. Like most of my projects.

One other note: my epsom salts were less granular than Viv’s. But after reading her comments I learned that heat does that to epsom salts.

Oh yes, besides bloghopping I like to read blog comments too. It’s amazing what you can learn from commenters.

One more note: I didn’t go back and read Viv’s instructions before diving in. So I just sprayed the glue on the silver branches, then sprinkled the epsom salts and then the glitter.

 

So after one spray-and-sprinkle I just combined my epsom salts & glitter into my reserve cup and used the combination on the rest of the branches.

Not too shabby – for not following directions, that is.

 

I grabbed the same stenciled vase I used for Halloween.

And randomly threw on strategically placed some turquoise, white & silver ornaments.

Hung the formerlyblacknowsilverwithsprinkles pine branch on the wall, along with a few ornaments.

The branches are light and airy. Quite a difference from my normal fussy Christmas décor. I’m also loving the white, silver and turquoise.

But I need to gather some branches off the driveway that will be better balanced in the vase.

While I’m at it, I might as well get some new epsom salts and coarse glitter too, right? Then I can make some other epsom salt decorations.

I mean, it’s not like I have anything else to do like, say, clear the clutter from the buffet.

focus.focus.focus.