Wire Tree tutorial

Wire Tree Tutorial!  By Morgan

The image on the left 

is a really neat wire tree 

that I made when I was 

in college.  

People who saw them always liked them, but they took forever to make!

I saw an exhibit by Ruth Asawa and I combined her technique and my own to create a simplified way.

(my photos are blurry, I apologize in advance.)

what you need:

pliers with a wire cutter

and 22 or 24 gauge wire

Cut about 30 pieces of 

your wire and the length 

should vary between 

5 and 7 inches.

If the pieces are really bent,

try to straighten them a bit.

Line the pieces up on 

one side and bundle 

them between your 

fingers

You need to pull out 

about 8 strands 1 1/2" 

longer than the other 

pieces.  Grab them from

around the circumference 

of the bundle.  

This is what the tree 

will stand on.

Wrap the trunk of 

your tree.  Make sure 

not to cover the strands 

that you've pulled out.  

And leave about 

half of it unbundled

so you have enough 

space for the branches.

bend extra 1 1/2" 

of wire outward

Use your pliers to roll the 

sharp ends of the wire.  

This will protect the 

surface of what your tree 

rests on.

Adjust the wires so that it sits

evenly and it stands on its own.

now it's time to start 

making the branches!  

Usually, I make about 

5 main branches, 

but this is your tree!

You can make however 

many you want!

It's a good idea to look 

at trees without leaves. 

If you live in CA, like me 

you can google trees in the winter.

What's fun about this project 

(and frustrating) is that 

you're working in space.  

So if the tree looks great 

from one angle, rotate it 

and see how it changes. 

Here's how mine looks:

I also bend the ends at the top because I like to hang 

jewelry on my trees and I don't like getting scratched by

sharp wire.

But, if you're making it just for looks I do prefer the straight 

end look.

send us pictures of your wire trees:  losangelescraftmafia (at) yahoo.com  or post them in the comment section!