Crafter Bev Sexton, whose motto is "Cheap is good, but free is best," creates stylish but affordable household items from branches. Kitchen Rack Materials:
Four branches, each 2" or 3" in diameter
Four long 1/4" eyebolts with matching nuts (painted brown or black to match branches)
Four washers
Power drill
Twine
Four hooked lag screws
Four lengths of medium-weight chain (painted the same color as the ceiling)
Small cup hooks or wood screws for holding baskets or pots
Hacksaw
Raffia
- Cut the branches to the desired lengths--but don't make them identical in size, or the rack won't have the proper rustic appearance. The finished rack is rectangular, with two shorter branches placed on the ends. Because the rack will be fairly heavy, it should be hung from the studs in your ceiling (usually 16" apart), so its size must correspond to the distance between the studs.
- Place the branches in a rectangle, with the two shorter branches on top of the longer branches and a couple of inches extending beyond the corners. Drill holes all the way through both branches at the four corners.
- Insert the eyebolts from the top, and tighten on the underside with a nut and washer. Cut off any excess bolt with a hacksaw if necessary. Wrap raffia around the branches at the corners in an X configuration to give the appearance that the branches are tied together.
- Cut four lengths of chain measuring the distance from the ceiling to the desired height of the rack. Attach a length of chain to each of the four eye bolts by opening a link at the bottom, looping it over the eye bolt and then closing the link.
- Hold the rack up by the chains, and mark the ceiling.
- Insert hooked lag screws into the ceiling at the marks.
- Hang the rack by attaching the chain to the hooked lag screws.
- Place wood screws or cup hooks at desired locations around the rack to hang pots or baskets. Baskets may be hung from the corners of the branches.
Tips: - If you don't have any large trees, contact a commercial tree-trimming service to ask whether you can have some branches from its next tree removal. Check parks after summer storms for branches that have blown down.
- Eliminate insects by letting the branches sit outside in the sun for two weeks. The branches can also be put in a garbage bag containing mothballs to get rid of any bugs.
- If you're using birch branches, the bark may fall off over time. Cherry and apple will not lose their bark. A combination of different woods adds interest to the rack.
- If the rack is correctly screwed to the ceiling studs, it will hold quite a bit of weight. Bev had six heavy pots and 10 to 15 baskets hanging from hers.
Tripod To create a tripod to hold a picture frame or collectible, cut three twigs all the same length. Two of the twigs must have a Y shape to hold the picture frame. Hold the three twigs together with the back tripod twig between the two Y-shaped twigs to form a tripod. Wrap twine or raffia around the three twigs at the top to secure them. Place a picture frame on the tripod, using the Y-shaped twigs as the support. Twig Handles Cut lengths of twigs with pruning shears and use sandpaper or a drum sander to sand the ends. Insert screws from the inside of the cupboard or drawer just as you would with a regular handle, and screw them into the twig. Place the twig horizontally or vertically, as you wish. Curtain Brackets and Rod Cut two Y-shaped branches, and place one at the top of each side of a window to create a curtain-rod bracket. You can use a table saw to flatten the side of the twig that will be attached to the wall, if desired. Drill two holes in the branch at top and bottom, then secure it to the wall studs with screws. Lay a curtain rod across the holders or substitute a branch for the curtain rod. Potpourri Holder Place herbs, flowers and other potpourri ingredients between two pieces of screen. Use twigs around the front of the screen for decoration, tied in place with raffia at the corners. Place the potpourri holder on a twig tripod. Keepsake Holder Use two pieces of corrugated cardboard for the front and back of a keepsake holder that's made like a book. Place brown lunch bags between the cardboard pieces, with the open ends of the bags facing right. Cut a twig in half horizontally, and sandwich the cardboard covers and pages between the two twig halves. Secure with bolts screwed into the twigs from the back, all the way through the cardboard covers and lunch bag pages and into the twig half on the front of the book. Hot-glue a raffia bow and berry embellishments to the twig half on the front. Punch holes through the center of the edges of the cardboard covers and lunch bags on the right side of the book, run a piece of raffia through all the holes, and tie into a bow. Welcome Sign Find a weathered board about 24" long by 6" wide. If you can't find an old board, paint a new one, then set it under a sprinkler, put it in the sun for a couple of weeks, and let it weather. With a pencil, sketch welcome on the board as a pattern. Cut pieces of twigs with clippers and piece together on the pattern. Using small nails, attach the twigs to the board. Use screw-in rings on the back to hang.
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