Well, as you can see, I finally finished what I’d begun several months ago. The entire project took me about 70 hours to complete, and I am so happy to finally be done. I don’t have a passion for drawing or painting, but I do have a passion for mixed media, which helped drive the momentum for this project. The slideshow was created for a couple of different class assignments, which is one of the reasons I’m sharing it here. This project is something that I loved doing, and I’m excited for whatever comes next. I hope you all enjoy this little peek at the process.
If any of you are wanting to create something similar, here is a list of the products I used, and some of the unaffiliated links for purchasing those items.
Before I started my dresser project, I had no idea how to design a dresser that resembled a bookshelf, and yet that was my ultimate goal. I spent a lot of time searching online for examples of others’ work. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anybody who had done what I wanted to do. The only examples I found were quilt projects people had completed, and since none of those were 3D, I still couldn’t quite grasp how my dresser project would look once it was done. Before I could start, I had to plan everything out, and I spent a lot of time searching for items to use since I wasn’t confident that I could cut everything I needed. In the end, most of the materials I wanted to use couldn’t be found, so I ended up hand-making almost all the pieces from old book covers or cardboard. The only pieces I was able to buy were the wooden pieces for the door, decorative applique, flowers, and animals, which I still had to paint. I feel like my dresser project is much more meaningful since I had to do most of the work myself. In the end, I learned how to draw, design, and paint: apothecary bottles, books, mushrooms, a spider web, a snail, a treasure chest, a candle, and a mouse. I had a lot of trouble gluing everything on, but I learned a lot through that process too — mainly what not to do! Some of the flowers broke when I attempted to attach them with hot glue (I quickly found out that Elmer’s glue worked better for the more delicate pieces,) and the entire project required about five coats of paint because I hadn’t primed the surfaces beforehand. I feel so confident now that if I tried something like this again, it would go much smoother because of all the issues I had to face this time. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I think I’d really enjoy doing something like this again.
In closing, please remember that I am always here to answer your questions. I think the more we can spread encouragement through our creative endeavors, the more likely others are to discover their passions, which often leads to contentment and happiness within oneself.
Today, I’d like to share a little bit about the process of sculpting a tree because I know some of you might be interested in making one yourself. The process is actually quite simple, although a bit messy, and does require a lot of patience due to the time it takes between layers to dry. But if you’re on board with all of that, then this project might be for you.
Step 1: Gather all the supplies you think you might like to use; more is better as it gives you creative options. Here are the supplies I used:
Specifics:I acquired a couple of used hard-cover books from the library. If you attend library sale days, you can sometimes get a whole bag of books for just a couple of dollars. I bought a foam board from Walmart to stabilize the base of the bottom book so that it would serve as a sturdy platform. I also got some Elmer’s glue and diluted it 1:1 with water. I used paper towels to cover the wire structure of the tree. I used needle-nosed pliers, wire cutters, 16-gauge wire, 26-gauge wire, and chicken wire to make the main structure of the tree. I used scissors to curl the paper to make the grass. I used a plastic mixing tray, a metal mixing container, and an empty Modge Podge container to mix and hold the glue. I used a leaf punch I found on Amazon to make all the leaves. I used a flat paintbrush to apply the leaves to the branches (this was quite tedious). I used a hot glue gun to attach the tree to the bottom book and apply the foam base. I found a bunch of vinyl tablecloths on clearance and bought several so I could use them for future projects. I noticed that at the end of summer, you can usually find tablecloths for a few dollars, whereas if you buy them at the beginning of summer, they can cost upwards of about $15 apiece. I had a silicone craft mat that I used underneath the tree when applying layers of paper towels and paper with glue. I printed a flag picture and then folded it like they do at funerals. I also printed some paper runes and used the leaf punch to make leaves out of them. To finish the project, I purchased a miniature park bench, lantern, and newspaper to add some symbolic final touches, and I used fishing line to hang the lantern.
Step 2: Prepare your work surface. A disposable vinyl tablecloth works great to cover your table, and a silicone craft mat can be helpful, too. Something I’ve recently found that works well are the plastic lids that cover bins/containers. A 24 in. x 18 in. is especially useful. I wish I’d had this for my tree project instead of the vinyl craft mat because the lids are sturdier and easier to clean.
Step 3: Cut some 16-gauge wire, using any jewelry pliers to shape it into a tree-like structure. This finished wire structure is what you will use to wrap the chicken wire around. Once it’s been bent to stand on its own, cut several pieces of chicken wire and use those pieces to wrap around the wire base to form the trunk of the tree, the roots, and the branches. If you cut the chicken wire correctly, some little wire pieces will stick out and can be looped and twisted to secure and close each piece. This whole process can be a bit frustrating because wire isn’t the easiest material to work with. I found having a good pair of needle nose pliers worked the best for me to bend everything in place. I also used some 26-gauge wire to weave through the branches for added support.
Step 4: Mix one part glue to one part water. If you have an empty plastic container with a lid, you can fill it halfway with water, add glue to the top, and shake to mix. I used a lot of glue for this project but still had more than I could use. It was handy to have an empty Modge Podge container to store the remaining diluted glue.
Step 5: Tear some paper towels into strips, dip them into the glue mixture, and cover the entire wire structure of the tree. I first attempted to use tissue paper, which didn’t hold up. I’d recommend newspaper because that’s perfect for paper mâché projects, but if you don’t have any and can’t obtain any, paper towels will work. Once the tree is fully covered, allow it to dry over several days. I found placing the structure in a warm room or near a sunny window helped the process go faster.
Step 6: Tear some strips from the pages of a book, dip them in glue, and cover the tree for a second time. Then, let it dry completely.
Step 7: Punch out all of the leaves and glue them onto the branches. You can use pages from a book or plain or colored paper from something else. To add symbolism, I used some paper printed with runes, giving my tree a touch of color. Most tree sculptures I’ve seen in the past don’t use any color at all, but I’d recommend doing what seems fitting for you and your project. Be creative and have fun. Always remember there are no rules when it comes to crafting. I found it best to put the tiniest glue dot at the end of each leaf and apply it to the underside of each branch before moving upward toward the top. This way, you ensure an even layer going upwards, and the top leaves don’t get in the way.
Step 8: Cut the foam board and glue it to the book that will be used for the base. I used Elmer’s glue for this part and then weighed the book down with other books on top to ensure it dried completely flat.
Step 9: Cover the miniature park bench in strips of book paper. This process is the same as step 6, only now you cover the bench.
Step 10: Fold the paper flag. I found a tutorial online to ensure I was folding the flag like they do at funerals.
Step 11: Affix the park bench and the tree to the book. I used hot glue for this part but was nervous since hot glue dries so fast and is much less forgiving than Elmer’s glue. But if you’re a risk taker like me, then go for it and say a little prayer beforehand if you’re afraid. And don’t worry too much if some of the glue shows; you’ll add grass around the edges of the roots and the bench, covering up any hot glue that may be showing.
Step 12: Make and apply the grass. I used the same paper from the original book I’d been tearing apart. Rip some strips the size you think you’ll need and curl them with scissors. If you’ve ever curled ribbon for gifts, you can use this same method for curling the paper. Then, use some Elmer’s glue and affix them around the base of the tree and bench where you want them.
Step 13: Hang the lantern. I used a small piece of fishing line and wrapped it around one of the branches to support the lantern.
Step 14: Glue the newspaper and the flag to the bench. I used Elmer’s glue for this part because I feared the hot glue might show through.
Step 15: Let everything dry, turn the lantern on, and sit back and admire all of your hard work.
* I want to apologize for not having pictures for every step of the process. When I originally made my tree, I wasn’t planning on creating a tutorial. However, after making this myself and seeing how little is out there on how to design and make one, I decided to share my creative efforts here. I hope this helps anyone interested in making one for themself. Love you guys… ~Ellie xoxo
Well, it’s been a few days. I honestly thought I’d be here sooner, but life has a way of changing our plans. Today, I want to tell you more about how my tree sculpture came to be, the initial reason, the inspiration behind the creative process, and the historical aspects that were included in the final sculpture.
First, the initial reason for creating my sculpture was to fulfill an obligation I had for two different school projects. I needed to choose either a writing assignment or a creative endeavor, and as you can see, I chose the latter. The theme of the first course was focused on death and dying, and the theme of the second course was focused on historical languages. I immediately began to think about certain people who I’d lost in my lifetime and thought of a poem I’d written after the death of my grandfather called “The Perfect Color.” That poem became the first part of my inspiration for the project since it fully encompassed the love my grandfather had for nature. My grandfather played a big part in my life and was the greatest loss I’ve ever known. In my eyes, he was one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met, and he taught me to appreciate nature in a way nobody else ever has. My grandfather served in the Navy during WWII, and after serving our country, he became a carpenter so he could provide for my grandmother and their four children. He very much enjoyed gardening and spending time at the beach whenever he wasn’t working, and as you can see from my poem below, I tried to incorporate many of the things he loved.
The Perfect Color
Robin’s egg blue Takes me back to you
You were the loveliest creature I memorized your every feature
But cornflower days Were never long stays
I had you for just a short while Amidst the decaying dandelion pile
You should’ve had more A bit of forest green to explore
Instead the pacific blue Became your life-long hue
Those sea green and periwinkle days Formed all of your mahogany ways
You stayed purple mountain majesty true To your olive green and cadet blue
Carnation pink and brick red brown Followed you into the burnt orange ground
And bittersweet left the taste of gray As the sky-blue in your eyes faded away
This poem always chokes me up and I miss my grandfather more than I could ever express. So, to be able to create a sculpture in his honor was very special to me and I’m sure it won’t be the last thing I create with him in mind.
The second thing I focused on was how I could represent language in my sculpture, and that’s where my idea for incorporating runes was born. I’d been studying ancient languages and decided to represent language in its most basic symbolic form. Runes also hold spiritual significance, which was another way I knew I could tie everything together since my grandfather was deeply spiritual, and I am too. With all those thoughts in mind, I began to sketch out ideas in my head, and it didn’t take long after that for everything to begin taking shape.
Next time, I will cover the materials I used, the process of creating my sculpture and some of the problems I faced along the way. Until then, I hope all of you have a wonderful rest of your week. Love you guys… ~Ellie xoxo
Trees have always been a comfort to me. From the time I was old enough to walk, I think a tree must’ve been the first place I ventured towards on my own. Trees, to me, symbolize shelter, strength, hope, peace, friendship, and love. There were many times when I was growing up that I didn’t have a human friend, so I turned to nature, which was always present no matter where I was. I moved around a lot when I was younger, but nearly every house we moved to had at least one good climbing tree. And back in those days, that was the first thing I’d do. I’d scope out a tree to climb, and it became my haven for the rest of the time we lived there. I loved pretending it was my own private place where nobody could find me, and for the most part, nobody seemed to take any notice of me when I was nestled deep in the branches of my tree. I could hide all day and read up there. Sometimes, my cat would climb up and sit in my lap, and then we’d lay back and watch the clouds drift along or listen to the birds sing their sweet songs. Sometimes, even the soft rustle of the leaves would lull me to sleep. And so began my love for any tree with boughs large enough to hold a small girl.
Now that I’m older, I still have a great fondness for trees, but I live in the middle of a desert where there are hardly any trees at all. And isn’t it funny that I chose such a barren place to live when all my life, I’ve wanted nothing more than to live in a forest full of trees? Thankfully, I only need to travel a short distance to find a few parks with some lovely trees, but it isn’t the same as having one in my very own backyard. And so, I think that’s one reason why I decided to sculpt a tree for my first attempt at paper sculpting. Trees soothe my spirit, and I think they make a home feel more like a home. I think that’s exactly what I needed in this desolate place where I’ve decided to live out the rest of my days. And so, you’ll likely be seeing more trees from me in the future as I progress on this sculpting journey. Tomorrow, I will be back to share more about the inspiration for this first project. Until then, be well, and if you’re lonely, go out and hug a tree for me since there aren’t too many around here.
Hello… Well, this is me, Ellie Evermore (Aka ~M). If you’ve met me before, you probably know I am an all-around creative person. You’ve likely seen my poems, short stories, original quotes, drawings, paintings, etc… But did you know that I sculpt, too? I’m sure you never knew because this is something relatively new for me. And now, I’ve decided it’s time to dedicate part of my life to this newfound love and unexpected passion. I’ve also decided to use my nickname here instead of my rather common name (Michelle Cook). People always have difficulty locating my work under my given name, so I figure now’s the time to solve that problem once and for all. I’m excited that you’re here and hope that you’ll find wonderful inspiration whenever you visit. Feel free to contact me on Instagram, @Ellie_Evermore, and follow me for updates as I traverse this exciting new journey. This first post is just a teaser of what’s to come, and I plan to share more about my tree sculpture this week. So stay tuned and follow along for more content, including tutorials on how you can make your own paper sculptures at home. Stay inspired! ~Ellie xoxo
Ellie Evermore 