My Junk Tree

Most of my family and some of my friends think I have a screw loose. Then when I suggested that we make a Junk Tree (a tree that has a base of an old wooden ladder), they really thought I had lost it.  They said it couldn't be done.  Well I have the proof in pictures.  I love it and I really don't care if the family turns their nose up at it.  They have their real tree in the living room.  But as time goes by I think it is beginning to grow on them.

First obstacle...find a spot large enough to handle the ladder.  Second problem...I wanted to use real branches from all the cuttings from the bottoms of Christmas trees from tree lots.  Once I really thought it thru ....there is no way to do it...real things need to be watered..a lot.  So I started dismembering our fake tree.  I put the pole in the center to fill in and be a holder of the limbs that I shoved in between the rungs of the ladder.

I recycled some scrap fabric to make garland and the old spools are from a find at the World's Longest Yard Sale last summer.

I have tons and tons of old tarnished silverware that I use for wind chimes.

I thought that Bryce's first pair of shoes would fill up a pretty big hole.

Button garland from some of my mom's old buttons.  then I made more garland from fabric scraps, and old pillow case and some burlap.

My grandmother made me lots of snowflakes when we were first married.

 

Skeleton keys for my red headed next door neighbor son, Luke.

Our tree topper snow angel from  few years ago.

My friends are so special.  They know just what I love.  Betsy gave me this old stick star.

My mom's license plate from the year that she passed  is front and center.

My favorites, tin icicles from Shakertown in Harrodsburg, KY.

The yahoos and I made cinnamon star ornaments this week.

 

Our tree was more than pleasingly plump until I put the tallest nutcracker that Michael owns on top.  and look Boomerang is high on the top of the ladder too.

An old pastry cutter from my father-in-law.

A rusty old bed spring from one of the clematis trellises in the yard

A pair of old key skates that I picked up at Goodwill on Senior Citizen 50% off Sunday Sale.

Look really close can you find the old potato masher?

Another treasure from my father-in-law.

A rusty old birdhouse from the yard.

An old tarnished cake server held in place by one of my old wooden clothes pins.

There are lots more things...and old bird nest along with an old green birdhouse, our first red and white Aunt Jemimah tree top angel, a vase made from a cleaned out light bulb, and one of the quilts I made while we lived in WI surrounds the bottom of the ladder.  I love it and I am already planning the one for next year.

 

I wish I could take credit for this brilliant idea but I can't...I found the idea on Pinterest.