Household Ingredients for Winter Floral Crafts
- sticks and branches (free in your own yard!)
- white spray paint (cheap-o is fine-o)
- spray adhesive
- Epsom salt
- coarse white glitter
- fine iridescent glitter
When getting the salt be sure to use Epsom salt, which looks like icy little crystals, as opposed to rock salt, which looks like, well… rocks.
Painting Your Sticks and Branches
Using spray paint on something skinny—like a small branch or sticks—can feel like overkill. I try to gather a fairly decent sized collection of sticks and winter branches and lay them side by side as much as possible in my spray painting area. If they aren’t terribly straight, I will sometimes put them in a little pile , all in the same direction, so that over-spray lands on the group of branches.
Spray your branches with white paint, letting them dry between coats and turning them to get all sides. Note: it does not have to be totally perfect, and if you’re doing just one stick or branch you may want to consider white acrylic paint and a brush to apply the paint.
Making the Frosted, Icy Branches
When dry, spray a coat of adhesive onto each stick or branch individually. Although you could paint them all at once, adding the salt and glitter works best if you do one branch at a time. Because the adhesive spray dries fairly quickly, that means you need to work quickly.
You may want to consider placing the sticks and branches back into a similar group like you did when you spray painted them. I hold an individual stick over the others so that they catch the over-spray. Once the stick is fairly well coated with adhesive I move it over an old cookie sheet and sprinkle the Epsom salts onto it. I do this over the cookie sheet so I can reuse the salt that doesn’t adhere to the sticks.
Scoop up any extra salt and use it on the remaining branches. Repeat the process if you would like the sticks to look a bit more “icy.”
Once all of your sticks are covered with the salt, you’ll repeat the process of spraying the branches with the adhesive again, one at a time, because now it is time to add the glitter. Repeat the exact process you used with the Epsom salt: move the stick over an old cookie sheet and gently dust with the coarse glitter, followed by a light dusting with the fine, iridescent glitter.
When dry you have some pretty, sparkly, frosty sticks and branches to use in centerpieces for winter, or other holiday décor arrangements. Oh yeah, that were practically FREE!
There are so many uses for these DIY icy branches. They look great alone in a vase, or with smaller ones tucked into your Christmas tree or used in a wreath. With so many winter flower arrangement ideas I continually have running through my head, I love knowing that I don’t have to buy as many winter floral items at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, because I can literally fill in with free sticks from my own yard.
The only caveat: salt melts if it gets wet… so this is NOT a good option for use outdoors, or if you want to use them outside, make sure to keep them in a covered area!
Check out my other winter and holiday craft ideas here.
Have fun!
Yessss!! I just priced these last week and walked away. 🙂 Thanks for breaking it down for us frugalistas!! 🙂
Does the salt fall off easily by someone touching or if A Vase/CONTAINER holding such limbs tips over?
Hi Mare, You shouldn’t put them in a high traffic area.
CUTE!
I need to find some branches this week!
So I spray painted a bunch of branches white and then I quit. Because, I figured, ” That’s as far as I can go, right? “
Thanks for showing me what to do next! These will look fantastic in a centerpiece!
Epsom salt is totally magic. Holy yowza.
HI, Vivienne,
Great idea! I am going to do this too.
Vanessa
I found out that Epsom salt turns to powder in heat. The Valentine’s day candles I made last year didn’t survive the heat of my attic.
I will so be doing this project, there’s nothing like adding a little glitz and glam to Christmas!
Love it! Thanks for sharing!
LOVE this idea Viv and they look fantastic! 🙂
Vanessa
So awesome! Going to collect some good branches later this week. This is one project I can do.
I’m so going to have to do this! They look great!
Thanx, I’ll be doing this once I gather the items. AM going to ” dip ” the pinecones also.
Was thinking I’D use eucalyptus Epsom salts for the inside decorations.
These are so purty. 🙂
Wow, super pretty!! And so much prettier in person I’m sure!! I love the idea of layering different glittery things!! Can’t wait to see what you do with them!! 🙂
So wonderful. You are brilliant and so are these.
Those are so pretty!
WOW that’s fabulous – and the big old oak trees on our hill are ALWAYS dropping branches – now I can stop throwing them over the fence into the woods!
Love this! Can’t wait to give it a whirl after all the Thanksgiving madness has passed. Thanks for sharing!
Honestly I wish I could create snow branches but unfortunately I get the real deal smh!! Cute idea though!
Loves and likes ya <3
Gigi
Oh my word – I can’t wait to go out and find sticks in the morning! Thanks for sharing!!
Awww…what a cute idea! I love your icy side! =)
Simple and pretty. Epsom salts are cheaper than glitter and, hey, you can’t soak sore feet in a bowl of hot water and glitter. (well, you can…but..) Thank you for sharing.
Love these. Fantastic idea. Pinned, tweeted and stumbled!
Very Pretty! I have branches planned this season too! I like how you combined both the salt & the glitter.
Hopping over from your feature on A to Z!! I love this. I just pinned a cool ornament tutorial that uses Epsom salt…..what a great supply for our craft stashes!
I absolutely love this idea!!! I’m a big fan of using branches to decorate for holidays, and this is perfect for the whole winter! So pretty – thanks for sharing how to make them.
Just wonder how durable these are outside in a protected area though.
Another great idea! Beautiful job!
I absolutely LOVE this idea!!!
So pretty! love these!
You come up with the most clever ideas! I’m def doing this one.
Jen
BRILLIANT! You’ve hit another home run. I can’t wait to try this.
Warmly, Michelle
Love it! This is now today’s project. Thanks, Viv!
Hey Viv! I gave them a shot (just posted) but my epsom salts were really old so more granular than salt-like. Not to mention I sprayed my branches silver first. But I still love them.
I think I’ll grab some new epsom salts tomorrow and follow your instructions better 😛
Where can i get epsom salt from please anyone no 🙁
Elaine, you can get epsom salt at almost any drug store or grocery store.
what a beautiful idea! I love them!
megan
craftycpa.blogspot.com
Great idea! Thanks for sharing. I’ve got some branches I used for Thanksgiving that would be perfect for this.
So fabulous! Pinning this!
I wanted branches like these for my tree but didn’t want to dish out the cash. I ended up spray painting with white and glitter paint but they were missing something. I am going to take them down and add Epsom salt. Exactly that extra bling I was looking for!!! Thanks!!!
such a lovely project, i Just HAD to share!! 🙂
So glad i found you!
Merry Christmas!!
Xo,
Keren
Awesome project! Thanks for posting. Well, let’s see, I have cheap-o white spray paint so I’m almost there-right?! 😉 I’ve never used spray adhesive. What a great product idea.
I came here via Keren’s Free Pretty Things for You.
Merry Christmas! ♥
Very pretty.
I have done this myself a few years ago,used styrofoam block, covered it, stuck in my branches,added some artifical red berry branches and stuck a cardinal or 2 on the branches and made a pretty center piece for my dining room table.
The styrofoam block I put on kinda flat platter, added some battery operated little twinkle lights and covered with some of that fake snow; kinda like that buffalo snow you can buy in package and made very pretty center peice on table.
ColleenB.
this is such a cool idea, thank you for the easy how-to!!!
I host a weekly linky party, Inspire Me Fridays…would love you to share this or ANY of your awesome ideas!!!
Blessings!
Have you ever tried to do this on a fake evergreen tree? I have small ones that are just plain green that I would love to spruce up. Thanks!
What a great idea for using epsom salts! I have done the same thing with sticks, acrylic craft paint, mod podge and diamond dust that I bought at Michaels. It is just what I had at home. Never thought about using glitter! So Pretty!!!!
This idea is exactly what I was looking for. We just Moved into a new house with plenty of large trees with lots of branches To use plus some different types of Evergreens i plan to flock too. We have an artificial tree and i’m just not ready to flock that yet because It’s only a couple years old
Hi Everyone!
LOVE THIS IDEA!! Thank you so much!
Also, Do any of you know a safe and hypoallergenic way to frost your Christmas Tree DIY? I don’t want all those chemicals in my house…. It’s hard enough 90% of Christmas trees are sprayed with Pesticides before they enter your house and cause LOADS of allergies during the season. Any help ladies?!!
Thanks 🙂
Use the absorbant part of cheap disposable diapers and mix with water. i don’t remember the ratio of diaper to water but you can google it. that’s how i found it. just lay the mixture over the top of the branches. pls note that after a while the mixture gets smaller. you can apply more over the original batch or use a spray bottle of water and re-moisten it. A benefit is that if some does fall off the tree, it won’t get all over everything like spray snow does.
Turned out great… I even used some branches we had with a few leaves… soo pretty… making for a winter wonderland party!
What kind of bush or tree should I use for the crystal coating look best
You can use just about anything, but I like just plain sticks and branches the best.
Th thanks so much for sharing this idea. I am so going to do this for Christmas this year!!!!
This is such a great idea.. I so love it.. I’m doing a winter Wonderland theme party for someone and this is very inexpensive and creative and beautiful. Thanks for this info.
Thank you! Even at halF off the Ones i bought were still expensive. I kept thi king! “There’s got to be a way to make thEse.” Epsom salt is brilliant!
Yay! Glad I could help!
Can you spray with a clear sealant so thecsalt wont melt?
you can get epsom salt at the Dollar Tree for a buck a bag cheaper there than at any other store
Thankyou so much for making you are amazing-o i needed this for a shoe for a Costume im making XD (also im not going to be ouTside in the shoes xd)
You can get all these suppl at everything is a dol store. Well except the branches.
You can also use rwd glitter for a Candy type look!
Red*
instead of epsom salt what other item can be used