Yarn Wrapped Branches

Last year I shared a post on Painted and Woven Stick Branches. You can read all about it HERE. In that post I included titillating facts on how to collect and paint branches. Okay, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out, but I also included the directions for weaving in the fork of a branch. So, if interested, you might want to check out that post.

It had been my plan to continue adding branches to this “bouquet” and to various other vases around the house. I must admit I never got back to it. Over Christmas Tim brought in a few branches so Little Lady and I could paint some together. That never occurred either. My Stars… we get so busy don’t we???

Anyway… yesterday was a quiet day. Snow was coming down… finally… we had a roaring fire, and I had idle hands!!! NEVER a good combo since I’m apt to muck about in Tim’s perfectly tended fire, disturbing the well thought out arrangement of logs. He tactfully asked me, “So, what project are you working on today?” Which is code for, “LEAVE MY FIRE ALONE!” I decided I wanted a project that required little thought on my part and one that was clean and required few supplies. I then thought about the branches proper up in the corner of my living room, grabbed some yarn, my container of gel pens and snuggled in.

As a side note… on January 1, while sincere people all over the world were making New Year’s resolutions, something stupendous happened! Finally, after what felt like a gazillion years, The Beatles’ music was finally released to the world! Now, you can listen to The Beatles on your listening devises using Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody, etc. I am in heaven! So, as you scroll through this tutorial, if you want to really immerse yourself in my creative experience, it’s a moral imperative that you sing Penny Lane or Come Together or She Loves You or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds at the top of your lungs. Just saying…

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Materials for Yarn Wrapped Branches:

• branches
• yarn or thread (Before anyone asks… Sorry, but I do not remember the name of the yarn I used. It’s scraps from projects that I made over 10 years ago!)
• crafting glue
• tape – optional
• The Beatles music playing in the background – optional 🙂

Directions for Yarn Wrapped Branches:

Obviously, collect some branches! I use both straight branches and ones that have lovely little off shoots. Most important thing is to cut or collect branches that are not brittle. Clean up the branches and prune until you achieve a desirable appearance.

To begin wrapping your branch, decide which parts you want covered. You can go for full coverage or partial. Personally, I love to large areas of the natural bark exposed. Lay you yarn across the branch horizontally. You might find it easier to tape the tail to the branch so it stays in place.

Decide where on the branch you wish your wrapping to begin. Begin wrapped the yarn around the branch, with the wraps directly next to one another but not overlapping. You will be wrapping over the tail that is taped to the branch.

Continue wrapping. After you have wrap an inch or two, untape your tail and cut off tail near your wrapped section. The remainder of the tail will be cover by the rest of your wraps.

Continue wrapping until you are about 1/2″ away from where you plan to stop. Place a bit of crafting glue on the branch and continue wrapping around the branch and over the glue. Cut your yarn and make sure the end of the yarn is glued down.

Continue adding more yarn to your branch until you are satisfied with the look.

I decided I did not like the first green I wrapped the branch with, so I simply wrapped more yarn over it!

When I was done wrapping the stick, I went back in with gel pens and embellished the branch with little designs. I used subtle designs because I didn’t want to compete with the overall design of the branch.

The only thing left to do is to add it the your other painted or yarn wrapped branches.

I hope you were humming Beatle’s songs while you were scrolling through this tutorial!

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