I typically prefer real over faux, but in the case of this shady corner of our dining nook I needed something fake. I had my living fiddle leaf fig in this corner for a while and an olive tree for a little bit and nothing thrives here due to the lack of sunlight.
So, I began looking for a realistic faux tree to add some height to this corner and couldn’t believe how pricey they are! A 7 foot tree is easily $150-$200. I’m all about doing things on a budget and created this one for under $40! I always prefer DIY’s to store bought too. I feel like they are so much more unique.
I was keeping my eye out for a large branch that had a good shape and found the perfect branch while on a walk one day. It had been extremely windy and it was laying under what I believe was a river birch tree.
I then ordered these 45 inch faux ficus stems from Amazon. They were a great price of $35 for a 9 pack (Note: I only used 4 out of this 9 pack).
I began cutting the stems apart into smaller sections with the tool provided in the kit.
I then attached the stem piece to my brach at a point where the branch naturally split.
If the branch piece was longer than the stem I trimmed it to make it look as if the leaves were growing out of the end of the tree branch.
I only used the precut floral wire to attach the stems. It was so easy to just grab one and start wrapping. This process went by pretty quickly and I had achieved a look that I liked in about 45 minutes.
As you can see, I trimmed off some of the bottom branches to give it more of a tree shape. I ended up just using 4 stems out of the 9 pack that I ordered. A sparse look is what I wanted so I left it at that.
Here are some close ups of the stems attached to the branch.
Next, I bought this 8 inch planter and some Sakrete from Lowes to set the tree in a base.
We used some scrap wood and clamps to brace the tree in place while the sakrete dried.
The next day, I brought it inside and placed it in this urn planter from Home Depot that I DIY’d over the summer. Watch the reel HERE.
I then filled in the large spaces with some old grocery bags and then topped it off with some Spanish moss.
Just what this shady corner needed. It adds just the right amount of height and interest.
Cost Breakdown
Branch: Free
Stems: $21.99
Floral Wire Kit: $9.99
Planter $3.78
Sakrete: $3.98
Total: $39.74
This tree is about 7 feet tall and faux trees this size cost anywhere from $100-$200.
Supplies & Other Links
Click HERE for my supply list and other links seen in this post.
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