Trash to Treasured Handmade Christmas Tree

Okay, it's hard to take a good pic of a lit tree!

This is basically what I did...... I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time when my bestie's  brother was trimming his Manzanita trees so I grabbed a piece and hauled it home this summer.  I sprayed one of the branches with matte white paint and left one of them natural.  My grandma's was sprayed with snow which is something I might add in the future.  Next, I cut the pieces into manageable sizes and placed them into an old cast iron urn that I've had for years and packed newspaper tightly around them to add stability.

Yes, I have a pink sink and....an old washing machine in my backyard! Question is...why don't you! :)

Then, I mixed together 2 cups of mortar mix (cement mixed with sand) and 2 cups of Plaster of Paris and enough water to make it pourable and the consistency of pudding. I poured the mixture into my urn and tapped it down so it would get into all of the crevices.  It set up super fast, like within an hour, so I was able to complete my next step...adding the strings of white lights!