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Bead-and-Glitter Fruit Tree

This tabletop decoration was like putting together a puzzle
from thrift-shop bead and glitter fruit.

Every time I saw this type of sparkling fruit decoration
at a good price, I added it to my stash.

Looks even better in real life and is fun to work with.

I found some on eBay and a box of smaller glitter fruit
at Michaels too. At last I had enough for a Williamsburg
style table-top fruit tree decoration.

I made my bead-and-glitter fruit tree of:
• 16 pieces of actual-size fruit, which I called "large"
• 30 pieces of medium, or smaller fruit
• 30 pieces of very small fruit, like clusters of berries and grapes
• 30 faux twig branches (mine had crystals attached)
• 30 glass beads in red, green, blue, old, and clear (optional)
• Beadalon wire for attaching glass beads (optional)
• Tulip dimensional fabric paint, glow-in-the dark (optional)
• 2 strands of battery operated wreath lights (optional)
• hot glue

This was the "Charlie Brown" faux tree I used as a base.
It was shaped like a paper towel holder made of wood as shown
in the inset, with twiggy glittered branches attached.

You can easily duplicate the look of my tree with a paper towel holder
to which you've glued about 5 inches of extension
(from a dowel or stick) to the top.
The tree I made is about 18-inches tall.

Here's how I started … gluing the larger fruit around the base.

My twigs were too long, so I trimmed them back to about 1-2"
beyond the fruit stack.

When I had about half of the tree completed, I wove two
sets of string lights under the fruit (right), and also
began wiring on glass beads (left).

I finished each twig end with a drop of dimensional fabric paint.
These tiny globes add great texture and will also glow in the dark.

Switch on the lights and let it sparkle!

– Shop with Sweet Home Stephie McCarthy –

 

 

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