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So I have fallen in love with bottle brush trees. I have started collecting them the last few years. Picking them up here and there and adding to my collection.
But I wanted more.
I was having a hard time finding anything but the dark green ones they sell by the bagful to use with your Christmas village. So I bought a bag of those for $10.00 as they were 50% off at Michaels and decided to try some DIY Bottle Brush Christmas Trees.
I didn’t want dark green trees though. I wanted more of a vintage look to the trees so a friend told me you could bleach them so I decided to give it a try. Guess what?! It works!!!
I put together a mixture of 80%bleach and 20%water in a bowl. I then added in the trees and waited.
Let them sit for several minutes and they will magically turn into this!
Use your metal tongs to remove them from the bleach and then rinse under water.
You can pull them out before they turn totally white if you like. I did that on a few of them.
Your bleach mixture will get dirty and sludgie as you go. If you are doing a lot you may need to change your mixture out part way through. The dirtier the mixture gets the longer it will take for the trees to bleach out.
For the bigger trees you may have to get creative with your container.
I love my little forest of bottle brush trees.
I love the vintagey look of the creamy white trees but if you want a more colorful forest get out some spray paint and paint away or even use Rit dye. You even add little beads or jewels to them to dress them up.
I decided to use them to dress up my mantel in the family room.
Let’s just say the lighting is less than favorable in my family room even on a sunny day so please excuse the mediocre photos.
I love my little forest.
I can’t wait until my paperwhites and hyacinth bulbs fill in the space on both ends of my mantel
Also, loving my new joy frame! Thanks to Pinterest for that one. I found the cute heart shaped wreath at Cost Plus World Market!
I got a little sidelined with my holiday decorating due to Jim’s emergency eye surgery and decorating for the church Christmas party this week but I’ll be back the first of next week with a complete tour of my holiday decor for you!
Enjoy!
Leigh Anne
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Awesome idea! Now I’m on the hunt.
Thanks for sharing
I have seen them both at Joannes and Michaels – have fun!
Love it! Thanks!
Great idea! Very sweet decorating, too:)
Your mantle has that great vintage look. I’m a pinecone girl too. Seeing your pictures reminded me that I forgot to force paperwhites. Love the bottle brush trees and the wreath on the chalkboard.
Valerie – plant some paperwhites now – you’ll have them for New Years!
I love your trees! I’m heading to Michaels today and will see if I can find some. Great idea to bleach them! I’ve also seen them at Wal-Mart. We didn’t get a tree this year because we won’t be here but those little ones would be just the thing!
I think some little bottle brush trees would be a fun replacement for a full size tree!!
Oh. My. Goodness!!!! That is awesomeness! Thank you so much for posting this! I truly love this. I love those old vintage trees….now I can make my own…so sweet! I’m like so ready to go to Michael’s craft store now! LOL
Bonnie@WhatAboutPie recently posted..gingerbread cookies, old recipe, new designs
Bonnie – have fun with your trees!!
Love your photos and all of your ideas!! Could you possibly take pictures of the Christmas party you helped decorate……….always in need of those kind of ideas!!!
Patti – I took a few photos and I’ll post them – do you follow me on Facebook. May just post them there.
love this technique Leigh…made a few this year….thank you so much for sharing.
and that picture of you at the end of the post is just TOO adorable….talk to you very soon…xo
Thanks Lucy!
Wow, you are so clever! Love the look. Thanks for the great idea!
Yes, how very clever! Lovely!
I do love how these turned out. I had read about the bleach ideaand wondered if it worked. Now I can’t wait to try it on the new trees I have here.
Ruth
Ruth recently posted..Winter Tulle Wreath & a Gift
I can’t wait to do another batch and this time I think I’ll try dying them.
I am in love with your blog!!! First the Peppermint Ice Cream and now this! Those Trees are perfect! The ones in the specialty stores that look like that are a crazy $5 each! Thanks so much for sharing this great tip! Thanks fro linking to Show Me Your Plaid Monday’s!
Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen recently posted..Show Me Your Plaid Monday’s #2
I like it, I like it. You’ll be happy to know I still decorate my living room for Christmas with the stuff you bought. I took photos so I could recreate it. I even put up the long garland on the banister to downstairs. Although my bows are a bit pathetic.
So glad you liked the Christmas decor!