I have created a beautiful masterpiece with a red Manzanita branch. It looks like a little Banzai tree. Very Japanese.
Here is a front view:
I even constructed the box using 5 pieces of wood which I glued together using wood glue. Some old wooden blocks formed the top of it. Below is a side view.
I wanted some of the leaves to stay on for as long as possible. Manzanita leaves seem to be ageless just like the wood, because the leaves don't turn brown. They get kind of dry and brittle, but the coloring stays pretty much the same as when you first cut the branch.
I sprayed this one with Triple Thick (found at most craft stores and at Michael's) and the leaves don't even fall off if you bump into them now.
The Triple Thick also gives the wood a beautiful glossy sheen that looks nice and it doesn't make it look plastic or fake.
I used just a little lightweight casting plaster (also found at craft stores and Michael's) which I mixed in a small container and then set the branch in the center. I only needed to hold it up for about 3 or 4 minutes before the plaster was firm enough to support the weight of the branch.
Then I slid it down into my hand-made wooden base and found the blocks to arrange on top. I glued the blocks in place using wood glue.
The final touch was to brush some wood stain onto the base, covering all of the wood except the bottom.
Voila! A Banzai tree that you don't need to water, yet it isn't fake plastic or metal or clay. It is a real tree branch with its own leaves, forever suspended in time.
Let me know if anyone else tries something similar.
Need some Manzanita branches? I happen to have it growing everywhere.
You can order some via my Etsy store, cut fresh by yours truly. Click the link below:
