Do you have a cabin, cottage, or rustic space you need to decorate? Then head on over to the nearest wooded area and collect a bunch of fallen twigs and branches. From lighting to artwork, you can create decorating accessories to complement your rustic decor with natural materials. The best part about it – twigs and branches are free. Let me show you what you can do.
• Lighting
Every room needs a light source. You can use wood twigs to embellish an old lamp base or create a brand new one. It’s as easy as finding an old spindle base lamp, surrounding the spindle with upright pieces of twigs and gluing them in place. You can even wrap a bit of raffia or rope around the twigs to help keep them in place and give the lamp a little more interest. Top with a coordinating lamp shade and you’ve got yourself a terrific little lamp for your cottage or cabin.
You can also purchase a basic hanging lamp kit for about $10 from a local home improvement store and use twigs to build a free-form shade around it. Just make sure you keep the bulb a good distance from the twigs for safety – as with any lamp shade.
Don’t for get candle lighting. Set a branch on your table, then hot glue long, thin tapered candles throughout it. You can even spray paint the branch with a metallic finish to bring in a shiny element into your decor.
• Wall Art
Want instant and easy wall art? Salvage or build a simple wood picture frame and paint it to match your home’s decor. Then mount twigs and branches stretching from side-to-side of the frame in a free-form weave. There’s no need to fill in the entire opening of the frame – let your wall color show through the twigs and branches as part of the artwork. It’s a simple, easy and budget-friendly way to make any size artwork needed for any space.
You can also take twigs and branches and create a natural wood sculpture without a frame for your walls or mount just a few interesting branches on a framed, painted canvas. The choices are unlimited when creating artwork from natural materials.
• Hanging Apparatus
If you can locate some fairly straight branches, you’ve got what you need to make drapery rods or curtains holders. Keep them natural, stain or paint them to match your interior. Then gather a few more branches to make a mobile sculpture to hang from the ceiling with a bit of clear fishing line. Add birds to the branches or hang boats, stars or any other themed shape you desire.
• Frames
Here’s one more project; create or cover picture or mirror frames with twigs to bring a rustic charm to a bathroom or bedroom. All you’ll need is hot glue and twigs to give an old piece some new life.
Check out the pictures and inspiration for this article in the What to do with Twigs ideabook on Houzz. You’re sure to find a budget-friendly idea you’ll want to use in your cabin or cottage project.
Enjoy more home decor ideas from Terry Mulligan:
10 Tips to Take Your Next Decorating Project Over the Top
Fabulous Choices for Decorating with Throw Pillows
Budget-Friendly Dollar Store Finds Anyone Can Decorate With
