Heart of the Belflower Tree

The Forgotten Language of Flowers “In the early 18th century the Turkish "Secret Language of Flowers" was introduced to Europe by Lady Mary Wortley Montague, wife of the British ambassador to Constantinople. Flowers had long been a sign of romance but now lovers were able to send secret messages to each other by means of sending a posy of flowers. Each flower had a specific meaning and the order of arrangement had much to do with the intended "message". The French seem to have taken this idea to heart. In 1819 a French woman writing under the pen name of Madame Charlotte de la Tour (Louise Cortambert), wrote and published "Le Language des Fleurs" which offered seasonal floral and anecdotal advice to those wishing to send "secret" messages to each other. The following list of flowers comes mainly from that original book but has been augmented to include some common flowers of today as some of those from yesteryear are unknown. Enjoy this glimpse into the past and keep this in mind the next time you send or receive flowers!”

Bell Flower: Constancy; Gratitude

                                   By joelessacredgrove.com

The process of creativity begins with a problem. That may sound silly, but, from that thought/problem comes the idea for a solution followed by the action of solving that problem. Let me take you through that process from mental seeds to physical tree with this fun and easy tutorial.

Watch my Wrapped Wire Beaded Tree YouTube video tutorial!
 

Materials:
14 gauge wire - 10" or more
22 gauge wire - a roll of it
Round nose pliers
Wire cutters
Chain nose pliers
Hot glue
Frame - optional
Charms to hang on the tree - optional

1. Cut 2 pieces of 4' 14 gauge wire and fold in half.  Fold a bent wire 2" from the bend and bend in the opposite direction on both sides of the bend.

2. Pinch the two folded parts and twist. These will be roots. Repeat with the other 4" wire.

3. Cut a 2' piece of the 14 gauge wire and bend one end, twisting to make a 5th root.

4. Holding the roots together, begin twisting the tree truck wires together.  Add as many extra wires as desired to add bulk to your trunk.

5. Decide where the branches will open up and separate them.

6. Cut 20 or more 2" pieces of 22 gauge wire and fold them in half.  Twist each for added strength and thickness.

7. Begin wrapping the smaller wires around the trunk, working upward and around the branches until you have the look you want.

8. To add charms, curl the ends of the branches, slide the charm on and secure by completing the curl.  I made charms from purple flower shaped beads with gold bells and leaf beads.

9. To add into a frame make sure the roots and branches have a flattened back side

10. Make sure there are plenty of contact points between the frame, backing and tree for the glue to create a good bond.

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Here's a fun and fabulous way to turn a jar into a gift that will remind a loved one that they have a special place in your heart.  I made this for my best bud, Lynn  and, with some simple wire wrapping techniques, you'll be making one in no time!

Materials:
1 quart jar
Aleene's Jewelry and Metal Glue
Electrical wire or 14 gauge wire
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Wire cutters
Beads
Head pins
22 gauge wire
Drill with 1/16" bit
Decorative paper

1. Clean your jar and remove any labels.

2. Wrap electrical wire around just inside the edges of the lid, twice. This will be the base of your crown.

3. Wrap 22 gauge wire around the crown base to cover it.

4. Cut a 2' piece of electrical wire. Beginning in the middle, bend the wire in small loops by crossing one end over the other. Make your loops about an inch apart and measure it frequently on the crown base. To measure, just start with the middle loop and bend the sides around the base. This will show you how many loops you will need to go all the way around. Between loops, bend the wire in a downward curve so that the wire touches the base and curves back up into the next loop.

5. Attach the looped wire to the base by wrapping it with the 22 gauge wire.

6. Slide one or two beads on a head pin and wrap the tail around a loop so the bead is on top of the loop. Add another bead and wrap the remaining tail around the lower end of the loop. Repeat for all the loops.

7. Drill 3 to 5 small holes in the lid beneath where the crown will sit. "Sew" the crown onto the lid with the 22 gauge wire. Cover the wire inside the lid with decorative paper.

8. Cut eight 6" pieces of electrical wire. Take 4 of the wires and make a loop in the center. Make a coil from both ends, wrapping toward the inside to form a heart shape with the loop at the bottom. At this point you can a charm to each heart's loop if you'd like.  Refer to the photo below to see how it should look.

9. Repeat the coiled ends on the other 4 pieces, with out the loop.  Again, refer to the photo below.

10. Lay out the pieces with every other one a heart. Orient the non-heart pieces with coils down. Use the 22 gauge wire to join all the pieces

11. Slide the whole thing onto the jar. Tighten it up by making the coils tighter.

12. Add drops of Aleene's Jewelry and Metal glue wherever the wire touches the jar.

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