How to Decorate Tree Branches for a Winter Wonderland-Themed Party

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Decorating with snowy tree branches and glittery greenery instantly transforms your living room into a winter wonderland, even if the day is gray and rainy outdoors. Branches dusted in fake snow make beautiful room decor for a festive winter party, as well as being lovely Christmas decorations.

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Making DIY snowy branches is a lot like flocking a Christmas tree. You can add as much or as little "snow" to your branches as you wish. Using a combination of white paint for color and other materials for texture creates the most realistic winter decor.

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Things You'll Need

  • Branches

  • Paintbrushes (optional)

  • White acrylic paint or primer (spray or can)

  • Epsom salts

  • Flocking powder (optional)

  • Silver glitter (optional)

  • Spray adhesive

How to create decorative winter branches

1. Start with clean branches

If you're using faux decorative branches from a craft store or Amazon, all you need to do to prep them is remove price tags. If you're using real branches, inspect them for dirt, insects or other debris. Clean them with a brush or damp cloth if necessary.

What kind of branches are best?

Many different kinds of branches will work for this project! Craft stores often sell faux birch branches and curly willow branches, but you can also use real fallen branches from whatever trees grow in your neighborhood. If you want branches with some greenery, buy faux boxwood branches or cut up some evergreen garland into individual pine branches.

2. Paint the branches

Working outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, lay branches on a plastic tablecloth/drop cloth or a few layers of newspaper. Spray them with a layer of paint to create an all-over white effect. Let them dry and flip them over to paint the undersides. Repeat with more layers of paint until the branches are entirely white.

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Alternately, if you want to create the look of real branches that have been dusted by a fresh snowfall, spray just one side of the branches with paint. You may also use a paintbrush to apply paint from a can.

3. Prepare some snow

Epsom salt makes a great approximation of real, glittering snow. If you wish, you can add even more sparkle to the salt by mixing in a small amount of silver glitter. Adding tree flocking powder to the salt will also give your snow more of a fluffy appearance like freshly-fallen powder.

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Feel free to experiment with materials on the first branch and adjust ratios and amounts as you go along.

Tip

Decorating with flocked tree branches is perfectly safe for many households, but exercise caution if you have any small kids or pets who tend to nibble on things. Certain kinds of plants including holly and ivy can be dangerous if ingested. You also probably don't want to put salt-covered branches anywhere that a kid or pet might be able to reach them and lick them.

4. Apply the snow

Spray dry branches with a layer of spray adhesive. (Mod Podge works well for this kind of project.) Sprinkle on your snow mixture and gently press it into the adhesive to help it stick.

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Once the adhesive dries, gently shake off excess material. Repeat with more adhesive and more snow if you wish.

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Use branches to create holiday decor

Once your glittering branches are done, you're ready to create your winter wonderland! Here are just a few decorating ideas:

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  • Tuck branches into flower arrangements with deep red roses and berry branches, or pair them with all-white florals.
  • Attach small paper snowflakes and/or white or metallic pompoms to tall branches. Stand them up in vases or planters and use them on either side of an entryway to make a bold statement as guests enter your holiday party. Use stones, sand or even dried beans as vase filler to help the branches stay standing, then cover the vase filler with a layer of flocking powder or Epsom salt.
  • Create simple table centerpieces by laying branches down the center of a tabletop. Tuck pinecones, greenery, red berries and/or battery-operated warm white string lights in among the branches.

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Filling your space with sparkling, snowy tree branches is an easy way to keep the winter doldrums away. You might use them to decorate for a holiday party, but you'll probably want to keep them out until spring!

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