A Wedding Gift: Dream Trees pt 2

Amanda and Tim not only love each other, they love trees. They also love dreaming and making those dreams become reality.


What better gift for these two than a crystal dream tree?

In case you haven't heard of a dream tree... it is meant to help your dreams grow. Write your dream down, place it under the tree, and the tree will help your dreams take root and grow into fruition.

This tree was made by twisting aventurine chips and jasper rounds onto permanently colored copper wire, twisting those branches into larger branches and finally into a trunk.  (The tree is worked from the top down.)  The wires at the bottom of the trunk are splayed and set into plaster.  While the plaster is setting, add bits of gravel to the top.  After a day or two of drying, coat the gravel with glue to keep it from coming loose.  It gives the gravel a bit of shine, and if you are not going to be shipping it, you could skip that step.

See?  Those other trees really WERE for practice! ;o)

By popular demand... here is a more detailed step by step.  If you would prefer a Word document, let me know and I can send it to you via email. 

Materials:

60 drilled chips or beads (I used aventurine chips and round jasper beads)
60 feet of wire, 26 gauge (I used permanently colored copper wire)
Plaster of Paris
Gravel or small stones
Container (I used a basic pottery drip tray because it is wider than deep – but you can use anything that will hold plaster… get creative!)

Tools:
Wire cutters
Check plaster instructions for supplies needed to mix plaster. Use disposable tools.

Tip:
Wire will harden as you work it, so twist just enough to hold each step.

Instructions:

• Cut wire into 12 inch lengths
• Slide one bead onto one length of wire and carefully twist the wire 3 times to secure the bead, leave remaining wire loose for now. Make 60.
• Hold 3 wired beads together, grasping about a half inch below the beads, twist 3 times to secure them together. Make 20.
• Hold 3 bundles of 3 beads together, grasping at the bottom of the previous twist, twist 3 times to secure them together. Make 6 bundles of 3 and 1 bundle of 2.
• Hold 2 bundles of 3 together, grasping at the bottom of the previous twist, twist 3 times to secure them together. Make 2.
• Place the 1 bundle of 2 between the last 2 bundles of 3, grasping at the bottom of the previous twist, twist 3 times to secure them together.
• You should have one branch with 3 bundles, and two branches with 2 bundles.
• With the 3 bundle branch in the center, twist all bundles together to within an inch or so of the bottom of all the wires. Spread the last inch of wires out like roots, and branches out as well.
• Mix plaster according to package directions.
• Hold or prop tree in container, pour plaster, and let set for a few minutes before adding gravel.
• Let dry completely before coating gravel or making final adjustments on branches.
• Final tree is about 6 inches high.