How to Create Silk Trees
Making your own silk tree is a way to add green to a home décor without the need to water or feed a plant. It can also make a handy prop for school productions or theatrical settings. The coconut tree trunk and soft, silk construction makes the finished product look realistic. Silk trees can be made in around two hours using common items that can be found in craft stores and hardware stores.
Things You'll Need
- 6 to 7 coconuts
- 5-foot-long mailing tube
- 1-pint brown acrylic paint and 2-inch paint brush
- Hot glue sticks and gun
- 4 yards of green silk fabric (nylon fabric will work, too)
- Serger sewing machine and matching sewing thread
- 3 yards of floral wire
- Scissors
- Skill saw
- Spoon
- Empty pot
- 15 to 30 pounds of landscaping stones
Instructions
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1
Paint the mailing tube brown and set it aside to dry.
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2
Cut the coconuts in half with the skill saw. Scoop out the meat with a spoon. Cut the shells into fourths.
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3
Glue the shell pieces to the mailing tube with the hot glue gun. Glue the first row of shells around the bottom of the tube. Glue the next row onto the tube overlapping the first row by once inch. Continue this pattern until the tube is covered.
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4
Cut the fabric into three-by-two-foot squares to create the leaves. Cut the corners off of the edges to give the leaves points at the ends. Cut three slits, 5 inches deep, on each side of the silk leaves. This will give the silk tree palm tree-like leaves.
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5
Cut a length of floral wire that is the same length as the leaf. Glue the wire down the center of the leaf.
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6
Cut three lengths of floral wire that is as wide as your leaf. Glue each wire so that it is lying in the center of each section that you created by cutting slits in the fabric.
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7
Run the edges of the leaves through your Serger sewing machine to hem the fabric so that it doesn't unravel. A Serger is a type of sewing machine that can be used to hem and finish fabric edges by running the fabric through the machine. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to get the best results.
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8
Glue the finished silk leaves, wire facing downwards, to the top of the mailing tube. The leaves should form an "X" on top of the tube.
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9
Put the silk tree in the center of the pot. Have a friend hold the tree while you fill the pot with stones. The stones will hold the tree in place.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure to have a bowl or trashcan nearby for the coconut milk and the meat while preparing the coconuts. You can paint veins and shadows on the silk with different colors of watercolor to create realistic-looking leaves for your home decor.
Use protective gear such as gloves and goggles when using a skill saw.
