Any Creative People Here? What Do I Do With This?

To answer your question John, no, there are no creative people here. LOL That's funny. I adore that branch, and if it were mine, I would just prop it up in a corner as is. It's a gorgeous piece of art that is nature made!!

By the way, you sure have a great studio!

Nope. no creative people here.

As Patricia said; standing by itself in a corner - I'd try a string of white lights.

My first choice would be an organic curtain rod. What window do you have that stands solo and is approx. 6' long ? Use bailing twine to hang the curtain.
side by side windows - go out and find another one.

John, I had a somewhat similar situation. I inherited caribou antlers my parents acquired when they lived in Colorado. Because they reminded my mother of Rudoulph, she fashioned a bow, red nose, and bought eyes for him--bringing him to life just in time for Christmas. He then became a fixture over their fireplace, summer or winter.

I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so when they downsized for the last time, I brought them to my home. Eventually I used them as yard art. I never attached them to a wood fence or brick wall, but could have done so. Instead, they sat in a remote place that had no traffic and became part of a focal point, interspersed with flower-filled pots. It looked nice, then I decided the antlers really were "me.". ;-)

My best to you in finding the ideal use. You might just try this piece in different places and see what hits you. I've seen interesting glass coffee tables made of similar items, though I would attempt to advise of how you'd make that work in this case. You'll get an idea, and it will be great. The wood looks beautiful.

Also, depending on where it flattens and how far it sticks out, you might try it over a bench on a front porch or patio.

I could use an item like that over the bench in my outdoor atrium, as long as it wouldn't pose a danger to someone's head or eyes.

Check out my new work "Sun Tree". Got a bundle of (to be) walking sticks at a yard sale. Made about 4 different collages.

Check out Pinterest. I get lots of great craft ideas from there. I could see it as a support for a cool rustic mobile sculpture.

I like it as it is. Could you carve it into a snake? In your first photograph it looks as though it is coming towards you.

make sure its not poison ivy. i've heard of cases where a person was taking a burl from it, and found it was poison ivy and it wasn't pretty after that.

if its not making you itch, i'd coat it in shellac and maybe hang coats off it. it could make a nice coat rack or hat stand. some people make chairs from that stuff.

---Mike Savad

Check out the "CREATE" channel they have wood workers on there that make goblets out of that sort branch

Great back scratcher for a giant.

Well, what you do is go back and find about 75 other pieces of wood of different lengths, then you bind them together with twigs and you will have something like this work of art.

I'd use that horizontally as a wall hanging, but it would depend on your decor. I have traditional furniture, so it would look a little odd in my house, but it is pretty cool whatever you end up using it for.....

Hollow it out and make a rain stick.

Hmmm.. I would start learning how to carve... and turn it into something. There.. how's that ;O)

bob

What ever you do, don't paint it!

I see some beautiful wood that is painted and even if the design is done very well, it is a terrible thing to see a beautiful piece of wood painted.

If possible, hang or attach it to the wall and then hang artwork from it. Maybe 3-5 pieces spaced out depending on the size of the artwork. The artwork could be a tree or seasonal theme.

If you have a long wall in your bath you could attach it there and put hooks along it to hang damp towels.
If you have a pool you could do the same thing outside for beach/pool towels.

If you do not have a long wall then attach it to the wall vertically but still put hooks in it for towels.

I would make a snake out of it.

I'm with Chuck. That piece is only the beginning.

wear a toga, get on a hill and pretend your Zues god of thunder.


---Mike Savad

Hi John, I had one similar that I cemented into a very large pot...for awhile it was a coat rack and then I used it to hang lanterns on, then it went out doors and held plants and wind chimes, then the base rotted off so I burnt it in the fire pit. I can see it as a pot rack if your kitchen could accommodate it . I personally would rather see it vertical.

What kind of wood is it? I like linseed oil to bring out the grain.

Sculpt a giant nose and use the stick as a big nose hair!

a nice toy for a very big dog

I like Mike's idea....You could take a picture of yourself and use it as your avatar. Hilarious Mike.

A quilt rod.

John that is a lovely branch. A few years ago strong winds damaged a big branch off our tree in the back. The shape in a portion of it was perfect for a candelabra.

Google "tree branch candelabra" The one on a dining room table with a open white shuttered window in the backdrop is one I took inspiration from. I stained mine and added decorative leaves.

By the size and looks of your branch you could easily make 2 or 3 candelabras to fit on a dining room table. I do agree with Floyd on not painting it, but try staining and treating it to protect it.

Whatever you finally decide to create from the branch, would love to see the final result.

John,

I like Mario's idea! And it's almost done!

Carve a snake head at the largest end, paint it and seal it and put it out in the yard or if you have large rooms, somewhere in a room but leave it as a surprise. You can paint it to look natural or creat a rainbow effect,whatever. Mount it on the wall or better yet, hang it from the ceiling! Have fun with it,

Rich

Snakes.. why did it have to be snakes!! ;O)

Come on that is the obvious.. he is asking for something creative ;O)

John.. so far I got nothin' now all I can see is snakes ;O)

Although it's a great stick, with lots of potential, I'd rather have the large building/garage structure in the photo. :)

Take a photo of it in it's natural setting and try and sell it here - see photo below.
Whatever you do don't paint or stain it. Work it into the architecture of your house somehow. Like a handrail or something like that.

Thanks for all the great ideas. Zeus is a good one!

I might look into some hooks. I'll post the after. Hopefully I can get it done before it gets too cold out.

That building is my pole barn. It is 40' x 70' with 15' ceilings. It was here when I bought the property and it was a BIG selling point for me.

I used to collect drift wood for an artist in Lufkin, Tx. She made dioramas from them. I can see that in a number of different dioramas.

I like the idea of using it as wall decor. It could be the start of a new theme for a room in your home. Take a look at photos of the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone NP. It was built from stuff like your old tree. It might give you some ideas on what you can do.

There is a orthodox chapel somewhere that is decorated floor to ceiling to chandeliers with human bones. Your tree reminds me of that, but you would need a big collection. In addition to Chuck's comments, I think you can find art based on this material in quite a few old lodges from the era when Railroads first built lodges in scenic locations to attract business, from Canada to California. You see a some art of this sort in fence designs in the Catskills, and other parts of the Northeast.

But my first and strongest idea was to appreciate the snake concept, and to add to it appropriate music and animation, in the tradition of one of the greatest music videos ever made: Herbie Hancock's "Rockit"



But I'm a techno-nerd, so my opinion is biased toward this kind of art.

You could use it as a curtain rod for a faux window in a room with high ceilings. You could use a mirror or just paint a window scene on the wall.

John, while we were away this week, I passed a glass=front shop door with THE greatest handle, beautifully mounted. I've only just got home, but will get busy uploading the photo I took, as a great use for your 'limb'........bear with me.................keep the shop open.........

I'm keeping my eyes open for an awesome branch to turn into a chandelier. Something like Project 3 at this link. (But without the dreary, grey room. Ouch!)

http://tinyurl.com/o8wvwl6

I think your branch would be great for this, John. I wouldn't dream of carving or sectioning it up. It's gorgeous, as a single, eye-catching piece!

a table center piece/candle holder. Just hollow out tea light shaped holes. A broom, just attach some scraggly straw to the end.

Still chuckling at your OP "any creative people here?..."


Hang horizontally on the wall and use for book shelf....the books will tilt at angles, based on the limb's directions.

I'll let everyone in on a secret. I KNEW there were creative people here. It was a trick to get people to look at my wood!

I was right. Over 35 answers to my question. I just have to figure out which one will work best. I just wish I would have cut it down earlier in the year when it was warmer.

To look at your wood? Your making me blush John!

"ha ha - made you look ".

I really like Val Arie's idea. You could move it around seasonally & change its usage as you feel you need. Multifunctional that way.

Hello John, you asked if there were any creative members among yourself and the answer to that is yes! In my early creative artistic years after attending while LSU back in 74/76 I was a Macramé Fiber Artist. I was invited to attend a fall art show with the Baton Rouge Artist Guild Association and actually sold many from my collection and actually was commissioned to create some of my original designs for sale. The famous TV, screen and Broadway actress Elizabeth Ashley is a native from Baton Rouge, her mother a well know artist, happened to share the artist booth next to mine and what a pleasure to meet her. She had won many local and national awards in Fiber Art Designs of her massive commissioned pieces of wall hangings. Her contemporary designs and detail were quite amazing hang in some of the leading hotel lobby's. Lucille Auyer her mother passed away years back but I am certain her commissioned works remain to be viewed.

My favorite of designs was designing pieces using metal rings hoops and knotting fibers using smaller collected branches in the design. It is time consuming but very rewarding when you design original pieces using collected items from nature. Some of the designs were nautical themed to whimsical using object d'art pieces of metal, copper etc. Some of my detailed designs involved wrapping colored fibers or yarn around the individual cords of jute. Recently, here in New Orleans a gallery displayed a mobile in the window with various sizes of driftwood and attach various pieces of cloth, material and created quite a beautiful display of colors. Nature and fabric art design. The creator of the piece use clear fishing line to suspend each branch which was connected, as you viewed it the illusion is made the branches are floating in air gently turn from the air movement around it.

At that time it was a very popular medium and the years past the art of macramé phased out. There were many how to books for individuals and artist alike. In fact the craft of Macramé was so popular many famous artist designed fiber art creations and were hung in major hotel lobby's and were seen in many art gallery's around the world.

You could design something for your home or design something to hang and put it back into nature such as a wind chime, or hang colored pieces of glass and hang outdoors as a mobile using different sizes of branches.

Its been many years since I worked on a macramé project, I will have to search through my archives of photos of some of my creations and post.

I hope this may help in your decision what to do with that branch. My personal design is since it came from nature, gather dried vines use as cords and attached leaves and preserve them, (seal them from the outdoor elemets) gild some gold or apply gold leaf paper to the various leaves to catch the sun rays. Mount from a visible tree in your yard and during the winter months when there are no leaves on the branches you will see your creation wth its leaves flutter from your mobile....There are so many creative ideas, I constructed one once and used various flat sea shells carefully drilling tiny holes in them to secure to clear fishing line.

@Chuck, a local artist here in New Orleans created a outdoor sculpture using drift wood collected from the banks of the Mississippi River a winged dragon similar it look mid-evil or Viking.... and it still stands on public display on a corner lot (green space)

Get busy now and finish your project and lets us see what you come up with?

Cheers, Michael

It would make a great home for a family of geckos or chameleons.

I like that Bob!

Hi John...answer#41.........while we were away, shopping!, this door handle seemed just right for your bough to be adapted into.........imHo..........the pix will be moved at my profile page to the last three - have a look.........it would be a lovely labor of love and beautiful outcome that serves a purpose every single day, somewhere...........somewhere........there's a place for this, lol...................or, make just one!..............Just fyi, I got permission from the shopkeeper, and, spent quite a fun time taking the shots because this seemed such a lovely solution, and because, well, I'm just such a nice person, great artist, humble,funny,CREATIVE, you name it...................let me know what you think, please...............

Vivian,

Thank you.

Are those wood or metal? Some look like metal. I could see using wood for door knobs but mine may be a bit too big. It is at least 7 feet long. I could cut it but I can't uncut it so I want to exhaust all options before I cut.

Cheers, John. These are metal. The design will work in wood, especially your twisted limb, seeing as it's now 'seasoned'........making one long handle would avoid cutting too short, or, you could make two, and perhaps add the sceptre/top round separately.......all sorts of options.....Also, the design for the bracket would adapt for the use as a timber handle..and hold the limb off away from a door itself.. These are a good 4-feet each.

..just imagine it.........in use somewhere every day........gorgeous. Glad you're interested. I enjoyed the inspiration, and the 'find'........Let us know outcomes.......Cheers,VIVA

So John.. what is on your short list at the moment?

Let's see Bob.

First on my list is dressing up as Zeus.

I like the idea of a curtain rod of some kind. I have one sliding glass door in my house it might work with.

I like the idea of mounting it to a wall to display...something.

The door handle idea is cool if I can make it work.

I don't really want to carve it as I haven't really carved before, maybe I could practice on a scrap piece of wood.

I am NOT going to paint it. Thought about staining it lightly to bring out the grain.

Maybe I will try to find more interesting sticks and try putting them together in some sculptor or bench. I do have 15 acres of woods to explore. Should be some sticks in there!

I have also thought about using it as a prop is some of my photography of animals or on the beach.

I guess I have all winter to think about it.

Keep the ideas coming!

John, don't stain it. Seal it instead. A friend made me a replacement table for my travel trailer, out of cedar. We loved the look so much we couldn't bear to stain it so we sealed it with Rustoleum Spar Varnish. The varnish darkened it some and really brought out the grain and knots without diminishing the beauty of the wood.

while not a 100% traditional, if you stand it up right, you can have a nice Festivus pole. if people ask you can say your doing your own charlie brown christmas.


---Mike Savad

I'd drill some holes in it and plant succulents, then hang it suspended somewhere outdoors...along the lines of this: http://www.urbangardensweb.com/2012/11/01/cool-new-indoor-outdoor-modular-vertical-garden-cylinders/

@Peggy, I like your suggestion a lot, I can also vision small bromeliads also. I have seen the smaller plants sometimes at the check out lines at Walgreens or plant nursery. Thanks for posting hat link. It has given me an idea to go to the Mississippi River and snatch up a piece of cypress driftwood and set on my window sill indoors. My 4th floor suite face north and east and have the entire city view of New Orleans and flooded with sunlight and the awesome view. All the windows have large wide sills and that would be ideal for me.

Sounds perfect, Michael. I've been on a succulent kick lately. Pinterest has a lot of inspiring ideas for them. I think bromeliads would work well too.

That looks really cool Peggy, but I don't have a green thumb. Will those grow inside? Do they need a lot of light? I only have two windows that face south and they are both in bedrooms.

Maybe it would work better outside.

John, I recently bought a red tea pot planted with some succulents (must photograph it!) and I have it hanging in a bedroom that gets very little light. They're doing really well. Another thing that I like about succulents is you don't have to remember to water them often. I read that you're supposed to water them once a week in the summer and once a month in the winter. I probably watered mine every 2-3 weeks this past summer though. I also have some outside and I just leave them alone...if it rains, they get watered. They're extremely easy plants to grow...no fuss, no muss.

Here's some more info about succulents - http://www.day2daysupermom.com/2014/05/how-to-care-for-succulents.html#comment-2715

(Notice the picture of a log planted with succulents halfway down the page.)

Perfect for roasting marshmallows, and not burning yourself

Combining a couple of the ideas previously stated, hang it horizontally on the wall and hang coats and hats on it.