How to Make a Bottle Tree

The concept of the bottle tree originated in the Congo region of Africa. It was believed that by hanging blue bottles from trees and huts the evil spirits got trapped inside the bottle and could not find their way out. According to legend, when the breeze blows past the bottles you can hear the moaning of the trapped evil spirits. The practice of making a bottle tree was spread by the African slaves to Europe and North America. Hanging bottles in trees became a popular garden decor idea in the southern states of North America, where they continued with the tradition. Today, trees with hanging bottles are used as colorful garden ornaments.

A bottle tree can be created in many creative ways. Let us understand the general process of how to make a bottle tree.

How to Make a Bottle Tree?
Material Selection: For the materials, you need to have a tree trunk, a branch, or a large dowel for the trunk in order to make a bottle tree. If you don't have a tree trunk in your backyard, you can move around the local countryside or request your neighbors who may have recently cut down a tree. After getting the tree stump you will need a drill, hammer, nails or screws, and different varieties of bottles.

Which Bottle to Use?
It is important to decide upon which bottle to use as it will help you to know how long nails and screws you need and how deep to install them into the tree stump. There is no hard and fast rule about decorating the entire tree stump with the same color bottles. You can be creative and experiment with different sizes, colors and types of bottles.

Installing the Nails
It is the most important task in making a bottle tree. You have to drive the nails or screws at an angle in such a way that they are not lined up in a row and touching each other. So make sure that the nails or screws are staggered and far enough from each other to get the desired look for the tree stump.

Slip on Your Bottles
Once your tree is ready, start slipping on your bottles on the ends of the branches. At this stage, you will have to do some adjustment to achieve the coordinated look. You can use any type of bottle. Keep your eyes open for interesting bottles and add it to your bottle tree. Friends and co-workers can also be asked to donate their empty bottles.

Adjustment and Adding Bottles
Now that your bottle tree is completed, it is time to play around where you can adjust the spacing between the bottles or add new bottles onto the tree which will help in enhancing the overall structure of the bottle tree.

Enjoy your Bottle Tree
Bottle trees are an interesting expression of art where you can explore your creativity. When involved in making a bottle tree, you can try recycling products and used bottles for environment friendly decorations. Bottle trees can make a great gift and a marvelous yard decoration.

Wine Bottle Tree
Do you enjoy drinking wine and don't know what to do with all those empty wine bottles? You can convert them into gorgeous wine bottle lamps or make a toy house out of them. But if you are interested in doing something which is simple and decorative, try a wine bottle tree.

So be artistic and get ready to go green by learning how to make a bottle tree.