With many people pruning at this time of year I thought I'd come up with some useful things to do with the pruned twigs and branches. Today a neighbor gave me several large bundles of long supple apple tree branches.(3 - 6 feet long and about 3/4 inch thick).
Being a crafter, I couldn't resist them! I have several ideas for them: I'm weaving them through my chain-link gate in a vertical pattern. It not only adds privacy, it looks great! Another idea I had was to make a trellis by tying brown nylon rope around the thicker branches to form "squares".
I've also decided to make twig-covered vases with them. I will start with clear straight-sided drinking glasses from the dollar store then glue the twigs to the outside of the glass with clear E-6000 glue then wrap raffia around the top and bottom then tie a knot or bow. The neighbor who gave them to me says he uses the apple-wood branches for barbecuing with.
I've also thought these green branches would make wonderful doll furniture and if they are supple enough, maybe a wreath? They need to be stored in the shade or they will dry out. It's also a good idea to hose them down once in a while to keep them supple if you want to bend them. Any other ideas?
I made a sample twig vase (like described above) yesterday only I substituted the glass with a clear plastic watter bottle & it turned out pretty darn nice if I do say so myself. Also, it's a nice way to keep those empty plastic water bottles out of the landfill! I learned several tips while making the twig covered vase: Use a pair of old scissors to cut the top of the bottle neatly off... & put 2 or 3 rubberbands around the bottle or glass before starting then tuck the twigs into the rubberbands & lastly cover the rubberbands with natural colored raffia or jute rope then tie with several little knots or bows. When you add flowers or a houseplant, let me tell you, it looks pretty darn classy! As I stated above, use a silicone based clear glue like E-6000 because hot glue won't work.
This pages has been archived 1 time. You can view older posts and feedback below.
Request: Uses for Branches and Logs (04/15/2009)
We had to get half of our 60 foot hackberry tree cut off and now we have mounds of branches and "logs". Any ideas on what to use these logs for, besides saving it for firewood to sell.
Post Feedback:
Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.
Archives:
Request: Uses for Branches and Logs
Archived on 04/15/2009
We had to get half of our 60 foot hackberry tree cut off and now we have mounds of branches and "logs". Any ideas on what to use these logs for besides saving it for firewood to sell {we don't have a fireplace}. We have lots and lots of branches also!
Gretta from Wayne, OK
Feedback:
RE: Uses for Branches and Logs
You could chip up the smaller branches and leaves with a wood chipper and use it for mulch on your plants or for a wood chip garden path.
You could wait & let the leaves die from the branches and use them as mulch around your plants or in your compost.
Offer the wood for sale or freecyle it. Or make an offer for someone to come clean up the tree branches in exchange for ? what have you.
I'm not familiar with hackberry wood, but perhaps you could whittle on some of the branches of appropriate size and length and make walking sticks to sell...maybe at a crafts fair. Or offer them up to someone else who could whittle them into walking sticks. (06/24/2008)
The branches may make good bean poles or tomato stakes. Strip the leaves and smaller branches off of a branch about 5-6 feet long, and sell them as garden stakes or bean poles. Another thing you might do with the logs is to make simple coat racks. Take a 3 inch diameter (mostly straight)log and cut it into about a 3 foot length with a diagonal cut on each end (it is more decorative this way). Leave the bark on. Drill 3-4 evenly spaced holes on one side, pound pegs (mine were made from peeled 3 inch sections of a smaller branch, about 1/2 inch in diameter) or glue pieces of dowels in the holes. These will be your pegs. Now fasten some type of a hanger on the back, and you have a "primitive" coat rack. It looks really cute, and you could have a wonderful gift to give someone, for little to no cost...just your time. (06/24/2008)
Thanks for the input! I might try the coat hanger idea, sounds neat! We cannot locate a wood chipper to borrow. We are still cutting it down to 4-6 ft lengths and piling it for now away form any buildings. (06/24/2008)
RE: Uses for Branches and Logs
With a good chainsaw, you could make garden benches out of them. Just cut 2 stumps and a long piece could be cut on each side to create a bench. Or you could use in large cut pieces as a landscaping bed frame. There are lots of uses. Hope this helps. d (06/24/2008)
By Denise W
RE: Uses for Branches and Logs
Save branches for natural plant supports. Any plant that wants to flop, let it grow up into some branches that you stuck in to the dirt. Much nicer than tomato cages. (06/25/2008)
I'm not familiar with Hackleberry trees either, but if it is a fruit tree or the wood has a nice fragrance, there is a huge market for wood chips in the Barbecue World for smoking meat with. You might even be able to sell it on EBay if it is a desirable wood for smoking. Good luck (07/10/2008)
