A wire gift - it's a tree...

Kody is going to be a new Aunt!  She got the news from her brother a few months ago and immediately started thinking about what she wanted to give her sister-in-law in celebration.  She decided to give her a wire wrapped tree, to symbolize life and growth.

She wanted to have everyone that was attending the shower pick out a bead that would be built into the tree.  Birthing beads on necklace and bracelets have been something that has been popular since before the store was opened... people pick a bead that is symbolic and something (necklace, bracelet, tree...) is created with those beads for the mother-to-be/bride-to-be to wear during pregnancy/on her wedding day, etc.  The beads can be anything really.  Beads have been chosen based on their metaphysical properties (rose quartz for love, citrine for confidence and courage, amazonite for relaxation during childbirth), they've been chosen because they remind people of experiences they've shared (blue for a trip to the ocean) or just because they've liked them. 

Wire Tree wall hanging

Supply list:

Wire:
80ft of 18ga soft temper round craft wire
90ft of 20ga soft temper round craft wire
135ft of 22ga soft temper round craft wire
* she used various colors - smokey quartz, vintage bronze, brown, some gold

Frame:
one 11x14" frame, should be very sturdy

Beads:
48" of gemstone chips for leaves
beads selected by family and friends

Hardware:
heavy duty staples

For removable pendants:
wire to wrap beads
chain
hooks from hook and eye clasps

Steps:

1 - hammer heavy duty staples around top and bottom of frame, these are your anchor points for your roots and branches
2 - cut all of your wire into 3 ft. sections; you'll need about 90 sections
At this point, you'll be following the steps/directions from the Branching Out Tree class or really any "Tree of Life" tutorials
3 - twist/braid sections of your wire together to create the trunk
4 - create and secure all of your roots to the staples at the bottom of the frame.
5 - create and secure all of your branches to the staples at the top of the frame (adding your beads, chain with hooks and leaves as you go)
6 - wire wrap beads for pendants and hang on hooks

After the roots had been secured, Kody started to layout where the beads would go

.

The start of the branches

Leaves and flowers

From Kody:

It's finally complete!

The finished tree

This was a Baby Shower Gift for my Sister-in-law, Amanda. The Tree of Life symbolizes creation, and of course, my new baby nephew! 

Each member of the baby shower was invited to bring one bead to contribute to this Group Gift. Each bead you see here has been turned into a removable pendant. Each pendant has a unique meaning pertaining to Amanda and each member who participated in this Gift. This way, Amanda is able to wear a little piece of us during her last few weeks of pregnancy. This tree shall provide her with a peaceful transition into motherhood. ♥

Rose Quartz and Flourite adorn this tree, as well as a whole lot of ~Love~ from Amanda's circle of friends/family.

  * * * 

Thank you so much to Kody for letting us be involved in this project, it was a lot of fun and a great learning experience!  To see more of her pieces or to request something custom, you can contact her via her Facebook page.  Are you interested in making a wire wrapped tree (a wire tree of life) on your own?  We offer the Branching Out Wire Tree Pendant class about once a month in our Denver bead store - The Colorado Bead Company.