For a milestone celebration, make a “Good Wishes Tree”. Miss Party thinks it is a lovely thing to give guests an opportunity to pass on their valuable thoughts, advice and good wishes to the guest(s) of honor. It gives the guest a moment to reflect and connect with the beloved guest(s) of honor on a more personal note than the celebration might otherwise allow. The words of encouragement give the recipient a special memory of that guest at a pivotal moment in their lives and are captured on paper to keep forever.
The handwritten messages become even more important as time goes by and elderly family members pass on. Who knows how a few words to live by might positively affect any of us? A bit ‘pie-in-the-sky,’ you say? Miss Party thinks not. Who better to shape and influence our decisions and look to for encouragement and support than the ones we love and who love us?
-Another way to use the ‘DIY tree’ at a party, is as a ‘Photo Tree’. It’s a beautiful way to display small pictures through the years of a guest(s) of honor. You might print all the pictures in a brown sepia tone or black and white to unify them. This would be perfect on a welcome table or entryway area that all guests will enjoy as they pass by.
-Make the tree a “Party Favor Giving Tree” (See Party Planning Tidbits).
-Your ‘tree’ makes a beautiful “Easter Tree”. Make a handful of decorated clips in pastel colors and attach lovely reproduction Easter postcards or other ephemera you may have. Randomly, hang small Easter ornaments or make blown and decorated eggs.
If you really love those decorated clips you see in the images above, make lots and lots of them for your own tree. Clip them all over your “Party Favor Tree” and invite guests to choose several to take home (they’re really useful in a home office or kitchen (they’ll be the prettiest chip clips in the drawer!). Provide small glassine envelopes for them to carry them away (helps keep glitter from getting everywhere, too). Or if you have a small, lightweight party favor to give, use the clips to attach them to the tree for display. Miss Party has a several posts on making the decorated clips, see “Decorated Clothespin Clips – Bet you can’t make or use just one!”.
This ‘tree’ is really several branches. Miss Party used dogwood branches, but use what you have available in your yard or craft store. You need a very narrow-necked tall vase with a good-size base. Purchase a bag of very small river rock pebbles or glass marbles depending on the look you’re going for. Get out your gardening clippers. Put 2-3″of pebbles into the vase and take some time working with the branches to get the height and fit right for the vase and your space. Add additional pebbles until vase is about 1/3 full. Set the tree wherever you plan to display it and trim wayward, awkward or too-tall branches as needed. Tie raffia or ribbon several times around the neck of the vase or leave plain, if preferred.
