Christmas tree table centerpiece


Christmas table centerpiece

A proper dining room table at Christmas always has at least one table centerpiece. If you have a long table with lots of guests, two additional, smaller table centerpieces of similar design at each end of the table will create a stunning effect.

Here are some ideas for designs, which should be prepared well in advance.
On Christmas day itself, you may add extra foliage, mistletoe or moss gathered the day before...
Wood fir table centerpiece

A large, colorful fir tree for your table centerpiece

Wood fir tree decorated with beads
This double-sided fir tree is made from pine wood and is free-standing...and just waiting to be painted and decorated.
The idea is to create a slightly different design in paint and beads on each side of the tree, so that depending where at the table you are sitting, the tree will appear whiter, or perhaps it will be more red in color.

Materials

Making the holes

Here you need to make little holes at random all over the fir tree (through which we will thread the brass wire, to which the beads will be attached).

the painting stage

Painting a large wood fir tree
The painting is done with acrylic paint, mixing some Pine green, a little white and a little yellow paint in an old saucer. With a wide paintbrush, take a little paint and apply it in small strokes in the direction that a real fir tree's foliage would grow. On one side, use extra white, which will give the impression of snow on the branches. You can add a second layer of paint onto certain areas, using the same technique, in order to increase the number of different shades of green. Paint the foot of the fir tree in the darkest shade of green. Leave to dry. If you like a varnished look, now is the time to apply a coat of varnish, either using a spray or a brush.
Branch effect fir tree painting

Attaching the strings of beads

Thread the brass wire through the uppermost hole in the fir tree. Press down the end that projects out of the back of the tree so you can work on the front side of the tree first. Wrap the wire all the way down a pen so as to give it a spiral form about 0.8 to 1.2 inches long, then thread on a bead and fold the wire back onto iself. Twist the bead round while holding the 2 ends of the wire tight in order to fasten the bead into place. Keep on in this way, making a spiral shape out of the wire for lengths of 0.8 to 1.2 inches again, then thread the wire through the nearest hole and keep on in the same way on each side.
The fir table centerpiece - red side
Feel free to tangle the lengths of wire together or to cross them over. At the same time, try to spread the beads out fairly evenly across the tree.
The fir tree - the white and red beads side

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