Give Old Parts New Life

It is fairly common for holiday decor to wear out or end up with missing pieces.  Maybe you've got an artificial tree that has too many missing branches to use any longer.  Try to re-purpose some of those stray parts outdoors to spruce up your yard.  It's a great way to prolong the life of your decor without spending money on something that will likely take a beating from the elements. 

I transition the things in my yard with the seasons.  I start to imagine what kind of holiday touches I can add to my yard as I begin putting away all the summer and fall items.  I like to swag old garlands from the arbor or along my fence and hang wreaths from old window panes. 

Place an old wreath into a birdbath.

Remember that tree that was missing branches?  Those branches are perfect for sticking into window boxes and planters.  Simply fluff them up and position them into the dirt. 

Add pine branches to a wooden box or bucket

You can also take a few different sized branches and create your own pine sprays.   Here's how I created one for my fence piece.

1.  Fluff three branches (2 long and one short) with the back side remaing flat.

2. Interlock the two larger branches together, side by side.  Hold them together by twisting a few of the branches from each piece with the other.

3. Interlock the smaller piece in the opposite direction, covering the exposed wire ends of the two longer pieces.

4. Manipulate the branches as needed on the back to hold the exposed wire ends into place and conceal them from the front. 

5. Attach a piece of wire from behind to aid in hanging the spray.



6. Hang your spray and decorate it how you wish.  I'll add bows and lights to this later.

Here are some images of my yard in the Fall.  Check back later to see the transformation for Christmas.