TECHNIQUES: Making a Card Tree
Branches
Galvanized florist's bucket or other container
Stones
Assorted ribbons
Christmas cards
Hole punch
Beads
26-gauge wire
Branches containing berries will need some water. Branches without berries will not. Weigh down a bucket with some stones before inserting branches into it.
Choose any ribbon color scheme you like. For top-folding cards, punch a hole through the top of the card. You can do this with side-folding cards as well. If you still want to be able to read a side-folding card, punch a hole through the top left corner instead. You can also punch two holes at the top and bottom of the fold and thread ribbon through from top to bottom. Knot or tape the bottom, and make a loop at the top.
String a length of ribbon through the hole, and thread the ends through a bead or two. If a bead has a narrow opening, take about a foot of 26-gauge wire, and fold it in half. Stick the loop through the bead, thread your ribbon through the loop, and pull the ribbon back through the bead (it's just like a needle threader). Tie the ribbon ends in a knot or a bow. We used unfinished-wood craft-store beads, which we tossed in a little bowl of wood stain, then removed and dried. You can alternate using beads on some cards and a simple bow or knot on others. Arrange on tree.
