Easy DIY Spray Painted Foliage Handmade Christmas Tree Decorations
Many of us bust out the Christmas decor around thanksgiving time, ready to transform our home for the upcoming holiday. Then after the new year, we pack them all away again until the holiday rolls back around. But this year we can either add to our already festive decor, or create an entirely new xmas tree theme using only DIY spray painted foliage. It is easy and inexpensive too!
- What you’ll need:
- Spray Paint (gold, bronze, silver, 1 or 2 colors such as bosenberry purple or crimson red)
- Gloss spray paint finish
- Leaves, twigs, berries, bark, flowers
- Dental floss, string or twine
- Tarp
- Face mask
Scout your yard and neighborhood for natural materials such as berries, twigs, leaves and flowers. Be sure to not take too much from the plant you are foraging from. Do not rip it from its root either. Use a pair of pruning shears and take a little off the top from a tree or bush. Once you’ve collected all of your natural materials. Bring them home and lay them on a tarp outside of your house where you can spray paint them.
You can get spray paints for relatively cheap from an auto parts store, hardware store or large grocery / home goods store like Walmart. Metallic colors are a good choice because they are reflective especially if you plan on adding lights to your christmas tree. You can also add 1 or 2 other festive colors such as magenta, purple or red. Be sure to grab a gloss finish spray to help preserve your plants after they are spray painted colors.
Now that you’ve collected and purchased your materials, you can get ready to spray paint them. Separate them depending on the colors you want to spray them. Put on a protective face mask to not breathe in the spray paint fumes. Then stand a few inches away from them and have at it. Let them dry on one side, then turn them over and do the same thing to the other side. You don’t have to cover each one only one color, you can also create gradients or spray only the tips of them.
Once they are completely dry, spray them with the gloss finish. Allow one side to dry, then spray the other. Once they are completely dry, grab your floss, twine or string to tie for hanging. Tie them up by creating a loop that can be placed on the branches. You don’t have to tie each one. You can also securely place your loose flowers and foliage directly onto the tree, tucking them into the branches. This method works particularly well for bushier trees, especially douglas fir xmas trees.
Decorating with natural materials is a fun way of turning your xmas tree into a rustic celebration of the season!