Tree of Life A Beadwrangler Workshop |
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| Before | After | ||
Tree of Life A Beadwrangler Workshop |
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| Before | After | ||
| The Junction |
Workshop Index |
BeadArt Workshops |
NeedleArt Workshops |
FiberArt Workshops |
BeadCrochet Workshops |
| Wrapping a wire tree
offers new avenues for creativity that is easy and fun. It can be a free standing
sculpture and also used for ornamentation and decoration as well. Wrapping a tree is easy,
it just takes time to complete the wrapping with repetitive movements. You can hang
earrings and necklaces on the tree, small decorations, miniature dolls, whatever you
prefer. You can purchase a wire coated tree at most craft stores during holiday seasons. They are usually 9" to 12" in height. At Halloween time you will usually find black trees with limbs all knurled. At Easter the trees are white, trunks thinner and branches more petite. At Christmas there are green wire trees that work. I wrapped a black Halloween tree from a Michael’s store. The tree tended to list to one side so I bent the limbs here and there and also had to add weight to the roots on the bottom. Then I picked some yarn and began wrapping. |
| Wrapping a
tree is very easy. First pick out a yarn that is not so thick it bulks up around the tree
too much and not so thin it takes forever for coverage. Lay a piece of yarn flat and
measure across it, 1/8" thickness works well. Use any type yarn, one that has a
metallic thread incorporated into the fiber will be stronger and help hold the fiber taut.
The tree can also be wrapped with yarn and then wrapped with metallic thread over the yarn
to help stabilize it. Do not pick a fiber that catches dust easy or will grab earrings and
other objects you want to hang on the tree. Mohair and other fuzzy yarns are a no go
unless you are planning to use it only as a sculpture. Cottons, rayons, synthetics and
even silk work. If you are using fragile fibers, remember to dust the tree regularly or store it when not in use. Do not wrap it with plastic when storing it, fibers need to breathe. I store my fibers in two cabinets that keep the dust out and the yarn and fiber items stored on shelves You can start with a yarn ball and will eventually have to work with cut pieces of yarn. Take a ball of yarn and at the cut end, place it around the base of the tree right before the tree roots. With your other hand, hold that cut end. Then take the ball and wrap over the cut end and then begin to wrap around the tree. You can wrap all the way up the trunk and over onto some of the branches. When you find the yarn unmanageable in a ball, cut the yarn leaving a 3" tail where you stopped wrapping. Thread a tapestry needle and take the end of the yarn through the last wrapped section on the tree. Cut off the excess thread sticking out between the wrapped section. Cut a length of yarn, about 1 ˝ yards and string on a tapestry needle. Take the needle through the last wrapped section and begin wrapping again. Each time you run out of yarn, leave enough to take through the last wrapped area. Work the bottom of the tree, the roots the same way. You can also do needle weaving and stitchery to the tree roots. If the tree is listing to one side, add washers as weights to the underneath portion of the tree roots and cover them with yarn too.. When working the tree limbs, if the yarn is plied, you can take the yarn apart and used a thinner portion for the limbs. You can also use a different yarn that is thinner and add a little of the thicker yarn used in the tree trunk and roots to bring it all together. You could bead on parts of the tree or you could even bead the whole tree. Be sure you shape it exactly as you want it before you start beading. Do not reshape the tree after you bead it, it will pull the beading thread too much. You could also do a part fiber and part beaded tree. Experiment, have fun and see what you ideas you will come up with from wrapping this tree.
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