I love turning trash into treasures!! And this project is especially one of my favorites. I use a damaged extension cord and turn it into a Gem Tree. If you have some broken electrical cords collecting dust, this is a perfect project to help kickstart your new hobby. Let's get started..

Supplies

TOOLS

L-wrench (size 3/32, approx)
tweezers
box cutter

MATERIALS

old extension cord
duct tape
glue
a rock for the base
crushed flint, tumbled rocks, or beads

Step 1: THE WIRE

To get the wire to make the tree, I am using an extension cord that I ran over with a lawnmower, so the cord is no longer useful. I thought I'd make something neat out of it. You could also use a different kind of cord, maybe an old game system cord that broke, or a favorite lamp. It just needs to be a cord.

The first thing to do is to cut three sections of the extension cord, each about a foot long. Then get the usable wire out of the extension cord. Most extension cords have an outside plastic layer, some sort of inside plastic filler, and two wires inside of it. Inside those two wires are a bunch of little copper strands. Those are what we need to remove. Once you have removed all of the plastic casings, you should just be left with the copper strands.

Step 2: MAKING THE BRANCHES

Let's start with the trunk and the branches. Each wire will be one 'leaf'. Our leaves will actually be rocks. Every three leaves will be one twig, and every three twigs will be one branch. Two branches will be one trunk, and three trunks will be one tree. Get it?

Little confusing but I will walk you through it...

Step A- Secure the L-wrench to the table with tape or in a vice. Or use it in a drill press.

Step B- Take one strand of copper, bend it in half around the L wrench, and pull the two haves over each other to make a small loop. This will be the leaf holder.

Step C- Pinch the wire very close to the loop and twist. The wire that is on the top, twist that one down about five to seven times. This will be the stem of the leaf. It should only be less than about a quarter-inch long.

Repeat steps B & C two more times until you have three leaf holders.

Step D-Take all three leaf holders and put them on the L-wrench. Twist all three of them together into one strand, leaving about an inch and a half at the bottom that's not twisted. You have now made one twig.

Repeat steps B through D until you have three twigs

Step E- Take all three twigs, put them on the L-wrench, and twist them all together while still leaving about an inch and a half at the bottom that's not twisted. You now have one branch.

Step F- The two branches are going to be one trunk, but you can't twist them on the L wrench. Place them, side by side, one a little lower than the other one. Cross them over each other and make an X. Pinch that X with one hand, and twist the two branches together with your other hand, until they are twisted all of the way down, leaving about an inch and a half untwisted near the bottom. This is the trunk.

Step G- For the top of the tree, it's better to use three branches instead of two branches. Once you have all three branches ready, it's time to twist them all together. Lay the three-branch trunk down and the two-branch trunk on each side one lower than the other. Make an X with the two-branch trunks, one underneath the three-branch trunk, and one on top. Pinch the X and twist all three branches together, all the way down, while still leaving an inch and a half.

Step 3: THE ROOTS

Now that the top of the tree is all twisted together, it's time to find a good base for it. Most people use a rock for this. I am using a piece of Ohio Flint interweaved with quartz crystals.

Once you have your rock picked out, it's time to twist the roots. Remember that spot where you stopped twisting the trunks together? That needs to be squeezed and packed together tightly. Then spread out the three trunks.

Place the tree on top of your rock where you want it to end up being when it's finished. Arrange the 'roots' around the rock to get a sense of how you want the roots to look once they're attached.

To make the roots, split the bundle in half into the shape of a letter T. Then using the T to twist the top part of the root, split the rest of it again into another T shape until you have a full root.

Once all three trunks are made into roots, it's time to place them onto the rock. Place the tree on the rock and press the roots around the rock until they fit snuggly. Take the whole tree off of the rock and bend the roots in more where you want them to go around the rock. This will help them to stay secured to the rock for gluing.

Step 4: GLUE

For the glue, most people like to use two-part epoxy, but I like to use wood glue.

Turn your tree upside down, place glue on the bottom of all of the roots, then place the tree back onto the rock, making sure that it's snug, while trying not to get glue on the top of the roots. Tape all of the roots to the rock and place one piece of tape over the top of one of the branches, securing it underneath the rock. This will help to hold down the tree.

After about an hour, be sure to remove the tape, because the glue will take a lot longer to dry and it will dry to the tape.

Take the empty plastic wire coverings that we removed earlier and tie them around the Rock roots to help the tree stay down.

Leave it alone for several hours or overnight to dry.

Step 5: THE BRANCHES

Now that the roots are dry and secure to the rock, it's a good time to work on the branches. The branches right now are all bundled up and twisted together, but now it's time to spread them apart to get them ready to put the leaves on.

Separate all of the branches into the twigs, and then separate all the twigs into leaf holders. Now, similar to the way we made the roots, twist all of the branches and twigs in two different patterns until you have something that looks like branches. Keep separating and twisting back together all the way around the tree.

Your creation should be getting close to resembling a tree, and you be starting to see how it's going to look.

Step 6: THE LEAVES

Now is the time to add the leaves, many people like to use different things for the leaves. Some use beads or tumbled stones. I like to use crushed-up Ohio Flint, leftover from flint knapping.

To start attaching the leaves, spread out the branches on your tree as far apart from each other as they will go. This will give you more room to work.

Step A- Take your glue and put it in a pile in a dish or bottle cap

Step B- Take your tweezers, pick up one of your 'leaves', and dip the bottom of it in the glue. Continue placing leaves onto each leaf holder, all over the tree until every single leaf holder is covered.

Quick Tip: Do one branch and then move to the other side of the tree and do another branch. This way the glue will be dry when you go back to the other side, so it won't be as easy to knock off the leaves that are drying.

Step 7: FELT AND FINISHING

Your tree is almost done. But first, we want to protect the surface where you're going to display your tree. So to do that, add a layer of felt to the bottom of the rock.

First, place your tree base down on the felt, trace around it, and cut out that piece.

Add a little bit of glue to the felt. Not too much glue, because the felt will get too hard once it dries.

Place the felt on the bottom of your tree, wait till it dries, and you are done!!

If you liked this project, check out my other rock projects. If you want something nice to display and protect your new Gem Tree, check out my GEM COLLECTOR CLOCHE. Gem Collector Cloche : 5 Steps - Instructables

Enjoy!!